2006 Accountability Reports and High School Assessment Results Released

Commissioner Lyonel Tracy announces the release of the 2006 Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports for New Hampshire schools and districts, together with preliminary designations for schools and districts in need of improvement (SINI and DINI). Also being released are Grade 10 assessment results, with 83 percent of students scoring at "basic" or above in Reading and 76 percent scoring "basic" or above in Mathematics. Scores in that range demonstrate proficiency on the NHEIAP (New Hampshire Educational Improvement and Assessment Program) test.

A total of 467 schools participated in state testing during the 2005-06 school year. Preliminary AYP reports are released today for all but ten schools, which have enrollments too small to publicly report results. Of the 457 school reports released today, 273 schools made AYP in all areas and 184 schools did not make AYP in at least one area. For the first time in New Hampshire, seven schools identified as "schools in need of improvement" met the criteria for exiting school improvement status by making AYP for the second consecutive year. "This is a significant accomplishment for those schools that developed and implemented a successful school improvement plan," Commissioner Tracy stated. The schools are: Conant High School (Jaffrey Rindge School District), Exeter High School, Gilford High School, Londonderry High School, Newfound Regional High School, Portsmouth High School, and Winnacunnet High School in Hampton.

No school districts were eligible to be removed from district in need of improvement status; however, 8 of 15 districts identified for improvement in 2005 made AYP in 2006.

Re-Release of Elementary and Middle School Reports

Elementary and middle school AYP reports, based on results from the first year of Grade 3-8 NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program) testing, were released in June. However, discussions with the U.S. Department of Education, and a subsequent internal review of data, resulted in today's release of revised AYP reports calculated on the basis of new performance targets and a reduced "cell size" of 11. Academic performance of the school as a whole is reported, as well as the performance of subgroups of students, if there are 11 or more in the group. In today's revised reports, a total of 226 elementary and middle schools made AYP in all areas, with 151 elementary and middle schools not making AYP in at least one area.

As with the reports issued in June, each school's AYP was determined through an index system in which each student's performance level in both reading and mathematics may contribute points towards the school's overall index score. The index system, together with the detailed NECAP performance data reports available to school officials, allow school officials, teachers, and parents to more effectively track individual student progress from year to year and provide timely support to students when needed. One of the key components of Commissioner Tracy's Follow The Child Initiative for New Hampshire is to help schools follow the progress of each child from grade to grade. The Commissioner encourages "every school district to document the progress of each child personally, physically, socially, and academically."

The New England Common Assessment Program is a joint effort of the New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont Departments of Education. The NECAP tests for grades 3-8 were developed from a common set of Grade-Level Expectations in reading, writing, and mathematics. A high school NECAP test is being developed based on common Grade Span Expectations and will be administered for the first time in the fall of 2007 to 11th graders.

High School Reports

High school AYP reports are based on the results of the 2006 Grade 10 state tests. AYP for high schools is based on the same cell size as elementary/middle schools (11), but with different performance targets previously established as part of the original NH Educational Improvement and Assessment Program (NHEIAP). Of the 81 high schools participating in state testing, 47 made AYP in all areas and 33 did not make AYP in one or more area, with one high school too small to publicly report results.

School District Reports

AYP is calculated for each school and school district in New Hampshire . Of the 162 school districts, 110 made AYP in all areas and 51 did not make AYP, with one district too small to publicly report results.

All schools and school districts not making AYP have 30 days to file an appeal of that determination with the State Department of Education.

AYP Explained

To make AYP, a school or school district must meet performance targets established for student performance in Reading and Mathematics as well as other measures, including numbers of students participating in the test, the rate of attendance (elementary/middle schools) and the graduation rate (high schools). Academic performance of the school as a whole is measured, as well as the performance of subgroups of students, which are reported categorically by ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational disability, and non or limited English proficiency.

Schools and Districts In Need of Improvement

In accordance with state and federal accountability law, schools and districts not making AYP for two consecutive years in the same content area(s) are designated "in need of improvement" and must develop an improvement plan to address the area(s) which caused the designation. The New Hampshire Department of Education provides assistance and resources to identified schools and districts as they work to determine how best to improve student performance.

For School Year 2006-07, twenty-one schools are newly identified as schools in need of improvement (SINI), increasing the total number of schools identified for improvement to 91. Six school districts are newly identified as districts in need of improvement (DINI), increasing the total number of districts identified for improvement to 21.

Click here for a complete list of school and district reports, together with preliminary school and district in need of improvement information.

Click here for 2005-2006 Grade 10 State-level, district-level, and school-level reports.

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