4 schools leave list as scores improve

After a second look by state leaders at a flawed list of schools not meeting No Child Left Behind standards, 10 Utah schools remain on the roster.

The Utah State Office of Education Monday released a revised list of Title I schools that have not made AYP or adequate yearly progress under the federal law for at least two consecutive years.

Last year, 14 schools fell short of achievement.

With four schools improving scores and leaving the school improvement list this year, leaders say it's a sign of effectiveness in the classroom.

"We do think schools are improving ... and we are moving in the right direction," said Mark Peterson, spokesman for the State Office of Education.

"A lot of good things are happening in our schools, they are focusing on individual students and our educators are working really hard. ... We are making decent progress," said Myron Cottam, state associate superintendent.

The initial list last month named 14 schools on "school improvement," but leaders had not taken into account a number of appeals while others had just not been moved from the list even though they had made the needed improvements under the rules.

Antelope Elementary in the Davis School District and Santaquin Elementary in the Nebo School District were removed because previous appeals of AYP had not been recorded.

Doxey Elementary in Davis School District and Lewis Elementary in Ogden School District were removed because both had achieved AYP for two consecutive years in the same subject, which is what federally approved rules require to be released from the list.

Under NCLB, schools must make adequate yearly progress and meet achievement benchmarks in language arts and math. Those benchmarks go up every two years.

Schools that receive federal Title I funding — those with low-income students comprising 40 percent or more of their enrollment — are subject to sanctions if they don't perform up to snuff.

If Title I schools fail to make AYP on standardized tests two years in a row, they are placed on what's called "school improvement."

Schools on the list can face sanctions that range from requiring leaders to give parents the option of sending their children to higher-performing schools to facing a school take-over by state education officials.

The severity of the sanctions depends on how long the school remains on the needs-improvement list.

Schools that show adequate yearly progress on the standardized tests for two consecutive years are removed from the list, according to the federal law.

Vae View Elementary in Davis School District was released from the school improvement program this year. Like many other schools, Vae View identified individual students who were struggling and gave them extra help.