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Three Prince George's County high schools were removed from a state watch list of schools struggling to make required improvements on state tests and in graduation rates, as mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Eight schools remain on the list, the Maryland State Department of Education announced Friday.
Forestville Military Academy, Parkdale High School in Riverdale and Friendly High School in Fort Washington each exited school improvement by making Adequate Yearly Progress for the second year in a row.
"We are going in the right direction. If we can stay on this path for our students, I think we can realize the success we know our students can do," Board of Education Chairwoman Verjeana M. Jacobs said. "They can perform at high levels."
She attributed the success to the hard work of principals and teachers.
Eight of the county's high schools – Bladensburg High School, High Point High School in Beltsville, Central High School in Capitol Heights, Largo High School, Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Crossland High School in Temple Hills, Oxon Hill High School, Fairmont Heights High School in Capitol Heights, and DuVal High School in Lanham – remain on the state's watch list.
DuVal, Fairmont Heights and Oxon Hill made Adequate Yearly Progress this year and could exit the list next year if the target is met again.
In order to make Adequate Yearly Progress, a school must meet annual targets on its test scores and in graduation rates. For 2008, that meant the school must make improvements in its High School Assessment test scores, have at least 95 percent of its students take the tests and have a graduation rate of 85.5 percent.
Schools that fail to make Adequate Yearly Progress for at least two consecutive years are placed in "school improvement" status and are required to undergo a number of measures to improve performance, ranging from implementing parent involvement activities to replacing teachers or administrators.
Jacobs said the school system will continue to focus on providing the necessary resources to the schools that remain in school improvement as well as looking at the data to see what needs to be done to help those schools improve.
E-mail Megan King at mking@gazette.net.
