Nearly 80% of Georgia's schools make AYP after appeals

ATLANTA- After careful review of 86 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) appeals, the final numbers are in and state Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox says the outlook is even better for Georgia's public schools. The percentage of schools that have met AYP is 79.51 percent, which is up from the pre-appeal 78 percent.

"This is even more good news for Georgia's public schools," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "It's the perfect ending to a great year which included improved achievement on the CRCT, a ten-year high in our average SAT score, and a renewed focus on providing the best education possible for all of Georgia's children."

The number includes two of eight schools in Gainesville and Hall County that had been listed as "not making adequate progress." As we reported earlier this fall, South Hall Middle School and Gainesville Middle School were successful in their appeals. The only other Northeast Georgia school to file a successful appeal was Rabun Gap Community School in Rabun County.

Following the initial release of AYP determinations in July 2004, 86 schools appealed their status to the Governor's Office of Student Achievement. The number of appeals received this year was much lower than the 430 processed by the state review team in 2003.

"The lower number of appeals indicates that more schools and districts understand their AYP data elements," said Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Student Achievement Dr. Martha Reichrath. "As schools and systems understand and utilize the data, we will continue to see improved academic achievement for Georgia students. It is exciting to observe state and district leaders who have a shared vision relative to the impact of data driven decision-making."