The state’s Adequate Yearly Progress report released today gave Troup County educators cause for both celebration and concern.

The county’s high school graduation rate increased by 6 percent to 74.9 percent, barely missing the new graduation rate bar of 75 percent. Troup is still behind the state’s 77.8 percent graduation rate, but cut the gap in half.

Despite improvements, the school system did not meet AYP and remains in the “needs improvement” category. Having missed the mark due to math performance in recent years, Troup will use federal stimulus funds for math coaches.

“We are pleased with the progress Troup County is making, but look forward to new interventions intended to continue improvement in targeted areas,” said Schools Superintendent Ed Smith. “The use of stimulus funds to target math performance is one example.”

Troup’s graduation rate reflects gains for every subgroup except students with disabilities. The most significant gains were by economically disadvantaged students, with a 12.4 percent increase, and black students, with a 10.5 percent increase.

Under federal No Child Left Behind legislation, school performance across the country is determined by AYP, a formula consisting of participation in reading/English language arts and math tests, academic performance in reading/English language arts and math, and a “second indicator,” which is graduation rate in high schools and attendance in elementary and middle schools.

Schools are designated as needing improvement if they don’t meet AYP for two consecutive years in the same category. Schools have to meet AYP two years in a row before they can come out of needs-improvement status.

In Troup County, all three high schools are in the needs-improvement category and, depending on how long each has had the designation, must offer options to parents such as school choice, tutoring and specific actions to improve student performance.

All of Troup’s schools met AYP participation requirements, 81.8 percent met academic performance requirements and 90.9 percent met second indicator requirements.

Thirteen of the 14 elementary schools made AYP after five consecutive years of all elementary schools in the system meeting the requirements. Hollis Hand Elementary fell short this year in math performance.

Two of the three middle schools and West Side Magnet earned AYP status, with only Gardner Newman Middle School missing the mark due to math performance.

Performance of the system and each school is measured by subgroups of students. Both LaGrange and Troup high schools showed significant subgroup gains in both math and English language arts.

LaGrange High earned AYP, but the remaining two high schools and Ault Academy did not. Ault Academy, which provides educational services for the at-risk adolescents of Twin Cedars Youth Services, was included for the first time in AYP calculations for Troup County.

All subgroups, except students with disabilities, met the academic performance requirements for AYP.

Final AYP status, including the final graduation rate, will be computed after summer administration of the Georgia High School Graduation Test and the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test. Credit recovery options and school appeals also may result in a higher graduation rate and additional schools meeting academic performance standards.

Final AYP status is expected in October.

Support for student improvement includes graduation coaches in middle and high schools; mentoring led by teachers, volunteers, and community organizations; after school tutoring; credit recovery courses; and test preparation activities. As part of the annual comprehensive system improvement plan, each school identifies individual student needs and risk factors for both academic performance and school completion.