AYP Questions and Answers

What is AYP?
The federal law called the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that schools make progress every year in improving student achievement. This progress is referred to as "adequate yearly progress" or "AYP." The state of Oklahoma has established student achievement targets to determine whether schools have made their AYP.


What can cause a school not to meet AYP?
If the school as a whole, or if even one of 11 subgroups of students doesn’t meet the target scores on state tests, then the entire school does not meet AYP. Also, if fewer than 95 percent of students in any subgroup take the tests, or if the daily attendance rate for the year for all students is below 91.2 percent, the school does not meet AYP.

What are the student subgroups?
Under the terms of NCLB, the performance of 11 subgroups of students must be measured. These subgroups are:

  • All students
  • Regular students
  • Black students
  • American Indian students
  • Hispanic students
  • Asian/Pacific Islander students
  • White students
  • Other students
  • Economically disadvantaged students
  • English Language Learners (ELL)
  • Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEP)


Why track the performance of student subgroups?
While test scores vary from year to year and from school to school, some subgroups may have lower average test scores than others. Looking at subgroup scores reveals achievement gaps and signals to schools that they need to put in place strategies to address the needs of lower-achieving subgroups.

If one subgroup doesn’t make AYP in one subject area, is the whole school considered to have fallen short of AYP?
Yes. There’s no middle ground. There are 34 hurdles to clear for a school to make AYP. What are the hurdles?

  • Each of the 11 student subgroups must reach or exceed the yearly performance target on the reading test. That’s 11 hurdles.
  • Each of the 11 student subgroups must also reach or exceed the yearly performance target on the math test. That’s 11 more hurdles, bringing the total to 22.
  • At least 95 percent of each of the 11 student subgroups must take the reading and math tests. That’s 11 additional hurdles, bringing the total to 33.
  • For elementary and middle schools, the student attendance rate must be 91.2 percent or higher. For high schools, attendance is not a hurdle, but graduation rate is. High schools must achieve a graduation rate of 68.8 percent. Whichever indicator is used, that’s one more hurdle, bringing the total to 34.


Clearing 33 of 34 hurdles results in a school falling short of AYP, the same as if the school cleared 0 of the 34 hurdles. AYP is an all-or-nothing proposition.

It’s not unusual for a school to show strong achievement in many areas and still not make AYP. It’s not unusual for a school to improve in areas that are tested, but still not make AYP. Missing the target in just one area, even by a few points, will do it.

What does the law require if a school doesn’t make AYP for several years in a row?
Schools that fall short of AYP face sanctions if they receive Title I funds from the federal government. The consequences depend on how long a school has been on the list. What this means to parents and educators at Title I schools is:

The first year a school does not make AYP, there are no sanctions. What happens is simply notification to the school and the community that improvement is needed.

The second year in a row that a school does not make AYP in the same subject area (reading, for example), the school is placed on the "school improvement" list. Such schools must offer parents the chance to transfer their child to a different school in the district. Transportation must be provided by the district.

The third year in a row a school does not make AYP, schools must use a portion of their Title I funding to purchase tutoring services or provide academic assistance to children of low-income families in that school. These services must be provided by a person or organization outside of the school and not during the school day. Parents can choose the appropriate services for their child from a list of providers approved by the state.

The fourth year in a row a school does not make AYP, the school district must – In addition to the consequences noted above – adopt a plan of corrective action. Options for corrective action include replacing school staff, implementing a new curriculum, decreasing management authority at the school level, appointing an outside expert to advise the school, extending the school day or year, or changing the school’s internal organizational structure.

The fifth year in a row a school does not make AYP, in addition to the consequences noted above, the school must plan for restructuring which may include replacing all or most staff, state takeover of school operations or other major restructuring of school governance.

The sixth year in a row a school does not make AYP, in addition to the consequences noted above, schools must implement the plan for restructuring outlined the year before.

Why do consequences for not making AYP apply only to Title I schools?
That’s how NCLB was set up. It’s possible for any public school in the state or nation to not make AYP. However, only those that receive Title I funds from the federal government will be faced with sanctions such as allowing student transfers. That doesn’t change our district's intent, though. We want all our schools to be high-performing, not just those that receive Title I funds from the federal government.

What are the Title I schools in Putnam City?
Title I funds come to districts because of the amount of poverty in a district, as established by the census. Funds are used to provide materials and personnel for students in high-poverty schools. The emphasis for these funds is reading and math. Putnam City’s Title I schools are:

  • Apollo Elementary School
  • Arbor Grove Elementary School
  • Central Elementary School
  • Hilldale Elementary School
  • Lake Park Elementary School
  • Overholser Elementary School
  • Rollingwood Elementary School 
  • Tulakes Elementary School
  • Western Oaks Elementary School
  • Wiley Post Elementary School
  • Windsor Hills Elementary School
  • Capps Middle School
  • Cooper Middle School 
  • Mayfield Middle School
  • Western Oaks Middle School
  • Putnam City West High School


How do schools improve?
Because needs and conditions differ at each school, each school develops their own plan of improvement. Staff reviews student test data, looks for areas that need additional focus, and then develops strategies for intervention. It’s a process that involves teachers, parents and the community.

Can the entire school district not make AYP?
Yes. NCLB also requires that school districts be assessed in terms of whether they make AYP. Putnam City has made AYP and therefore is not on the list of districts identified as needing improvement. 

If a school district does not make AYP, does that mean the district is failing?
NCLB was never intended to identify schools or school districts that are failing. That word is not used in the law. Rather, the AYP is meant to serve as a signaling system, identifying where schools and districts need to bring sharper focus to achievement gaps. Districts must use this information and other data to put into place new practices so that student achievement and graduation rates meet standards and schools continue to make progress in closing gaps between different groups of students and raising overall achievement.

Will schools and school districts continue to fall short of AYP?
Yes. Because of the way NCLB is structured, there will be many schools and districts in the next decade that don’t make AYP. By some estimates, 75 to 99 percent of all schools in the country will fail to make AYP at least once in the coming decade. Large school districts, especially, are likely to fall short of AYP. However, when word is issued about a district or a school not making AYP, it’s not a time to condemn it for failure. AYP should be about looking at data, identifying problems and planning for improvement.

Does Putnam City support the No Child Left Behind Act?
No law is perfect, and the NCLB and its AYP requirement is no exception. However, the goals of NCLB are ones that our educators have embraced for years: setting high standards and helping students meet them, letting parents know what is happening in their schools, and providing extra services to students and schools in need.

Where can I get more information about AYP?
The Oklahoma State Department of Education site has an excellent section on Academic Performance Index (API) and AYP.