Rockdale Citizen

CONYERS -- Rockdale County students with a limited English background once again exceeded annual academic objectives.

Officials with Rockdale County Public Schools recently reported that for the fifth consecutive year, students met or exceeded Title III Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives.

Schools and school districts with a large number of English Speakers of Other Languages received federal Title III funds.

The federal No Child Left Behind act mandates that English learner programs meet additional achievement objectives beyond Adequate Yearly Progress.

AMAOs are measured in three separate areas.

In the first, students have to show progress in moving from one language to another. Georgia's target goal was 50 percent, and RCPS students exceeded that with 70.3 percent this past year.

Students also are scored in attainment and proficiency, being able to exit the program. Georgia's target goal was 6.25 percent, and RCPS had 13.7 percent of students do this last year.

Schools also had to meet AYP. Last year in RCPS, 89.8 percent of these students passed English Language Arts and 87.7 percent passed math.

"Not only did we make it, we made it by a long shot," said Rich Autry, chief academic officer in the Office of Teaching and Learning at RCPS. "I'm very proud of our learning support team."

Autry said that although the system won't receive any extra funds for having its students achieve this status, it certainly won't put them in danger for losing any funds this year.