Area schools making progress
As executive director of Intermediate Unit 1 (IU 1), I see first hand the efforts of schools to meet the challenges of the No Child Left Behind legislation. The public gets to see whether or not a school made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), but from where I sit the view is much more expansive. I want to share my observations because they may add a new perspective to what the public sees. In the 25 school districts in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties that IU 1 serves, I see so much more than whether a school made AYP. I see districts aligning curricula to high academic standards, teachers learning new scientifically proven instructional methods so they are capable of designing instruction to reach every student in their class, and administrators looking at test results and discussing with staff what they can do to improve learning for students.
I see tutoring being offered before and after school to help struggling students, I see alternative education programs being developed to meet the needs of non-traditional students. I see educators making great efforts to look honestly at the way they are educating your children and how they can improve.
The numbers do demonstrate the effects of these efforts. For instance, this past year, 20 of the 25 school districts met district-wide AYP goals; up from 15 districts in 2003-04 and up from two districts in 2002-03. Of the 112 public school buildings in the tri-county area, 81 met the state and federal AYP targets and on December 20, 2005, they were awarded the Keystone Achievement Award.
Have educators in the tri-county region reached the end of their journey to effective public education for all students? No. Much more needs to be accomplished over the next several years in order to attain the 2014 goal of having all children reaching proficiency in reading and math. Despite the obstacles they face, such as poverty, limited resources, and students challenged by disabilities; educators in this region are committed to doing everything within their power to continue to assist their students in making adequately yearly progress.
I wanted to publicly share my thoughts because it is easy to judge a school by only looking at what they have not accomplished. I just do not think that gives the schools the credit they deserve. I congratulate the schools in Fayette, Greene and Washington counties on the progress they are making to improve education for our children and I am honored to support their efforts.
Dr. Lawrence J. O’Shea
IU 1 executive director
California