FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 26, 2008

GALESBURG-AUGUSTA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PERPLEXED

BY PUBLISHED AYP RESULTS

GALESBURG, MI – “When the Kalamazoo Gazette hit the stands today, I was surprised by the AYP (Average Yearly Progress) statistics for the G-A District!’, said Doug Newington, the district’s Superintendent.   In her August 26 Gazette article, Julie Mack reports, “Among local districts, Galesburg-Augusta fared the worst: Its schools are out of compliance at all three levels. The district is one of 30 systems in the state where the whole district did not make AYP.

The confusion rises out of the district’s yearly report cards issued earlier this year from the State of Michigan that showed the G/A Primary, Intermediate and Middle School all receiving  an “A. The G/A High School received a “C”.  In addition, the State Dept. of Education website shows that three of the four G/A buildings met  AYP and only the High School did not meet the standard.

 Attempts to reach the State’s Office of Educational Assessment and Accountability have gone unanswered all afternoon, but district officials speculate that the State’s grouping of grades, which are different than the actual building grades,  have created a sub-group of special education students that did not meet the AYP standard.

 G/A’s speculation may shed some light on the Primary and Intermediate Schools as G/A has a Pre-K through 3 Primary and a 4-5 Intermediate building.  The State grouped grades 3-5 together for data purposes in their latest release.  This, however, does not explain the discrepancy in the Middle School which the State and G/A group as grades 6-8.  “That’s why we’re trying to contact the Michigan Department of Education for clarification”, commented Newington.

 A similar article released in yesterday’s Detroit News, confirms G/A’s assumption that the district met AYP overall.  (http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080825/SPECIAL01/80825001/1026&appSession=429114086413240) 

The News shows three of the four buildings and the G/A District meeting AYP.

The Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools Board of Education was aware of the AYP situation in the High School, and has been working with their administration and staff to take steps to move back in the right direction for 2008/09 AYP.  However, the news of the Gazette article reached the G/A staff at the very end of an all-day in-service.  “What a downer to the end of a great day!”, was the way Newington left it.

 For further information, please contact:

Douglas Newington – Superintendent

Galesburg-Augusta Community Schools

1076 North 37^th Street

Galesburg, MI  49053

(269) 484-2000

dnewington@gacsnet.org