AYP Parent Letter
Dear Parents,
Our school and school district are
dedicated to providing all students with the educational foundation
necessary to succeed in school and in life. To ensure your child’s
success, we set high standards that are reflected in what is taught
in our classrooms. However, under the federal No Child Left Behind
Act, which was signed into law in 2002, specific criteria are
measured so that the government can determine whether or not
schools – particularly Title I funded schools – are making adequate
yearly progress (AYP) Adequate yearly progress is a measure based
on results on Nebraska’s standards based assessments.
The goal for last year was to have 81% of all students in grades
3-6 proficient on the reading standards and at least 95% of the
students must have been assessed in reading. The math goals were:
83% for grades 3-6 and at least 95% of the students must have been
assessed in math. If a school does not meet these goals two years
in a row, in the same grade level and same subject, they are
identified as “In Need of Improvement.” A school can get out of
School Improvement Status after all subgroups meet the AYP goals
for two consecutive years.
Conestoga Elementary is in year 1 of Title I School Improvement
Status. The following illustrates our students’ overall performance
and participation over the past two years.
Reading
2006-2007 3-6 Performance 82% overall
2 subgroups did not meet goal
2006-2007 Grades 3-6 Participation 94% overall
1subgroup did not meet goal
2007-2008 3-6 Performance 83% overall
All subgroups met the goal
2007-2008 Grades 3-6 Participation 98% overall
1subgroup did not meet goal
Math
2006-2007 3-6 Performance 96% overall
All subgroups met the goal
2006-2007 Grades 3-6 Participation 98% overall
All subgroups met the goal
2007-2008 3-6 Performance 96% overall
All subgroups met the goal
2007-2008 Grades 3-6 Participation 98% overall
1subgroup did not meet goal
In performance, two sub-groups in grades 3-6 did not meet the
2006-2007 goal in reading. All subgroups met the goal in 2007-2008.
In participation, one sub-group in grades 3-6 did not meet the goal
in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 in reading. Conestoga Elementary remains
in School Improvement Status until all subgroups are able to meet
the reading goal two years in a row.
Because of the status, the school must develop and implement a
two-year plan to help all subgroups meet the goal. This year, a
committee of the elementary principal, curriculum director, and
teachers will develop and submit a plan to the State Department of
Education. The plan will include strategies for Conestoga
Elementary School to implement several changes intended to help
raise student achievement. These will include implementing a new
reading and grammar program in grades K-6 and differentiated
reading activities where students are placed in reading groups in
their classroom based upon their reading strengths. Conestoga
Elementary teachers are also using classroom assessment data to
help focus their classroom instructional decisions. It is the hope
of the district that these changes, with others will help us to
meet the goal again this year.
You, as a parent, are a very important part of the educational
process. In addition to the assistance and nurturing you give to
your child, you can participate in upgrading the quality of
education within Conestoga Elementary. Your efforts will help your
child’s school to make AYP. You may want to get involved by:
• Reviewing your child’s homework and test results;
• Supporting and reinforcing your child’s good study habits;
• Becoming a member of the parent teacher organization;
• Making sure your child is prepared and attends school each
day;
• Coming to parent-teacher conferences.
You may contact Elementary Principal, Eric Dennis if you have any questions about the AYP status.
Educationally yours,
Eric Dennis
Conestoga Elementary Principal
