Chickamauga and Dalton city school systems were among the districts in Georgia that met federal No Child Left Behind requirements by achieving “adequate yearly progress,” according to data released this morning by the Georgia Department of Education.

Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Walker and Whitfield school systems did not make adequate yearly progress, reports show.

Statewide, 69 percent of schools made AYP, compared with about 82 percent last year, according to reports and the Associated Press.

It is the lowest AYP rate for Georgia in four years.

“We had for many years just a curriculum that was not adequately preparing kids. We were not exposing our kids the level that would have our kids be successful not only on our state test, but also on national assessments,” Georgia Schools Superintendent Kathy Cox said Friday morning. “This is the reality. It just shows me there is more work to be done.”

AYP is measured based on math and reading test scores, attendance, graduation rates and other factors. The No Child Left Behind law was adopted in 2002 and aims for all U.S. students to perform in math and reading at grade level by 2014.

To view results visit http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ayp2008.aspx.

See tomorrow’s Times Free Press for more coverage.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.