Even as achievement benchmarks continue to rise, Virginia Beach City Public Schools is projected to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) guidelines for the fourth consecutive year. NCLB requires individual schools and school divisions to meet annual measurable objectives for student performance on statewide tests in both reading and mathematics. In order to make AYP this year, 77 percent of a school division’s students must demonstrate proficiency in English reading (up from 73 percent), and 75 percent (up from 71 percent) must be proficient in mathematics. The benchmarks will increase annually until the 2013-2014 school year at which time 100 percent of the student body must be proficient in both subject areas.

Additionally, a school division and individual schools must meet or exceed up to 35 separate requirements which include participation in statewide testing, achievement in math and reading, and other academic indicators such as attendance or science, history, and writing passing rates at the elementary and middle school levels. Graduation rate is the other academic indicator for all high schools. These requirements apply to the student population as a whole as well as to certain subgroups including students with disabilities, limited English proficient students, economically disadvantaged students, and the state-designated major racial/ethnic groups (Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic).

As a school division, Virginia Beach schools met or exceeded 2,322 (98.9 percent) of the 2,349 required benchmarks. Additionally, 70 of the district’s 82 schools are projected to make AYP based on preliminary 2007-2008 test results. Data are available on the Virginia Department of Education Web site.

For additional information about Virginia Beach City Public Schools’ preliminary AYP results, please contact the Department of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment at 263-1030.

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