LAGRANGE, Ga. — Revised test results show the Troup County School System has made additional gains in its graduation rate and three more of its schools have been labeled as meeting federal accountability measures.
The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires public schools to meet various standards in order to achieve the accountability measure known as adequate yearly progress.
While preliminary AYP results were released by the Georgia Department of Education in July, revised results were announced Friday, indicating Troup County made several gains.
Mostly notably, the divisions graduation rate continued to inch higher.
The revised results included summer retesting where 18 Troup County students participated in a credit recovery program and took portions of the Georgia High School Graduation Test in order to graduate.
After those students graduated, it bumped the rate 1.4 percent higher to 76.3 percent from 74.9 percent. Troup County showed 7.4 percent increase from last year. But the division is still below the state rate of 78.9 percent.
A multi-pronged approach
Janet Greer, the divisions director of post secondary opportunities, attributes the progress to a multi-pronged approach. She said the states move to better align the curriculum with whats being tested, the divisions implementation of a credit recovery program and the work of academic and graduation coaches have propelled the division forward.
The credit recovery program, which is in its second year, is a computerized, after-school program where students can catch up in certain areas. The program is called NovaNET.
If we have a No. 1 reason why we have more children graduate, thats what it was, Greer said of the initiative.
At Troup County High School, the graduation rate wasnt high enough for the school to make AYP. The school posted almost a six point gain since last year but still fell short with a rate of 73.7 percent.
The other county school that did not make AYP is Bradfield Center Adult Academy, a residential educational facility that was included for the first time in the Troup County report.
The non-traditional school did not meet some of the academic requirements necessary to make AYP. When initial data was released, three other schools were also identified as not making AYP.
However, after the revised data was announced Callaway High School, Gardner Newman Middle School and Hollis Hand Elementary School all made AYP.
Still, the division as a whole did not, even after revised results. While the county met AYPs other academic indicator and participation requirements, it did not meet all the standards of academic performance.
