Georgia State School Superintendent Kathy Cox released the annual Adequately Yearly Progress report Friday. AYP status is based on test scores, academic achievement, and attendance.

In Richmond County Tubman Middle School and Morgan Road Middle School made the state’s AYP report after failing to do so the past seven years. Both schools must meet state standards again next year to be taken off the "needs improvement" list.

Tubman Middle School made big changes this past year. Wayne Frazier became the school's principal in January. He helped organize several information fairs for parents and enforced a tougher dress code for students.

LaMonica Lewis, principal at Morgan Road Middle, took part in several school development seminars this past school year.

Hornsby Elementary School, Richmond County’s only elementary school in “needs improvement” last year, was removed from the list.

In Columbia County, North Harlem Elementary, Harlem High School, and Evans High School did not meet AYP standards.

More than two-thirds of Georgia's public schools made AYP in 2008. Forty-nine percent of Richmond County schools and ten percent of Columbia County schools did not make AYP.

Superintendent Cox says this year's standards were tougher for elementary schools, but state schools saw big improvements.

"Not only did all the academic measures of Adequate Yearly Progress go up this year, but we continued to raise the rigor of the work our students are doing, especially in mathematics," said Cox.