Test scores up, but two schools
With the release of testing data for the past school year, the San Juan School District continues to demonstrate an overall improvement in standardized assessment results.
The federal government, through the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), requires school districts to report Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) of schools.
The Utah State Office of Education and Superintendent Douglas E. Wright, have determined that ten of the twelve schools in the district have met the NCLB’s AYP standard.
They are elementary schools in Bluff, La Sal, Montezuma Creek, Monticello, and Mexican Hat and high schools in Monticello, Montezuma Creek, Monument Valley High, Navajo Mountain, and Blanding.
Testing results are divided into 40 groups, and each school must reach the standard in every group to make AYP status.
Blanding Elementary and Albert R. Lyman Middle school made Adequate Yearly Progress in mathematics, but did not make Adequate Yearly Progress in language arts.
Both schools also failed to make AYP status in 2007.
For the 2007-08 school year, the district as a whole made AYP. This is a significant improvement from the 2006-07 No Child Left Behind report.
In the previous school year, seven of the 12 schools made AYP. School officials believe this is due to the continued efforts of all stakeholders to improve the quality of the schools, including students, parents, and staff. They add that the overall trend since 2002 has illustrated a significant and consistent improvement in standardized assessment.
Superintendent Wright noted, “By building on the success and dedication of years past, we continue to strive to make improvements in the education we offer. San Juan School District is on a journey toward excellence. We appreciate the efforts of all who are involved in the education of the students of San Juan School District.”