Preliminary results for the 2007-08 Adequate Yearly Progress report for Ashe County Schools have been calculated and only one out of five county schools has made adequate progress.

So far, only the math scores have been released and these are unofficial results.

Westwood Elementary shot 100 percent, meeting all 13 target goals for this school year. Mountain View and Ashe County High schools met 12 out of 13 target goals, 93 percentile, and Blue Ridge rounded out the county’s elementary schools meeting 76.9 percent of the target goals.

Ashe County Middle School met 11 of the proposed target goals, or 84.6 percent. Westwood Elementary has been named a “School of Choice” this year in recognition of its outstanding test scores.

Countywide reading scores will be available in October. The standard for scoring the reading scores has increased.

The listed reports help measure Ashe County Schools’ compliance with “No Child Left Behind” regulations. According to the U.S. Department of Education, NCLB works to ensure that all students, regardless of race or economic standing, have the capability to achieve academic proficiency.

County and district school systems send out annual report cards informing parents about school progress and what the school system has done in order to meet NCLB regulations. If schools fail to meet NCLB requirements, the school system must provide supplemental educational services, such as free tutoring or summer courses. If a school system does not meet standards for two consecutive years, then parents may transfer students to another school at the school district’s expense and provide transportation to an alternate school as well. Furthermore, if a school system fails to meet requirements for five consecutive years, then dramatic changes will be implemented.

In addition, students who attend an unsafe or dangerous learning environment may transfer to a safer school within the district if they wish. NCLB also works to determine which educational supplemental activities and programs are most effective through rigorous scientific research. Federal funding is then used to target these areas where research has proven effective.

Last year, Mountain View Elementary failed to meet all of the target goals under NCLB and 19 students received supplemental learning outside classroom curriculum.

School Superintendent Donnie Johnson commented on this year’s academic progress report.

“It is important to remember that we are only looking at part of the picture,” Johnson said. “What we do is, every year we look at all the different areas that need improvement and integrate that data so we can find ways to improve our scores and reach the target area. We also take into consideration our performance in past years and see what improvements we have made and what areas we need to focus on.”

Ashe County Schools has a county director for both K-6 and 7-12 grade levels who work closely with school principals in addressing the school’s strengths and weaknesses, Johnson said.

“It really is an ongoing process. Every year we look at our strengths and weaknesses and try to come up with various methods to ensure students receive a top notch education.”

The Ashe County School system works with Northwest RESA in North Wilkesboro which provides additional training for staff and teachers. RESA (Regional Education Service Alliance) provides technical and staff development training for various school systems in Northwest North Carolina. RESA also sponsors regional workshops that focus on teaching the core curriculum as well as providing technical assistance and consultation for all the school’s staff. The overall goal of RESA is to enhance the educational experience of students through staff development training.

Official results of this year’s Academic Yearly Progress report will be available at future school board meetings.