By Julie Hubbard - The Tennessean -

After a nearly six-month delay, Tennessee’s 2009-10 Adequate Yearly Progress results are expected to be released Friday.

A Tennessee State Board of Education official said today the state’s report card on whether schools and districts met their annual testing goals in reading and math, as well as graduation rate goals, will be announced at the end of the week.

A harder state curriculum and exams were implemented last school year, which held up the release of scores typically announced in late July or August.

Part of the delay stemmed from the way students are defined as having mastered or failed content on exams, which was approved by the state board in July.

New goals were also set that schools had to meet in reading and math, which had to be approved by the U.S. Department of Education this past fall, adding further delay.

AYP is the tool that states use to determine if districts and schools have met their annual goals under the federal No Child Left Behind law. It requires all students, including low-income, students with disabilities, minority and English Language Learners to be on grade level by 2014.

Schools that miss goals can be forced to offer student transfers to higher performing schools, get free tutoring or face state oversight.

Contact Julie Hubbard at 615-726-5964 or jshubbard@tennessean.com