Test scores and graduation data show the Cherokee County School District compares favorably with its education neighbors.

Blacksburg High School's 84.7 percent graduation rate placed it among the top 15 percent in the state. Blacksburg and Gaffney High are two of the seven region high schools that met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under No Child Left Behind this year.

High schools make Adequate Yearly Progress based on their exit exam scores, graduation rates and attendance. Dorman and Broome were among several high schools that missed AYP because of their graduation rates.

High school graduation rates are calculated based on the number of students graduating on time in four years.

Gaffney High Principal Marlene Davis said her school is constantly working to increase student achievement every school year.

"The group of students is always changing. To use a sports analogy, you aren't playing with the same team every year. Each senior class has a different personality and their own strengths," Davis said. "We are very pleased to achieve AYP this year. One of our goals is to get better every year."

No Child Left Behind requires schools to break out student performance into various student subgroups. Schools must meet all their student achievement targets to make AYP for a year.

Byrnes High School in Spartanburg joined Gaffney High as the only large high schools to meet all their education goals in 2008 in Cherokee, Spartanburg and Union counties. Area high schools meeting AYP include Fort Mill and Nation Ford (York 4), Chesnee (Spartanburg 2), and Woodruff (Spartanburg 4).

There are no consequences for high schools not making Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind. The federal education law only provides sanctions in Title 1 schools receiving federal dollars to serve large populations of high-poverty students.

Cherokee County School Superintendent Dr. Bill James said the adequate yearly progress data gives the district an idea of how its student performance compares with other surrounding districts.

"This gives us a good idea of the progress we have made in the district. Our 2008 graduation rate is higher than the state and 10 of the 13 surrounding districts," James said. "It takes a lot of work in the school system from kindergarten through twelfth grade to accomplish our goal to graduate as many students as possible every year."