CSD sent this note out to parents and other nosy residents…like me…

On Wednesday, August 19, 2009 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. City Schools of Decatur will hold a public information session concerning the Renfroe Middle School Gymnasium project. Following the presentation, representatives from Rosser and Ra-Lin will be on hand to talk about the project and to answer questions. The meeting will be held at Renfroe Middle School (220 W. College Ave., Decatur, 30030).

Asst. Superintendent Thomas Van Soelen replied to my question about Renfroe’s attendance rate attached to AYP with this note, which was also just posted over on CSD’s website…

The Georgia Department of Education has released the list of schools that made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 2008-2009. For the initial determination Renfroe is not being shown as making AYP. While the academic successes of Renfroe Middle School merit a status of meeting AYP, an error in reporting attendance rate to the state has delayed this announcement.

City Schools of Decatur has submitted an official appeal and will provide the needed data to show that the attendance rate at Renfroe meets state standards. We fully expect that this situation will be rectified by the second AYP release date in September. Meanwhile, we celebrate the accomplishments of students and teachers at Renfroe and look forward to another year of meeting academic standards!

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?