Alleghany County is among only 17 Virginia school divisions in which the school division and all of its individual schools met “adequate yearly progress” (AYP) under the federal “No Child Left Behind Act” during the 2007-2008 school year. It is the third consecutive year that the division and all county schools met AYP.
AYP progress figures were released on August 27 by the Virginia Department of Education. Under No Child Left Behind, or NCLB, the percentage of students required to pass tests increases by 4 percentage points each year until 2014. In 2014, every student is expected to pass.
AYP measures school divisions and individual schools on the pass rate of students who take the Virginia Standards of Learning tests in math and English in grades 3 through high school. Attendance rates and high school graduation rates are also considered.
Pass rates must meet or exceed established benchmarks. In 2007, schools and divisions were required to meet pass rates of 71% in math and 73% in reading. In 2008, the benchmarks increased to 75% in math and 77% in reading. In the coming year, the benchmarks will be 79% in math and 81% in reading.
“The increasing requirements of the ‘No Child Left Behind’ law eventually will become impossible for almost all school divisions and schools to meet, let alone sustain,” said Alleghany School Superintendent Bob Grimesey. “That’s all the more reason for our community to give another standing ovation to our students, our teachers, our principals and everyone else who may be associated with our third consecutive year of success in meeting the AYP benchmarks.”
The number of benchmarks varies from school to school and from division to division. The benchmarks include division-wide and school-wide total performance, as well as numerous sub-group performance areas. Sub-groups are measured if the school or division has at least 50 students in the given sub-group, such as special education, minority and economically disadvantaged.
Alleghany County and its schools were required to meet 113 benchmarks this year, Superintendent Dr. Bob Grimesey said.
“Our instructional staff works tirelessly to meet the individual academic needs of each student in the division,” said Sarah Campbell, Alleghany County’s assistant superintendent for instruction. “These individuals spend hours transforming student test results into effective programs of instruction. I am proud to say that as the federal benchmarks increase, so does the intensity with which each member of our instructional staff commits to continued excellence.”
Fifty-four of Virginia’s 132 school divisions made AYP during 2007-2008, compared with 59 the previous year. In 37 of those divisions, however, one or more individual schools failed to meet the standards.

Topic: Community News
Partner: Alleghany County Public Schools