Two public schools fail AYP

WEST LAFAYETTe, Ind. (WLFI) - Both Lafayette and Tippecanoe Schools Corporations did not meet adequate yearly progress or AYP.
Sarah Ferguson teaches fifth grade at Hershey Elementary School in Tippecanoe School Corporation. While her school did not make AYP, she said that's not the only way to test students.

"It makes the teachers in the school appear that maybe things aren't happening the way they should be. In reality, most of the ways that we assess students is not just on a standardized test," said Ferguson.

Tippecanoe School Corporation Superintendent Scott Hanback said he feels AYP should not be the only benchmark used to assess students.

"Our students come from a varying background, a very diverse background. Some have particular challenges over others and it makes it very difficult to get those students over particular benchmarks that have been set at the 100 percent mastery," said Hanback.

Lafayette School Superintendent Ed Eiler said the AYP results statewide show a flaw in the system.

"Right now, the only children that matter are the children who pass the test. I think we have a moral obligation to move all children as far as we can regardless of whether they're well above the standard or well above the standard," said Eiler.

Not all public schools Tippecanoe County failed to make AYP. West Lafayette Community Schools passed. Superintendent Rocky Killion said he owes the accomplishment to several factors.

"The blessing that we have in West Lafayette, we have a very strong parental involvement and community. We have very strong educators in the classroom. We have a variety of socio-economic assistance within our school district," said Killion.
 

Making adequate yearly progress is important because, under No Child Left Behind, by 2014 all students will need to master both the language arts and mathematics portion of the I-STEP.

For more information and a complete list of AYP results click here.

Meanwhile the superintendents and board members met for the annual Cooperation and Collaboration meeting.
TSC Superintendent Scott Hanback said one concern he has is educating students who may end up in the juvenile justice center.
Hanback said the property the county is looking at building on will be in his district.
He said he would like to request another entity sponsor a charter school for those youth in the detention center.
This way, Hanback said, the students test results will not affect TSC's AYP.