Lunch in the cafeteria at Kelly Walsh High School looked like lunch in any high school.

Clustered around tables, students ate pizza and French fries. They laughed and talked about the weekend. And they wore hats.

Sophomore Mikaela Schneider sported a blue and white checked cap with a stiff bill - a "trucker hat" - to school on Friday.

"It's for style," Schneider said. "No one wears a hat to be like, 'I'm going to wear a hat to protect my face from the sun.'"

Hats of all kinds - baseball caps, newsboy caps and even a tan Stetson - dotted the cafeteria and halls. Hats are in style, and this year, students at Kelly Walsh can wear them to class. Principal Brad Diller delcared this 2009-10 "hat amnesty year" to reward students for making "adequate yearly progress" last year and improvement in the graduation rate. He made the announcement at a school assembly where every senior was given a "KW" baseball cap.

Freshman Cody Boyd likes the rule change. He doesn't like going hatless, and he used to get in trouble for forgetting to remove his hat before entering the building.

"It is a big deal to me," he said. "Now I don't have to worry."

This is the first time Kelly Walsh met AYP standards since 2003. The Wyoming Department of Education measures AYP by performance on the Proficiency Assessments for Wyoming Students taken each spring. PAWS tests students in third through 11th grades in reading, math and writing. Students in fourth, eighth and 11th grades are also tested in science. Additionally, high schools must have a graduation rate above 80 percent or, if previously below 80 percent, show improvement.

Diller said the hat privilege is about more than just test scores.

"Two years ago, we had 125 kids drop out," Diller said. "A year ago we had 96, and last year we only had 65. We drastically cut the dropout rate in just two years."

The graduation rate at Kelly Walsh dropped from 79.2 percent in 2005 to 75.8 percent in 2006. In two years, the graduation rate has increased nearly 10 percent, with 84.6 percent in 2008. The district's overall average graduation rate increased 5.31 percent in two years, from 72.09 percent in 2007 to 77.4 percent in 2008.

Each school in Natrona County writes its dress policy. Roosevelt High School does not allow students to wear "any head covering," and hats are not allowed in buildings or classrooms, according to its handbook. Natrona County High School does not allow hats inside the building during school hours for several reasons, including respect for the flag and to avoid distraction in the classroom, said Assistant Principal Chris Bolender.

"One of the nice things about it is that we can readily identify people who are visitors if they're wearing a hat," Bolender said.

Diller said the policy change is for one year only, but a renewal is not out of the question.

"Several years ago, kids didn't need to wear hats in school," Diller said. "It's caused some conflict and issues with kids. At this point, hats are quite a fashion statement. At this point, they spend more on hats than a lot of other clothes."

Reach education reporter Jackie Borchardt at (307) 266-0593 or at jackie.borchardt@trib.com. Read her education blog at tribtown.trib.com/reportcard.