By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

Though 10th-grade standardized test results were released in August, New Hampshire secondary educators now know how their high schools fared in regard to the No Child Left Behind Act, which began in 2002.

The state Department of Education recently released its annual list of schools failing to make “adequate yearly progress,” or AYP, as determined by results of the New Hampshire Education and Improvement Assessment Program (NHEIAP) test, taken by 10th-graders statewide last May.

Despite significant improvements in both math and English language arts – the two subjects mandated for testing under No Child Left Behind – Manchester West, Memorial and Central high schools have all been labeled as as “in need of improvement,” a label that accompanies at least two consecutive years without adequate yearly progress.

A problem facing many New Hampshire educators is that specific subgroups, such as the economically disadvantaged or students with identified educational disabilities, are also expected to make adequate yearly progress.

This is the second year the three city schools have been designated in need of improvement, despite steadily improved scores at each.

Schools dubbed “in need of improvement” must adopt a state-approved improvement plan. If schools fail to meet the mark in subsequent years, stiffer penalties can accrue, including the potential overhaul of staff and curriculum.

Manchester Superintendent of Secondary Education Frank Bass said the district has already submitted a districtwide improvement plan to the state.

"We're pleased that our scores have gone up," said Bass. "Are they where we want them to be? No. And we know that."

Bass said he hopes to see marked improvements throughout Manchester's schools once the improvement plan is fully implemented, adding that professional development has recently been a focal point.

"The (district improvement) plan takes a long hard look at communication," said Bass. "We want decision-making processes to involve all the stake-holders, and not just the central office."

If teachers are more involved in decision-making and curriculum mapping, said Bass, they're more likely to say, "I'm proud that I work in the Manchester schools," he said.

This year's 10th-graders will be required to test at a higher level than past sophomores, as No Child Left Behind standards are raised.

On the possibility of Manchester high school students falling short of even higher standards, Bass said, "We will respond to the challenge and we'll respond the best way we can."

Pembroke Academy
Last year Pembroke Academy - which serves Pembroke, Allenstown and Epsom students - was dubbed "in need of improvement" in both math and language arts.

This year, scores for Pembroke Academy sophomores surged and the school made adequate progress in both categories. If a school can make adequate progress for two consecutive years, it can shed the "in need of improvement" designation.

"Quite obviously, there are a lot of political implications to all of this," PA Headmaster Michael Reardon said of the No Child Left Behind system. "But the scores we achieved on this one standardized test represent a lot of very hard work from a lot of people."

Like many schools "in need of improvement," Reardon said a challenge has been meeting high standards for the students with educational disabilities subgroup.

"Like most educators, I am not a big fan of No Child Left Behind," he said, "but one positive is that it really makes you focus on the kids in those subgroups."

Reardon said this year's high scores may in part be a reflection of a new testing system, Measures of Academic Progress, being worked in throughout the district.

The test is administered to freshmen, who come from middle schools in three separate districts. Middle school and elementary students in Pembroke Academy's three feeder towns are also now taking a standardized test.

"It gives us a much closer look at what each student needs," said Reardon, adding that results will also be available to teachers planning for their incoming classes.