Adequate Yearly Progress/Merit Pay

Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized tests,initiated during George W. Bush administration's.

 Meeting or exceeding AYP + Merit Pay = Equals high stakes for teachers!

Ten states now use standarized testing scores as the main criterion in teacher evaluations. Other states reward high-scoring teachers with up to $25,000 bonuses – while low scores could result in principals losing their jobs or entire schools closing. Experts say it remains fairly easy for teachers and principals to get away with ethical lapses as cheating scandals continue to unfold nationwide!