How Feasible is Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)? Simulations of School AYP "Uniform Averaging" and "Safe Harbor" under the No Child Left Behind Act

Authors

  • Jaekyung Lee SUNY at Buffalo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v12n14.2004

Abstract

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) requires that schools make “adequate yearly progress” (AYP) towards the goal of having 100 percent of their students become proficient by year 2013-14. Through simulation analyses of Maine and Kentucky school performance data collected during the 1990s, this study investigates how feasible schools would have met the AYP targets if the mandate had been applied in the past with “uniform averaging (rolling averages)” and “safe harbor” options that have potential to help reduce the number of schools needing improvement or corrective action. Contrary to some expectations, the applications of both options would do little to reduce the risk of massive school failure due to unreasonably high AYP targets for all student groups. Implications of the results for the NCLB school accountability system and possible ways to make the current AYP more feasible and fair are discussed.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biography

Jaekyung Lee, SUNY at Buffalo

Jaekyung Lee is an assistant professor of education at University at Buffalo, the State University of New York. He was National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellow and Principal Investigator of NSF Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI) study. His current research focuses on the issues of educational accountability and equity.

Downloads

Published

2004-04-07

How to Cite

Lee, J. (2004). How Feasible is Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)? Simulations of School AYP "Uniform Averaging" and "Safe Harbor" under the No Child Left Behind Act. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 12, 14. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v12n14.2004

Issue

Section

Articles