Districts work out the logistics of choice

Four Davis District schools will have to invite parents to transfer their students elsewhere because they failed to meet No Child Left Behind expectations.

But it's uncertain whether parents will get the word this year.

Davis Superintendent Bryan Bowles doesn't know if the district will do what the federal law requires this year, since it is nearing the middle of the school year.

But other school districts are making plans to comply in order avoid losing Title I money and attracting further scrutiny by federal officials.

State education leaders say Davis might be putting its schools at risk of losing much-needed funding, in a state with the lowest-funded school system in the country.

Sixteen schools — 12 of them new additions to the list — face federal sanctions this year after not making the grade two years in a row on federal assessments.

Of those 16, four face requirements to provide supplemental services and possibly new administration.

And the 12 newcomers must inform parents of the school's status and then offer the option of transferring students to higher-performing schools.

That's not easy in the middle of the school year. And for some districts it's an expensive move.

According to No Child Left Behind, federal legislation aimed at holding schools accountable for student progress, schools must make adequate yearly progress, or AYP, each year to avoid federal sanctions.

The federal government holds all students and schools to the same achievement standard.

But only low-income schools receiving special Title I money from the federal government face sanctions for failing to make AYP.

Those that fell onto the sanction list for the first time this year face an unusual situation.

Though it is mid-school year they are still required to offer parents the option of transferring their children to a high-performing school, with the district paying transportation costs.

Knowing this would be the case early on, the State Office of Education appealed to the federal leaders to put off that particular sanction until next year.

Mark Peterson, spokesman for the state office, said most states hold testing in the fall.

Utah tests in May in order to get end-of-year results. And this year, due some errors and printing delays, some schools were late in testing, which meant even later results.