Its own yardstick for success

  For many schools, the most serious penalty for failing to meet federal guidelines under the No Child Left Behind Act is usually negative publicity. But for Title I schools, which receive federal money based on their poverty rates, penalties are imposed when the schools fail to make what the federal government considers adequate yearly progress (AYP) on standardized tests. Schools that fail to make such progress for two consecutive years in the same subject must offer parents the option of transferring their children to other schools. The more years a school fails to meet the targets, the more stringent the penalties. Read about a school in northern Virginia that has missed its targets for five consecutive years in this article from The Washington Post.