This is one report card you shouldn’t be scared of showing your parents.
The Michigan Department of Education recently released report cards to Oxford’s elementary and middle schools, along with the annual report on each school’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Law.
Jim Schwarz, director of curriculum for Oxford schools, said all of the elementary schools and the middle school, with the exception of Leonard Elementary’s B, received an A and that every school met the AYP.
According to the Michigan Department of Education’s website, AYP is a state measurement of student achievement, governed and approved by the U.S. Department of Education.
‘They look at where you’re at in comparison to where you are according to the state average,? Schwarz said.
He also said MEAP results, curriculum, teacher quality and professional development, school facilities and family involvement play a large role.
Schwarz said the high school spring MEAP results haven’t been released yet, so it is not known what the school’s grade is yet.
For the 2004-05 school year, Clear Lake, Daniel Axford, Oxford and Lakeville elementaries each received A’s, while Leonard Elementary, Oxford Middle and High schools received B’s, though all of the schools did meet AYP.
‘I’m very proud and glad we’re at where we’re at,? Schwarz said. ‘Everybody works hard towards keeping our AYP and our grades where they’re at.?
Schwarz said ‘the bar is getting raised? each year as far as what the state wants to see in local districts.
‘All schools are to be at 100 percent proficiency by 2014, which is unrealistic because you’ll start to see districts falling off the map,? he said.
There are sanctions put forth by the state for schools which do not meet AYP, like offering workshops for schools failing to meet the goals. In the worst case scenario, Schwarz said the state would basically ‘clean out? the school and start over, however, they haven’t had to do that yet.
‘We’ve been fortunate in that all of our buildings have made AYP thusfar and we certainly aim to continue to do that,? he said.