The No Child Left Behind Act is now officially out in Virginia, and new standards are being set across the state for this upcoming school year.
This past June, the Virginia Department of Education got the go-ahead to get rid of parts of No Child Left Behind. Details on what the new standards will be have been released, just in time for the start of school.
First, the Adequate Yearly Progress ratings (AYP) are available. Now, schools will have something called Achievable Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs). Schools will calculate them using a new formula based on an assessment of student scores across the state.
Albemarle County Public Schools administrators say with the increased rigor of the Standards of Learning tests, these new benchmarks are welcome news.
Billy Haun, Albemarle County Public Schools assistant superintendent for student learning, said, "By lowering the benchmarks, and setting some different benchmarks, it allows us to do more things in the classroom and take some burden off the teachers. From having to worry about 90, 93, 94 percent pass rates, now we can work on closing achievement gaps."
By doing that, the state hopes to help children who go to schools that are labeled under-performing. They should now get the chance to have a better education.
Click here for the full breakdown of scores required under the new standards.
