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"The exact same data that put us at Level 3 shows that we are going to make distinction again," Hope told school board members last week.
According to AYP standards, depending on enrollment, subgroups may include black, white, special education and low-income students - all which must meet the same level of achievement.
Under AYP, 59.2 percent of each group must be proficient or above in communication arts and 54.1 percent in mathematics. The level is set at 100 percent for the year 2014.
Hope explained that by federal standards, if a student is in more than one subgroup and he or she does not achieve well, that is counted against the district for each student and each subgroup they fall into.
"A major difference between federal and state scores is under the AYP students are counted three to four times when they don't perform well," said Hope. "The state counts each student, either high or low, one time."
This year 410 districts out of 554 statewide did not achieve adequate yearly progress (AYP) required under the federal law and are now designated for improvement.
Last year, there were over 300 schools that received "Distinction in Performance" designation.
The Distinction in Performance award is based on criteria established by the State Board of Education, including MAP test scores, ACT test scores, attendance and drop-out rates, and other academic performance measures.
Awarded annually, usually in December, the honor is designed to be an incentive for school districts to focus on improving academic achievement.
In five years, No Child Left Behind law expects 100 percent of all students in all subgroups to be proficient in reading and math, regardless of any individual issue or disability a student may have. Furthermore, any district not meeting the NCLB requirements, even with overall strong scores, will be labeled as a district needing improvement.
