AYP

Nelson Hernandez's Wednesday article on Montgomery and Prince George's counties failing to meet annual yearly progress (AYP) does an excellent job of highlighting the ridiculous nature of that particular beast. How is it that only 26% of Baltimore special education high school students are able to pass the state's reading test, while Montgomery's and Prince George's high school special education students are passing at 61% and 41% (respectively), but Baltimore did (according to the state's standardized test) make AYP and Montgomery and Prince George's didn't?

I understand that the goal for each year for school districts to improve upon the previous year's scores and that the big goal is to have every student passing these tests, to provide a measure of how well a district is doing it job. But, now the focus becomes district safety rather than providing each student with the individual education that he or she needs. It places the focus away from the individual and becomes a push-push-push for results.