Blair's ESOL program fails to meet AMO

Blair failed to meet the Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) for the English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) subgroup for the 2006-2007 school year, according to Principal Darryl Williams. However, the Blair administration has yet to find out whether Blair has met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

"We have received the preliminary data of all the subgroups," Williams said. "But the AYP is still being determined. When the county releases it, I do not know."

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 requires all public schools in America to meet AYP. In order to comply with these requirements, a school must pass in 37 criteria that consider the proficiency of various racial and socio-economic subgroups in reading and mathematics.

For each subgroup, the school must meet the AMO, as determined by the results of the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) exams. However, if a subgroup fails to meet AMO the first time around, other factors are taken into consideration. A confidence interval, which falls slightly below the actual AMO cutoff, would allow the subgroup a second chance in making AMO. Therefore, if Blair's ESOL subgroup falls within the confidence interval, the subgroup would make AMO and Blair would meet the AYP requirement. If ESOL falls below the confidence interval, Blair will not meet AYP for the second consecutive year.

While waiting for the AYP results, the administration has begun analyzing Blair's 2006-2007 HSA results and discussing policies that could beimplemented this school year to better prepare the students for the exams.

"Right now, we're just trying to scrutinize [the HSA results]," Williams said. "[We will] come up with and continue with some of the best practices we've had and then come up with some additional interventions...particularly for those students who have failed the exam."

Although the ESOL subcategory has not met the initial AMO standard, Principal Williams is confident that it will make the confidence interval. "I am very positive that we have done well on the HSAs and will make AYP," he said.