Fulton schools continue improvement, despite missing AYP

Fulton Public Schools may not have been one of the 18 districts across the state that met the state's guidelines for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), but district officials are encouraged at what they say are signs of progress.

During her annual Student Performance Report during the school board meeting Wednesday night, Assistant Superintendent Suzanne Hull assured members that although the data may not look good at first glance, the district did attain accreditation, thanks in part to earning two bonus points for its science MAP scores and the bonus achievement standard.

Fulton missed state performance standards for four of 14 categories: College placement, graduation rate, attendance and subgroup achievement.

"This is the first year in my tenure we did not meet the college placement standard," Hull said.

Only 50 percent of 2010 Fulton graduates entered college - down from 55.1 percent in 2009 and 60.7 percent in 2008.

Board member Rick Gohring asked if the continued drop "is indicative of the higher cost of a college education?"

Hull agreed the rising cost of education is a likely factor, as well as the current state of the economy.

"There are a lot of students that can't immediately enter college in that first year," she said.

Board member Linda Davis asked how Fulton's college placement rate compares to the state average.

"I'm curious if that's a national trend, or if there's something we can be doing locally," Davis said.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.