The accountability provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act specify that all public school campuses, school districts and the state in general meet certain criteria in the areas of Reading/Language Arts, Math and Graduation Rate (for high schools). These criteria are set by each state, in our case the Texas Education Agency, and the criteria change yearly based on previous years progress, so you can’t get it then put your program on autopilot. To not achieve the progress specified can result in serious "corrective actions" and the offer to students to transfer to schools that have been able to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).
In the most recent cycle, Woodrow had barely missed achieving AYP despite having to overcome educational obstacles not common to other comprehensive high schools. Unfortunately, a review of the 2007 Adequate Yearly Progress Report Card compiled by the Texas Education Agency reveals that none of the DISD comprehensive high schools achieved AYP (see page 44). Only the specialty high schools like Booker T. were able to do so.
The staff at Woodrow and at DISD appealed this decision to the TEA citing the fact that the school just missed the goals (it literally hinged on a single student) and that the unusual breadth of programs at the school is not typical to comprehensive high schools in Texas. They have just found out that the appeal was successful. Woodrow is now designated AYP, a testimony to the dedication of the faculty, staff and students. Congratulations to Ms. Vail and her staff on a job well done.
