Springbrook passed Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements in all areas except special education math and the English as a Foreign Language or Second Language (ESOL) program. Only a few students in these categories did not pass the High School Assessment (HSA).

“I do not think that a handful of students should determine the reputation of the standing of a school,” Durso said.

In recent years, students have endured a plethora of different tests and examinations under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). NCLB was an act passed by Congress to improve the performance of primary and secondary schools within the United States by raising the accountability standards of states, school districts and schools.

Some students, like junior Eunice Ahaghotu, feel that the system can be improved.

“For people who can barely read or do well in math, there needs to be an alternative in assessing that other than the HSA’s,” Ahaghotu said.

States and school districts nationwide have to answer to an AYP testing item to determine whether they have met the required standards. NCLB states that for the state to receive federal funding it must develop assessments that cover fundamental skills in certain grade levels. NCLB is also the latest form of legislation that holds onto the theory of outcome based education; an education where establishing measurable goals can improve individual outcomes in education.

Not all students agree that the HSAs will improve education achievements.

“I do not think HSAs will improve individual outcomes because some kids do not perform well on tests,” senior Corrine Mercogliano said.

The state of Maryland requires as an assessment in fundamental skills the HSA, which is required for graduation starting with the class of 2009.

Many educators nationwide have negative opinions about the AYP. The problem that most share is how the quality of education each school reaches is determined and the stigma attached when a school does not make their AYP.

“I do not think one test, or a set of tests, can adequately measure what a school is doing,” Principal Michael Durso said. “The stigma of not making AYP for some is interpreted as the school being in decline or not providing good education.”

After the school failed to meet the AYP, Durso felt that the system should not continue in its present state.

“The whole apparatus of AYP based on the results from last year, are why I think it needs to be overhauled,” Durso said.

Most of the staff has not changed their teaching strategies from last year and the programs, such as after-school classes, aimed to prepare students for the HSA, still exist in mostly the same form as before.

“The teachers here are well equipped to prepare students for these standardized tests and have participated in training both at the state and local level to help students perform better on these tests,” Assistant Principal and tenth grade administrator Maychel Harris said.