County's school corporations show overall progress
Two schools miss the mark
By Kevin Schnepp Staff writer

Both school corporations in Carroll County met the statemandated Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements this year overall. However, two Delphi schools independently fell short of the goal according to the Indiana Department of Education (DOE).

According to the DOE Web site, beginning with the 2002- 03 school year, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) required schools to show annual improvements in the academic achievement of the overall student population and of identified student subgroups. Subgroups include economic background, race and ethnicity, free and reduced lunch, limited English proficiency and special education.

Delphi Community Elementary School (DCES) and Delphi Community Middle School (DCMS) did not meet AYP critera. Both failed in the special education subgroup. The middle school also fell short of the mark in the free and reduced lunch category.

DCES underperformed by AYP standards for two straight years, the middle school for three. Both are now in School Improvement Status, which effectively amounts to state-mandated progressive discipline. The schools must abide by rules designed to help them meet AYP minimum standards, including school choice and professional development.

AYP designations for Indiana school corporations and schools are determined by student achievement and participation rates on the Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus (ISTEP) in English/language arts and mathematics, elementary and middle school student attendance rates and high school graduation rates. Under NCLB, schools must make AYP in all student groups in order to meet AYP. The goal of NCLB is for all students to achieve proficiency in English/ language arts and mathematics by 2014.

DCES Principal Bill Shidler said Monday the special education subgroup had met AYP the past two years due to the Safe Harbor Provision, which allows a school to meet the goal provided it shows other means of improvement within failing subgroups. This year, special education students showed improvement, but not enough to match the provision's requirements.

"This year we failed in one of 36 possible subgroups to fail in, thus we are still a failing school," Shidler said. "Our students in special education are receiving increased and better instruction. However, we didn't have quite enough growth this year."

DCSC Superintendent Ralph Walker expressed disapproval of the AYP system. He said Monday he believed the NCLB act was helpful but had some problems.

"I believe a tremendous amount of good came out of No Child Left Behind," he said. "But this particular piece here (the special needs subgroup), it's just absolutely wrong. The state expects students with very limited abilities to meet AYP at a grade level they are not even at. It's just absolutely wrong."

Walker said the corporation's special education teachers worked very hard with their students. When their results cause the entire school to fail, he said, it does not help anyone's morale.

"It's a negative thing not only for the schools, but the kids themselves," he explained. "Honestly, I think it's cruel. It's just wrong."

For more information, call the DCSC office at (765) 564- 2100.