TO THE EDITOR:

Thank you for last week's article congratulating all Wilkes County schools for their continued success in making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Since the state began measuring AYP in 2002, Wilkes County Schools have had sixteen opportunities to make AYP. Our schools have met the challenge in 13 of the 16 opportunities!

The Wilkes County School System would like to make one correction to last week's article. In order to make AYP, each school, and the system, must meet grade level academic standards with all groups and all subgroups. The only school in

our system that had a subgroup of Students with Disabilities was the Middle School. Washington Wilkes Middle School and their 42 Students with Disabilities made AYP!

The Wilkes County System made AYP in all areas, with one exception. System-wide there were 84 Students with Disabilities who were in AYP-tested grades. Of those students, only 36 met grade level standards. For the system to have made AYP, 49 Students with Disabilities needed to have met grade level standards. Due to this subgroup, the system did not make Adequate Yearly Progress.

Wilkes County strives to ensure that all students meet grade level standards. We are proud that we have programs to meet the needs of diverse students, from the academically advanced student to the student with disabilities. Wilkes County has exemplary teachers, programs to engage all students and high standards for all students. We are proud that each of Wilkes County's schools made AYP!

JOYCE WILLIAMS

Superintendent Wilkes County Schools