But Utah, applying that U-PASS system, was not among nine states the federal department chose for its growth-model pilot a couple years back. That's partly because U-PASS, even though it reports scores for every student group, only holds schools accountable for two groups of kids: Caucasians who can afford school lunch, and everybody else.

"We like what U-PASS does better than what No Child Left Behind does as it relates to an accurate portrayal of a school," Harrington said. "To call a school a failure because of one subgroup, especially students with disabilities or English language learners, has always been a frustration point in Utah."

The U.S. Department of Education now wants to let more states use a growth model. It will take proposals through Feb. 1.

"It will allow states another effective way of measuring Adequate Yearly Progress by measuring individual student growth over time, and it will continue to expand the flexibility available to states under No Child Left Behind," U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said in a prepared statement issued last week.

It's uncertain whether Utah will seek to apply U-PASS principles to every student group, a requirement for applicant states, the U.S. Department of Education reports. Or, whether doing so would create more difference between U-PASS and No Child Left Behind at a time when Harrington says state leaders are trying to come up with a common accountability system.

But Lacy hopes Utah will act.

"We have the information, an IT system that affords us the opportunity," Lacy said. "I think we should be fairly well positioned to do it."

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E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com