South Baldwin public schools exceeded annual goals designated by the No Child Left Behind Act, a U.S. Department of Education initiative that measures primary and secondary school education improvements. 

The federal act requires public schools to maintain what is called adequate yearly progress by meeting a series of benchmarks including standardized test scores, attendance and graduation rates. 

Due to the act, students are required to take annual standardized tests near the end of the school year, measuring reading and mathematic proficiency. 

The Alabama Reading and Mathematics Test determines student achievement in grades 3-8, the Alabama High School Graduation Exam measures students’ progress prior to entering their senior year, and the Alabama Alternate Assessment tests grades 3-8 and 11. 

Each state determines scores that must be achieved on the tests, but overall, states are required to meet federal targets: 95 percent of students showing up to take the test, school attendance rates at 95 percent or showing improvement and a graduation rate of 90 percent or improvement. 

In all, the county system excelled with 42 schools exceeding state requirements, only Baldwin County High School in Bay Minette fell short, according to the 2007 state department of education adequate yearly progress report released on Monday. 

“Quite simply, the success is due to a massive amount of teamwork,” said Terry Wilhite, director of communications for the county schools.  “Every individual has been focused on the success of our students.”

Retired teachers were recruited to come back into the classroom, tutoring some students on a “one-on-one” basis for the standardized tests which contributed to higher scores, he said. 

Foley Middle passed this year’s benchmarks, but will remain on an improvement list since the school did not meet progress standards for the 2005-2006 school year. 

Schools on the improvement list must exceed standards for two consecutive years in order to be designated as achieving adequate yearly progress, according to the No Child Left Behind act.

The act raises standards each year with the ultimate goal of achieving 100 percent proficiency across all factors. 

Once a school meets an improvement goal in attendance, for example, the bar is raised in order to reach the 95 percent attendance benchmark.   

“Every two years, the stakes get higher…so that it is an ever increasing standard that teachers and students must achieve,” Wilhite said.  “Our challenge is still yet before us.”

Overall, he said: “Baldwin County schools are performing exceptionally well on No Child Left Behind.”

Alabama schools state-wide performance slightly dipped from last year with 1,117 of 1,358 public schools meeting adequate yearly progress, a decrease of 5 percent from 2005-2006.