Polk County has failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress standards for the 2008-2009 report, released today by Georgia's Department of Education

AYP is the annual measure of student participation, achievement of statewide exams and other indicators, including graduation rate and attendance. AYP was implemented under the federal No Child Left Behind Act as a way to hold states and school systems accountable for academic improvement.

AYP takes a number of areas into account, from attendance to the Criteria Referenced Competency Test and graduation exams.

Polk County also has the highest percentage of schools not meeting AYP in the region, where 54.5 percent, or 6 of 11 schools failed, as well as the Polk County system.

Cedartown High School, Cedartown Middle School, Harpst Academy, Rockmart High School, Rockmart Middle School and Westside Elementary School all failed to meet AYP standards.

Polk County's report from the GADOE Rome News-Tribune's coverage of Rome/Floyd schools