2007-08 Adopted Plan - Wake County Public School System

Glossarygroups, or targets, that are expected to move incrementally toward the100% goal. The scores of students in these sub-groups, based on raceor ethnicity and risk conditions (limited English profi ciency, disabilities,and poverty) are analyzed separately for reading, mathematics and oneother academic indicator (typically, graduation rates for high schools andattendance for elementary and middle schools). If any one sub-group ina school fails to attain the appropriate percentage of members profi cient,then the school has failed to achieve Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)toward the 100% goal.Each state has the opportunity to establish such conditions as thenumber of days a student must be enrolled in order for his/her scores tobe included, or the size of the sub-group. Thus, comparison from stateto state is not possible. Schools that receive federal funds through TitleI, the largest federal program for support of students from poor families,may be sanctioned if they fail to achieve AYP. If, however, a school isnot a Title I school, then the sanctions do not apply. Districts can also besanctioned if the district, as a whole, fails to achieve AYP.A primary difference between NCLB and the state’s ABCs program isthat NCLB does not calculate growth, focusing only on performance. Inaddition, NCLB does not use average student scores, as ABCs does, indetermining the progress of sub-populations. In addition, NCLB does notoffer any rewards or incentives for meeting AYP.For TeachersNCLB also requires that districts report the number of teachers who failto achieve Highly Qualifi ed Status. This is in addition to regular statelicensure standards and essentially requires that teachers spend themajority of their time teaching in areas/subjects for which they are fullylicensed.North Carolina Course of Study Graduation RequirementsFour Courses of Study2000-2001One of the 4 graduation courses of study was required of each studententering the ninth grade:• Career Preparation• College Technical Preparation• College University Preparation• Occupational Course of StudyNew Exit Standards2006-2007Students (entering the ninth grade) who are following the CareerPreparation, College Technical Preparation, or College/UniversityPreparation Course of Study shall meet the following exit standards:• Graduation Project• Scoring at profi ciency (level III or above) on 5 End-of-CourseAssessments:English IU. S. HistoryBiologyCivics and EconomicsAlgebra IState Board Approves Framework for Core Course of Study(December 8, 2006)2008-2009Students (entering the ninth grade) will follow the proposed core courseof study framework. This change will replace the current course of study.Graduates in the Class of 2011 would be the last class to follow the oldframework. The new core framework requires a 21 unit core course ofstudy that will include a four-unit endorsement in a specialty area of theirchoice.The new core course of study will require:• 4 units of English• 4 units of mathematics• 3 units of science• 3 units of social studies• 2 units of a second language• 1 unit of health/physical education• an endorsement of at least four units in one of the following areas:Career-Technical Education, Arts Education, JROTC, AdvancedPlacement/IB, Second Language or other (The endorsement is inaddition to the 17 specifi ed core courses.)NCWiseThe North Carolina Windows of Information for Students Education is thenew student information system being implemented by the Department401 FY 2007-08 Plan for Student Success