Official E-Mail from the Montana Office of Public Instruction
Linda McCulloch, Superintendent
Subject: Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs)
Friends - As you know, this is the year Congress was supposed to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was the eighth reauthorization of the ESEA and many of us were looking forward to the next reauthorization to address flaws in the current law. Since the reauthorization process in the U.S. Congress has completely stalled, we must follow the existing law in implementing Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) determinations for all Montana schools this summer. I would like to remind you about NCLB required increases in targets for student achievement.
NCLB requires increased student achievement targets for our students, ending with 100% of students at proficiency or advanced by school year 2013-2014. These targets are called Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) and are critical parts of the AYP calculations. This year the No Child Left Behind law requires a dramatic increase in AMOs for Montana students in Reading and in Math. Information on this AMO change was in the February OPI JUMP Newsletter.
This year the Math AMO shoots from 51% to 68% of students scoring Proficient or Advanced on the criterion referenced test - a 17% increase to meet proficiency! Reading jumps from 74% to 83%! With these required increases, I anticipate that the number of schools that do not make AYP will at least double. A visual of the federally required AMO increases can be found at: http://www.opi.mt.gov/PUB/PDF/superintendent/08AMO.pdf
I am working on plans to prepare the public for this dramatic jump. It is important for everyone to know that the quality of our schools didn't change. Montana schools are consistently getting better, however these higher requirements will be more than some subgroups in many of our schools can accomplish.
It is important that we all keep talking about the No Child Left Behind Act in our communities and around the state. The public needs to be informed about the real implications of the law and how unreasonable it is to expect 100% of our students to meet a proficiency standard.
If we don’t continue talking to the public, we leave them no choice but to believe the "failing" status the U.S. Department of Education will continue to give many of our schools. If you have thoughts or suggestions on how we can continue to educate the public on the damage NCLB actually does to our schools, I hope you will share your thoughts with me.
Thank you for all you do for Montana students!
***Linda
Please Direct this message to: All Interested Persons
Superintendent Linda McCulloch, Office of the Superintendent
406-444-5658
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