JACKSON – For Northampton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Kathi Gibson, the 2006-2007 ABC accountability and AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) results are an indication that Northampton County Schools are heading in the right direction.

The results, released September 6 by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI), shows 80 percent of Northampton County Public Schools as having met their expected academic growth or above while 70 percent of schools have met AYP.

“This means were moving in the right direction,” said Dr. Gibson. “We’re positioning to move to the next level.”

According to the results provided by DPI, among those schools that met their expected academic growth were:

Central Elementary School with a composite score 73.5 (the percentage the students who scored at or above grade level) with a status of school of progress with expected growth.

Conway Middle School with 66.8 percent and a status of a school of progress with high growth. Conway Middle was also the only school in the county to meet high expected academic growth.

Garysburg Elementary School with 62.4 percent and ranked of school of progress with expected growth.

Also standing as a school of progress with expected growth is Gaston Middle School with a score of 60.9.

Northampton Alternative School scored 21.1 percent and was labeled as a school of expected growth.

With a composite score of 61.4 percent, Squire Elementary School stands as a school of progress with expected growth.

Willis Hare Elementary School scored 72.5 percent with a status of a school of progress with expected growth.

Rich Square W.S. Creecy Elementary School has a composite score of 56.9 percent and an ABC status of a priority school with expected growth.

However, both Northampton County High School-East (NCHS-East) and Northampton County High School-West (NCHS—West) did not meet expected academic growth.

NCHS-West was scored at 57.9 percent and labeled a priority school, while NCHS-East’s composite score was 44.2 percent and ranked a low performing school.

NCHS-East and NCHS-West did make AYP along with Central Elementary, Conway Middle, Gaston Middle, Squire Elementary and Willis Hare Elementary.

Rich Square W.S. Creecy Elementary, Garysburg Elementary and Northampton Alternative School did not make AYP.

Dr. Gibson said there are goals for the next year’s ABC and AYP results, including for all schools to meet AYP and for all elementary schools to have 80 percent of their students scoring at or above grade level.