More schools are making adequate yearly progress (AYP) based on the preliminary report released today by the Oregon Department of Education.

AYP is a federal measurement of how well schools are doing in terms of getting students to meet or exceed state standards. It's based on various criteria such as how many students took the test, whether they scored above a certain mark, and if all groups (like Special Education, TAG, English language learners) also scored above the mark.

Here's a brief summary of Salem-Keizer's results:

1. Salem-Keizer made significant growth in the number of schools meeting AYP.

2. District-wide, 73% of schools met AYP in 2008-09 compared to 54% in 2007-08.

3. English language learner students made clear gains. The group met AYP in all but 11 schools compared to 22 schools last year that did not meet in this group.

4. Special Education students also made gains. The group met AYP in all but 12 schools in 2008-09 compared to 19 the year before.

These are preliminary results. The final report will be released on September 3.