District 115 Misses Several AYP Marks

When it comes to measuring adequate yearly progress, Superintendent Scott Wakeley eschews the notion that a district that doesn’t meet 100 percent of the standards is considered failing.

Yorkville joins a multitude of school districts throughout Illinois who did not make adequate yearly progres (AYP) as defined by the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

“The failing school moniker is very misleading and unfair,” Wakeley said. “Parents don’t feel their schools are failing. Are there areas we can improve on? Absolutely.”

Of the nine schools in the district , , , and made AYP in all areas.

NCLB requires 85 percent of students in all subgroups to meet state standards on standardized achievement tests taken last spring for their schools and districts to make AYP. If any subgroup of a school fails to meet AYP, then the whole school does not meet AYP.

and did not meet AYP in reading for economically disadvantaged. did not meet AYP in reading and math for economically disadvantaged. did not meet AYP in math and reading for black and Hispanic subgroups, reading and math for students with disabilities, and math for economically disadvantaged. did not meet AYP in math and reading.

District 115 officials are putting measures in place to help certain subgroups.

“We’ve completely revamped our math curriculum to align with the Common Core Standards,” Wakeley said. “That’s work started last year and we’re implementing it this year.”

Officials are also looking at the district’s current reading curriculum.

Associate Superintendent Tim Shimp said student test scores are up district-wide.

“We have grown from last year’s scores,” he said. “We’ve shown improvement."

But he said there is always room for improvement.

“There’s a feeling that we’re not satisfied,” he said. “The desire to get better permeates through the district.”

When NCLB began in 2003, 40 percent of students in all subgroups were required to meet these expectations on standardized achievement tests taken the prior spring for their schools and districts to make AYP.

“Basically everybody made it with the exception of some inner city or seriously underperforming districts,” Wakeley said. “And now by 2014, it’s 100 percent of the kids. So you either make it or you’re a failing school. I disagree.”

School officials said while the system has its flaws, there is a silver lining.

“The good part about this is it does continue to focus on the subgroups — what are we doing for them?" Wakeley said. "It’s really forced school districts to look at the subgroups, which is something we were attentive to but not to the extent we are now. Accountability isn't a bad thing.”