Here is the letter used in 2009 by Woolfolk Middle School in Yazoo City, Miss. It appears Superintendent Thomas might have misinterpreted the federal law concerning No Child Left Behind, but we will continue to check into this. I guess it’s possible that the rules changed last year, but then Missouri, North Dakota and Arizona would have violated the federal law. We will call those states, too, and see why their letters aren’t the same as Escambia County.
Woolfolk Middle School
209 West Fifth Street
Yazoo City, MS 39194
Elease Lee, Principal
Koche’ Anderson & Valerie Smith, Assistant Principals
August 10, 2009
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):
The Yazoo City School District is dedicated to providing all students with the educational
foundation to succeed in school and in life. To ensure your child’s success, we have set high standards that are reflected in what is taught in our classrooms.
In January 2002, the U.S. Congress passed a new federal education law called No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The federal law requires states to set specific requirements that schools must meet each year. To meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) each year, a school must test at least 95% of the students in each subgroup (all students, students with disabilities, limited English proficient students, economically disadvantaged students, and students in each of five racial/ethnic subgroups) and each subgroup must meet the student proficiency standards based on scores from the tests administered at certain grades or in certain courses — the Mississippi Curriculum Test (MCT), 2nd Edition; the Subject Area Testing Program (SATP) tests in Algebra I and English II; and the MS Alternate Assessment of Extended Curriculum Frameworks (MAAECF) Alternate Assessments. In addition, schools with a graduating class must meet the required graduation rate and schools without a graduating class must meet the required
attendance rate.
In 2007, Woolfolk Middle School was identified as “in need of improvement” Year four (4)
because fewer than 49 percent of our students scored proficient in math as measured by 2006 – 2007 MCT from the SPED and economically disadvantaged subgroups.
In 2008 all students and subgroups made AYP in both language arts and mathematics; however this must happen two years in a row to exit school improvement. A copy of the NCLB School Report for Woolfolk Middle School can be found at www.mde.kl2.ms.us. When 2009 MCT2 scores become available to be released to parents, additional information will be sent to you.
Currently, Woolfolk Middle School scored at a proficiency level in 6th grade Mathematics which is below the state required proficiency level of 53%. We are proud to notify you that students in 7th and 8th grades met and exceeded the proficiency level in math. We also made AYP in all other areas including all three grades in Language Arts and attendance.
Read entire letter