13 Gainesville, Hall schools not making AYP

GAINESVILLE - Thirteen schools in the Gainesville and Hall County school systems are listed as not not making "adequate yearly progress" in a report released by the state Tuesday.

However, county school superintendent Will Schofield says six of those in the county - North Hall, East Hall and South Hall middle, and Tadmore, Chicopee Woods and Myers elementary - are "appealable" cases.

Schofield singled out Chicopee Woods, in particular, because it is a new school. "And, we just feel if you look at the fact that they have no baseline data to go by that is an appealable school."

He puts Myers in the same category because 60 percent of its student population is new because of redistricting.

The five where no appeal is likely are Lyman Hall, Jones, White Sulphur, Sugar Hill elementary and Chestatee Middle. (Two Gainesville schools failed to make AYP - the middle school and the high school. See separate story.)

Hall County's 33 schools comprise approximately 1,400 potential indicators for AYP purposes. County students made "Adequate Yearly Progress" in approximately 1,365 of the 1,400 potential indicators (almost 98%).

Schofield said, compared to last year, "in terms of the number of schools, it looks like it will be very similar - that won't make it. In terms of the number of subgroups and indicators, it's actually an improvement over last year."

The areas singled out by the state where work is needed and Schofield's response:

*Record keeping and subgroup size. "We will ensure that we are maximizing schools' ability to report accurate results.

*English Language Learners (which makes up almost half of the subgroups that are not making AYP). "We must look at new and creative ways of being more effective with this population. Brown University will be a primary source of support. We will continue to partner with Gainesville City Schools in meaningful ways such as the 21st Century Grant."

*Students With Disabilities. "Again, we must look at new and creative ways of working with this group."

At a noontime news conference in Atlanta, state Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox said the percentage of Georgia's schools meeting the standards for AYP dropped this year compared to last year. (See separate story.)

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)