The federal "No Child Left Behind” law requires testing of all public school students annually. Each school in Orange County is given a passing or failing grade on “Adequate Yearly Progress", or AYP.  In the 2008, only one of eight Orange County schools met the AYP standard. In 2009, five of eight schools met the AYP standard.  I am pleased to report that in 2010, seven out of eight schools meet the AYP standard. This includes Orange County High School, which is making AYP for the first time in the last seven years. This is an impressive accomplishment but there is still more work to be done. We expect all eight of our schools to meet the AYP standard.

To achieve AYP, federal law requires each school to pass 29 indicators, which take into account attendance and proficiency in the major academic areas. The yearly quest to achieve AYP is an ongoing challenge. Just because a school is successful on the AYP this year does not guarantee success next year. As the Orange County School System begins a new school year, I want to encourage the administration, teachers and students to maintain their success and build for the future.

In 2010, Orange County’s percentage of schools making AYP was the highest in the region.  Seven out of eight schools making AYP is a success rate of 88%.  Spotsylvania County has a success rate of 62% and Culpeper County’s success rate is 30%. When asked about Orange County’s AYP success, Superintendent Bob Grimesey said "I hope that our community will appreciate the significance of this accomplishment…and the effort that it required of our employees and students."

In addition to the federal standards, the Commonwealth of Virginia also has testing standards for each subject area known as the "Standards of Learning" or SOL tests. The Virginia Department of Education evaluates each Orange County school based on the results of the SOL testing, student attendance, and other factors. If a school meets the Virginia standards, then the school is deemed to be "accredited."  For the last three years, each of Orange County’s eight schools has been accredited by the Virginia Department of Education.

I wish to thank Dr Grimesey, the teachers and students in Orange County for improved results on AYP and SOL tests. We still have more to accomplish but the future appears bright for Orange County Public Schools.

NBC29's report on Adequate Yearly Progress