Test scores in reading prevented three local high schools from making Adequate Yearly Progress.

Demopolis High, Linden High and Marengo High failed to make AYP this year.

Demopolis High School met every goal for AYP except for one 11th grade reading sub-group, free/reduced meals.

“I am very proud of our system this year,” Demopolis Superintendent Al Griffin. “It is a collaborative effort of the board, the administrators, the teachers, students and parents. It was a relentless effort to make these improvements.”

DHS met or exceeded benchmarks in math and graduation rate, but fell just below its goal of 92 in reading with a score of 91.39.

Despite the close score, Demopolis High enters it second year of school improvement.

Linden City Schools Interim Superintendent George Baldwin said he was proud of how the city’s schools did in AYP, despite Linden High not making all its goals.

“We plan to address the reading problem with the high school and continue to move forward,” Baldwin said.

Linden is not in school improvement because a school has to not make AYP for two consecutive years to make the list.

“We plan to purchase some recommended programs to aid the high school with their reading scores,” said Iris Richardson, student assessment coordinator for Linden City Schools.

Linden Elementary made AYP this year and will come off the school improvement list if they make AYP again in 2013.

In the Marengo County system, John Essex High School made AYP but remain in school improvement too.

“John Essex is definitely making great strides to coming out of school improvement,” said Kathy Pritchett, testing coordinator for Marengo County.

Pritchett said Marengo High made improvements this year, but they were not enough to make AYP. She said they are definitely “getting on the right track” by making 10 out of 13 of their goals.

As systems, Demopolis City Schools, Linden City Schools and Marengo County Schools all made AYP, despite the three individual schools not meeting all their goals.