2008 AYP results for Georgia

Federal law requires all public schools to reach specific goals on math and English tests.

Schools that repeatedly fail to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act face sanctions, ranging from having to offer free tutoring to hiring new staff to a possible takeover by the state.

The Georgia Department of Education uses a complex formula to determine if schools were sucessful. Georgia evaluates scores from two state exams -- the Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests and the Georgia High School Graduation Tests -- and other criteria, such as attendance and graduation rates.

The state analyzes a school's overall score and results from groups of students, such as minorities, kids from poor families, students with disabilities and children who are not fluent in English. The entire school fails if just one group missed the mark.

Schools that reach testing goals have made "adequate yearly progress" also called AYP. Schools that miss the mark for at least two consecutive years are labelled as "needs improvement" and face sanctions. The penalties become more severe the longer a school needs improvement.

Use the AJC's databases below to see if your child's school and district made adequate yearly progress this year.