The AJC reports this morning that 79.1% of Georgia public schools made “Adequate Yearly Progress” this year, up from 68.8% last year.  That’s a whole 11 points more learning!   That bit of good news for the state was mixed with the more sobering tidbit that only 47% of high schools passed the federal government’s benchmarks.

However, Decatur is no longer part of that 47%.

After failing last year, both DHS and Glennwood passed AYP benchmarks this year.  The lone problem child  now is Renfroe, which passed all “test participation” and “academic performance” indicators, but failed it’s second indicator, attendance.

According to the GA Dept of Education’s website, absence rates of 15 days or more at Renfore jumped from 2.8% in 2008 to 17.7% (101 of 572 students) in 2009.  The trend is the same across the two largest ethnic groups at the school, with black absence rates up from 1.6% to 21.8% and white absent rates up from 4% to 14.2%.

It’s very odd that the number of absences would spike like that in a single year.  Something seems off.

Anyone know what gives?