From Deseret News archives:
Edge for small schools?
All eight of Ogden's Youth in Custody and other programs for youths in crisis made "adequate yearly progress" on test scores and other hurdles erected by the federal government.
Testing bosses say it's a fluke that comes with No Child Left Behind and the state's efforts to fairly apply the law in geographically diverse Utah.
But what's happening appears to be this: Rules intended to ensure achievement in small schools accurately represents the whole seem to be putting small schools at an advantage in making adequate yearly progress, or AYP, under the federal law.
"I think there are some rural schools doing really well," said Dixie Allen, a State Board of Education member representing rural eastern Utah from Daggett to San Juan school districts. "I don't think (the issue) suggests they're not doing their job. I just think they have an easier path. It's just an unlevel playing field. It's like comparing apples to oranges."
By contrast, Jordan, the state's largest school district with 74,000 students, had just under half its schools making AYP.
There are some anomalies, however.
In the 13,000-student Cache School District, 43 percent of schools failed to make AYP. The 1,450-student Grand School District, nestled in Utah's rural red rock country, posted a 50-50 pass-fail rate. And Salt Lake County's Granite School District, the state's second largest with more than 69,000 students, showed two-thirds of schools made AYP.
Still, there's a sizeable enough pattern that some school officials are questioning whether AYP does what it's supposed to: identify schools that truly need to improve.
"These results are a better indicator of size than of quality. The bigger schools are not passing, even though our specialty schools are," Provo Superintendent Randy Merrill said. "A single report of information is not a good way to judge a total school, especially when the way the information is compiled is questionable."
Comments
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- UVU beats SUU; USU wins big 12:57 a.m.
- BYU spikers end season with a loss 12:55 a.m.
- Iverson may be headed to 76ers 12:34 a.m.
- Credit Coug defense for win 12:33 a.m.
- Aggies blow away T-birds 12:32 a.m.
- Mo steals show in Cavaliers' victory 12:31 a.m.
- Editorial: Facilitate Big Brother? 12:22 a.m.
- Mom befriends wife of PTSD vet 12:21 a.m.
- Political clash over U.S. debt 12:21 a.m.
- Cave to be sealed with body inside
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
- Predicting the unpredictable: BYU wins
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
- BYU is champion of the state
- Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
- Idaho woman dies after fall
- Woods, wife unavailable for interview
- Vegas, Poinsettia bowls or bust
- Man dies in dirt bike crash
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
396 - Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
150 - Thunder rolls by Jazz
136 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
115 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
115 - Editorial: Poor welcome for Palin
113 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
88 - Hall's legacy measured today
75 - Y. focused on 10-win season
73 - Letters: C02 causes warming
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