Manassas Journal Messenger | Manassas, M. Park schools meet standards

Five of Manassas’ seven schools and all of Manassas Park’s four schools made adequate yearly progress to meet the federal No Child Left Behind Act this year, according to preliminary results released by the Virginia Department of Education.

The federal No Child Left Behind Act requires that all states, school districts and schools make “adequate yearly progress” towards having all students demonstrate proficiency on state tests by 2013.

The Virginia Department of Education released preliminary “adequate yearly progress” or AYP results based on Standards of Learning test results for the 2004-2005 school year Tuesday.

In Manassas Park, all schools have made AYP for two years in a row.

“We’re very happy with the performance of our students in each of the subgroups and we hope to continue to meet the needs of all of our students,” said Gail Pope, associate superintendent for Manassas Park.

Despite the fact that each of Manassas Park’s schools reached the federal standards, Manassas Park did not make AYP at the division level.

The Manassas Park school system’s small size explains that discrepancy, Pope said.

The district has only 57 special education students. At each school, the required 65 percent of the special education students met the federal standards, but less than 65 percent of all the special education students met the standards.

This year’s results show an improvement for Manassas Schools, where last year four out of seven schools made AYP.

This year, Richard C. Haydon Elementary and Manassas Park schools did not make AYP.

Manassas school officials were not available for comment Tuesday.

In Virginia, each school district and school must have at least 65 percent of all students and students in certain subgroups pass the SOL in reading and 63 percent of all students and students in certain subgroups pass the SOL in math.

Subgroups include students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, students with limited English proficiency and students in certain ethnic minorities.

No Child Left Behind is a federal act intended to close the achievement gap so that all students become proficient in reading and math by 2013.