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All local schools make AYP
Feat is first in four years
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Forsyth County News
The Forsyth County school system is one of just 57 statewide to have all eligible schools and the district as a whole make adequate yearly progress for 2009.

It also is the first time in four years that all schools and the system have earned the achievement, according to officials.

“We are thrilled at the success of all our schools and the district making AYP,” said Buster Evans, superintendent. “This truly reflects quality, standards based teaching on the part of the best teaching faculty in the nation.

“Our teachers have been supported by our building and system leaders, parents and board of education. With this is a combination of support all in Forsyth County can be pleased [with] and truly celebrate the outstanding achievement of our students.”

AYP is the cornerstone of the federal No Child Left Behind act.

It uses student achievement on required statewide assessments, as well as other marks such as student attendance and graduation rates, to measure the performance of individual schools and school systems.

Local school leaders say they are particularly pleased with the progress made this past year by Forsyth Central High School, the system’s only school not to make AYP status in 2008.

“We are very pleased with the hard work and commitment of our students and teachers this year,” said Rudy Hampton, principal of Forsyth Central. “Our work with students ... allowed teachers to assist students individually and address specific needs.”

Among the improvements in the school’s performance were a more than 12 percent gain in math scores among economically disadvantaged students and a nearly 16 percent increase in graduation rate among this population of students.

As a system, Forsyth County also posted graduation rate increases in the following student groups from 2008 to 2009: Hispanic students, 14.6 percent; English Language Learners, 9.1 percent; and economically disadvantaged students, 9 percent.