Parents all over the state of Georgia, and the nation, want to know that their children are receiving a top-notch education. Ten years ago, the United States Department of Education decided that the best way to ensure success across the board was the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It became famous as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and the goal was to make every school a winner by 2014. Under NCLB, making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) has been the state designated measuring tool for evaluating the quality of a school since 2001. It was a measure of year-to-year student achievement on statewide assessments. Now, Georgia has a new system designated to rate school performance, and it’s called the College and Career Ready Performance Index. In September 2011, the U.S. Department of Education offered the ESEA Flexibility Waiver that would allow a state exemption from NCLB. Shortly thereafter, the Georgia Department of Education formally submitted an application for the waiver of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), which was then approved in February of 2012. Under the plan, measures would be expanded that would strengthen accountability by replacing current AYP calculations to reflect the designation of Priority, Focus, and Reward Schools. “This is a more comprehensive system that places a measurable focus not only on math and reading, but all academic areas and subgroups,” said Sharon Sand, Chief Academic Officer. This CCRPI determination will vary based on grade levels. Now, charting the progress of a given school utilizes an accountability focus with additional measurements that are indicative of school improvement and a student’s preparedness for the future. Schools can also earn extra credit for how well students do.