PARIS – The Oxford Hills Middle School met standards in reading, but did not meet standards in math on the federal Adequate Yearly Progress assessment done last March.

Those who need the most improvement in math are special education students.

A relatively new test, the AYP assessment is part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, designed to measure a school system’s progress from year to year.

The middle school is in its third year of not making adequate yearly progress, according to a presentation given to the school board Monday by Principal Hal Small.

The performance target was for 46 percent of students to meet standards in reading, and 28 percent in math.

“Getting into the whole state formula, the subgroups are identified by the state,” Small said. “There is one subgroup not meeting standards.”

In actuality, 43 percent of students met standards in reading, but the confidence interval of plus or minus three brought that number up to par.

In math, 24 percent met standards.

For the students with disabilities subgroup, two of 35 in the group were tested as proficient in reading, and none were proficient in math.

No special education student has tested proficient in math on the AYPs in the past three years, data shows

The test assesses eighth-grade students as a whole, and then breaks them down into subgroups by race, economic status and ability.

Reading scores have improved over the years because the school has brought in a literacy coach, and the school has used material released by the Maine Educational Assessments. Small said he hopes to build upon that progress.

To remedy the scores, Small said he hopes to add more math minutes into students’ weeks, and make math instruction more consistent.

“We’re (also looking at) diversifying instruction to meet all levels of need,” Small said.

The school is also offering assistance after school and in study hall to prepare for March’s tests.

Further, he hopes to do more individual student assessment to get a more specific target on where students stand and where their weaknesses are.

Overall, curriculum director Kathy Elkins said the district will improve scores “by improving strategies in regular classes and getting more specific data on individual performance.”