Peterson said the increased gap in average test scores might be in part due to an influx of new Hispanic students. Some may be immigrants who are learning English as a second language, trend data indicates.

"It is still not acceptable the achievement gap is as large as it is and it appears to be growing between Hispanic and white students (in the effect size analysis)," Peterson said.

The achievement gap has dogged Utah policymakers for years, from test scores to graduation rates to math class enrollment, as state data show a disproportionate number of students of color enrolled in low-level math in secondary schools, said Brenda Burrell, minority student achievement specialist for the Utah Office of Education.

The governor's office has commissioned a task force to address the achievement gap; a new law to offer full-day kindergarten in hopes of nipping the gap in the bud came out of it. The state's reading program for kindergartners through third-graders also has been touted with raising achievement for youngsters.

"We are making some progress, but the gap is not closing," said Kathleen Christy, executive director of equity in Salt Lake City School District. Change, she says, is going to "require something new."

This week, her district and Granite School District, along with community advocates and the Utah Office of Education, discussed how race plays into education and the achievement gap.

A group of about 35 met Tuesday to discuss "Courageous Conversations About Race," led by Curtis Linton, co-author of the a book by that name. He was joined by Jamie Almanzan, a partner at Pacific Educational Group in San Francisco, which advocates for school reform to improve equity. The conference continues today.

"We are not here to make you do anything. ... It's an opportunity to be real with one another, as the kids would say," Burrell said.

"At the end of the day, we will not have a solution. What we will have is hopefully, raised awareness of who we are and what our part in the discussion is," she said. "The answers are in the citizens of Utah."

Nationally, the report, "Answering the Question That Matters Most: Has Student Achievement Increased Since No Child Left Behind?" shows more evidence of achievement gaps narrowing than widening since 2002, but notes gaps remain substantial.

Yet it doesn't conclude No Child Left Behind is the reason. The report summary states teaching to the test, changes in the populations tested, increased learning and more lenient tests could play a role. It also notes districts and schools have reorganized instructional time and expanded programs for students who struggle under the landmark — and controversial — education law of which Utah lawmakers once talked about opting out.

No Child Left Behind aims to have all students, regardless of race, income or disability, reading and doing math well by 2014.

The Center on Education Policy is a nonprofit that advocates for more effective public schools. It is based in Washington, D.C. The report is available at www.cep-dc.org.

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