CONTACT: Debra Marlow

Director, Community Relations

748-1433

Aug. 23, 2007

For immediate release

Chesterfield makes adequate yearly progress

For the third time in five years, Chesterfield County Public Schools made adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind. “Making AYP demonstrates our division continues to move forward with the School Board’s vision that every school will be a thriving, dynamic and inspiring educational environment that produces self-directed learners,” Superintendent Marcus J. Newsome said.

As a division, Chesterfield County Public Schools has made adequate yearly progress for 2007-08, 2004-05 and 2003-04.

A record number of Chesterfield schools achieved adequate yearly progress this year, including three that made AYP for the first time: Carver Middle, Manchester Middle and Manchester High. At the school level, 52 of Chesterfield’s 59 schools are classified as having achieved AYP. That’s an improvement over the 2006-07 school year, when 48 Chesterfield schools achieved AYP.

Adequate yearly progress for 2007-08 is based on test scores from the previous school year. To achieve adequate yearly progress under No Child Left Behind, a school must meet 29 objectives for student achievement. Falling short on just one achievement objective means that a school is classified as not making adequate yearly progress. Missing just one objective caused six Chesterfield schools to fall short this year, while another school missed two objectives.

“Chesterfield County Public Schools is an award-winning and nationally recognized school system, but we are mindful of the need to balance our tremendous successes with the sobering reality of the challenges facing our schools,” Dr. Newsome said. “Our job is to educate all children — no matter the challenge. Working with our community partners, we will continue to find ways to make sure that every Chesterfield student graduates and is prepared to succeed.”

Chesterfield County Public Schools is working with the Virginia Department of Education to make corrections in the data for some schools, which is expected to result in their status changing to making AYP. Chesterfield schools currently classified as not making adequate yearly progress and the areas in which they need to improve are

• Gates Elementary — math performance by disadvantaged students

• Chester Middle — reading performance by students with disabilities

• Matoaca Middle — reading performance by students with disabilities

• Providence Middle — reading performance by students with disabilities

• Salem Church Middle — reading performance by students with disabilities and math performance by students with disabilities

• Chesterfield Community High — reading performance by student body

• Meadowbrook High — math performance by disadvantaged students

The school system has undertaken initiatives that will help close achievement gaps:

Targeted staffing additions will put 60 new reading teachers and eight new mathematics coaches into schools throughout the county.

For the upcoming school year, three high schools are changing the way they use time in order to make each school day more effective: Meadowbrook High will start 15 minutes earlier and end 15 minutes later to give students time during the school day for academic support such as tutoring and remediation. While keeping their regular school hours, James River and Matoaca high schools will shift to a one-hour lunch period in which all students will eat and have time for academic support and enrichment.

The school system is piloting a targeted school readiness initiative for about 100 at-risk 4-year-olds. During the 2007-08 school year, the Virginia Preschool Initiative will help children at seven elementary schools acquire skills that will enable them to begin kindergarten ready to learn.

An independent curriculum management audit by Phi Delta Kappa International is under way. To prepare for the audit team’s September visit, an Aug. 14 public engagement session gathered thoughts from parents, teachers, students, business leaders and community members about the strengths and challenges of Chesterfield schools.

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