May 24, 2004

Dear Families,

As you know, our district is dedicated to our mission that all students learn for their future. While we have always held high expectations for our students, the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has set new standards for students to meet.

This past fall, our state released a report on the progress our schools are making toward achieving proficiency for 100% of our students under NCLB. The report identified whether schools have made “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP) – a simple yes or no grade based on a complex set of measurements. To make AYP, each school must achieve proficiency in the areas of reading and math by virtue of the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) test that is given to all students in grades four, eight, and eleven. Included also, is data on test participation to include subgroups of students ( grouped by such categories as race, English language proficiency, and disability). Additionally, schools must meet graduation rates and attendance targets. If just one subgroup misses just one target, an entire school does not make AYP.

Of our district schools tested under the new law, 11 schools achieved the NCLB goals for AYP. Four schools missed the AYP designation and, in each case, just a few subgroups missed the designation.

Please know that many good schools have not made AYP. For instance, in our state, a significant percentage of schools have not met the goal. That does not mean that they are not successful schools. AYP is an all or nothing proposition, but student achievement is not. Academic success is measured in many ways, including classroom tests, teacher observations, report cards, homework, and standardized tests. But AYP focuses only on the MEA test. Entire schools can miss the target if too many students are absent on a test day or if students who are not yet fluent in English miss the reading and writing goals.

I am firmly committed to achieving our goal of success for every student, and I recognize that we must continually improve. Much work has gone on to identify the structures, resources, and supports needed – school by school – and in the district as a whole – to work towards continuous improvement for our students. Know that our schools are filled with outstanding teachers, principals, and support staff, who regularly update their skills and participate in training to help them meet the needs of all students. I invite you to arrange a visit to any classroom in the district to see this for yourself.

I encourage you to join me in addressing our challenges and applauding the great work students and staff are doing in classrooms throughout our district. As always, I welcome your comments, suggestions, and involvement in our schools.

Sincerely,

Mary Jo O’Connor

Superintendent of Schools

Equal Opportunity Employer