High School Reaches AYP Standard for First Time In Nine Years

For the first time in nine years, reached the Adequate Yearly Progress federal standard for the 2010-2011 school year.

And with two successful appeals of school's AYP scores this year, that means all nine made AYP, Superintendent David Baugh announced last week.

“This is the result of an incredible team effort,” he said.

Bill Gretzula – who served as superintendent last year before taking another district administrative position to spend more time with his family – explained that the high school had not made AYP in eight straight years and was the only school not to do so in 2009-2010.

“We were most proud last year that the two elementary schools (Faust and Rush elementary schools) that had previously been in failing by state definitions had made AYP,” he said. “The high school had also shown improvement in some subgroups but did not reach necessary thresholds to achieve AYP for every subgroup.”

Gretzula attributed the new BHS success to a school improvement plan developed with support of the Bucks County Intermediate Unit. Among other things, he said, it helped implement “professional learning communities to strengthen the collaboration and sharing of best practices and student progress” and remediation opportunities for students in need.

“It has always been understood by those within our organization that change is a process, not an event,” he said. “The true work of school reform is not something that can occur quickly. It requires focus and persistence on a few targeted improvement strategies.”

AYP is the measure by which schools, districts and states are held accountable for student performance under the No Child Left Behind Act.

The law requires states to use a single accountability system for public schools to determine whether all students, as well as individual subgroups of students, are making progress toward meeting state academic content standards. The goal is to have all students reaching proficient levels in reading and math by 2014 as measured by performance on state tests.

Progress on those standards are tested yearly in grades 3 through 8 and in one grade in high school. The results are then compared to prior years, and, based on state-determined AYP standards, used to determine if the school has made adequate progress toward the proficiency goal.

As a result of its AYP failings, Bensalem High had been placed in federal Correction Action II status, which can subject it to governance changes including chartering and privatization. And now it must reach AYP again this school year to be considered back on track.

Gretzula is optimistic, saying he believes the efforts taken are “sustainable ... and will produce continuous long-term gains.”