The State and Federal school accountability laws [1] require the New Hampshire Department of Education to identify for improvement, districts not making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for two consecutive years in the same content area in each level existing within the district (elementary/middle and /or high school).

AYP is a measure that all states use to determine if schools and districts are meeting the high expectations for student performance set forth in state and federal accountability law. These expectations include the percent of students participating in the annual state assessment, the percent of students meeting the state performance targets for reading and mathematics, as well as performance targets for attendance and graduation rates.

Based on a review of the district's performance data for the 2008 administration of the state assessment, your district has been identified for improvement. The district's current AYP reports are available on the New Hampshire Department of Education web site at www.ed.state.nh.us

Data has been calculated for all students as well as subgroups of students (i.e., racial and ethnic groups, English language learners, students with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged students). If even one of these groups does not meet their goal, or performance target, then the district will not have made AYP, (NOTE: Only groups larger than 11 are counted.) When the data from all schools within the district is combined at the district level, it is a challenge for the district to make AYP. The Rochester School District did not make AYP in the math content area for special education students.

As a district identified for improvement in math, the Rochester School Department has developed an Improvement Plan to make AYP in math at all levels. Through the Department of Education (DOE), Rochester School district personnel have participated in the "root cause" analysis process to dig deeper to determine the underlying causes for not making AYP in mathematics. In August 2005, the DOE sponsored the H.O.P.E. (Habits of Professional Excellence) Institute to provide support and resources to districts that have been identified as not making AYP. The Institute provided time for facilitated teamwork to develop a District Improvement Plan. The Rochester Improvement Plan is in its second year of implementation and includes aligning the district curriculum to NH Grade Level Expectations and Grade Span Expectations in math, providing professional development for staff in research-based instructional strategies, offering extended day tutoring for struggling math students, analyzing multiple sources of data to plan for instruction and investigating math materials that meet the needs of those struggling math students. Throughout this school year and beyond the district will be engaged in implementing the components of the District Improvement Plan to meet the needs of our students in the designated area of math at all levels.

        As a parent, you are a critical partner in school and district improvement. Please keep informed about all school and district improvement initiatives. Currently, the District is involved in Rochester School District improvement initiatives. Information is available by contacting the Superintendent/SAU office or on the District web site rochesterschools.com. To offer your support and get involved please speak to your building principal to find out what opportunities are available.

[1] section 6316(c) of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (PLl07-110) and New Hampshire RSA 193-H