Late release of report could delay pupil transfer requests

The state's tardiness in releasing federal No Child Left Behind data has put early-starting school systems such as Richmond County in a bind because pupils might have to begin class at one school and then switch, Superintendent Charles Larke said Thursday.

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The Georgia Department of Education plans to release a new list of low-performing schools Aug. 1, which gives Richmond County just days to plan for the transfer of hundreds of pupils who requested it. School begins Aug. 12.

"We're going to work night and day," Dr. Larke said. "It's going to be tough. We just say over and over again, 'We need to get the results early."'

The state is expected to receive test results today and will work for two weeks on interpreting them. Those schools who have not achieved "adequate yearly progress" on the Criterion Referenced Competency test for two consecutive years make the list of low-performing schools and must allow pupils to transfer to other schools. Priority goes to low-performing and low-income pupils.

Richmond County already has a list of 17 schools deemed low-performing, but Dr. Larke said the school district must wait for an update to see whether any of the schools have improved enough to be dropped from the list. About 750 pupils at the schools have requested transfers.

"We will let them know as soon as we can depending on when those scores actually come," said Dr. Virginia Bradshaw, assistant superintendent of instruction. "They may have to start school in their zoned school and then be given the opportunity (to transfer)."

Unlike other school districts, this is the first year Richmond County is offering school choice as required by federal law. They were delayed a year to study how the county's desegregation order was affected by the new federal requirements.

"We've done a lot of preliminary work, so we are ready as we can be," Dr. Bradshaw said. "But it would be helpful if parents did understand that this is not something we are in control of."

Reach Greg Rickabaugh at (706) 828-3851 or greg.rickabaugh@augustachronicle.com.

--From the Friday, July 18, 2003 printed edition of the Augusta Chronicle