ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — As the 2010 school year gets off to a good start, Robertsdale High School principal Theresa Bryant wants to ensure the continued success of teachers and students by meeting the standards of the state’s AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) goals, working more closely with the Central Baldwin Education Foundation and having a successful season for all sports.

In 2001, The No Child Left Behind Act was passed and requires “each state to establish a timeline for adequate yearly progress” and according to the U.S. Department of Education, the AYP “is a diagnostic tool that determines how schools need to improve and where financial resources should be allocated.”

All K-12 schools are required to demonstrate AYP in the areas of reading/language arts, mathematics, graduation rates for high schools and attendance rates for elementary/middle schools. Standardized testing is the yardstick for measuring AYP, according to the NCLB Act.

If a school doesn’t meet the AYP for two years in a row, they are identified as a “school in need of improvement” and subject to immediate intervention by the State including technical assistance and then more corrective measures if necessary including restructuring or closing schools, according to he Act.

“We have been able to meet our AYP every year for the past 10 or 12 years. I am proud of that and anticipate meeting it again this year,” Bryant said. With a total of 1,259 students and 68 teachers in grades 9-12, Bryant said they gained 111 students this year.

Utilizing all the resources available, Bryant wants to become more involved with the Central Baldwin Education Foundation, located in Robertsdale. Their mission is “to enhance, enrich and support the educational experience of all public school students in the Central Baldwin area by providing support and the resources to supplement educational programs and activities.”

“We had a lot of success with them last year when we were campaigning for the ‘Say Yes’ penny tax and want to partner with them even more this year,” Bryant said.

One of the goals of CBEF is “to encourage academic excellence in the Central Baldwin area schools by providing funding which is not available through traditional, local, state or federal sources and to provide opportunities for teachers and staff to develop innovative projects through grants.”

Grants are awarded each fall and spring and applications are available online at the CBEF web site.

And speaking of the one cent tax, Bryant said the tax helped them keep teachers on board this year and allowed her to even hire some. “We didn’t get as much as we should have because of the oil spill and economy but it did help us out. I haven’t had to let go of any teachers in three years and that’s great.”

Another event going on at RHS is College Night on Oct. 21 and 6 p.m. in the cafeteria with 13 colleges represented including Alabama, MSU, JSU, Judson, Troy, Spring Hill College, UAB, USM, UWA and UWF.

There will also be a flag retirement ceremony in January where municipalities, post offices and other groups can donate their used flags to RHS. “This is a really special ceremony and I encourage anyone who has an old or used flag to save it and donate it,” Bryant said.