28% of Utah schools 'left behind'

Utah had a large drop last school year in the number of schools making the grade under a federal lens.

This year, 28 percent of Utah schools fell short, not making Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind requirements.

Last year only 18 percent of schools were below par. The determining tests are taken in the spring each year.

So why the sudden decrease? Education leaders say it's simple: Testing benchmarks went up this year, so more schools failed to reach them.

"More schools are identified this year than in previous years, which is no surprise," state associate superintendent Judy Park said.

"I'm quite pleased that (the number of schools that didn't make AYP) wasn't any more than it was, considering targets went up as high as they did," Park said.

NCLB aims to hold schools accountable for all students, to ensure every child is learning. It was designed to spotlight areas within schools that need work and pressure teachers to focus on students who have historically been ignored or lagged behind.

Under the law, all public school children, regardless of race, disability, income or English attainment, must be able to read and do math well by 2014.

Movement toward the goal is measured by AYP reports. Schools either must have enough students scoring as proficient or have moved enough students up from the bottom to pass muster. They must have 95 percent of students in each student group taking the tests. If one group fails, so does the entire school.

The report uses the state Criterion Reference Tests, or year-end tests, in language arts and math, and examines students by group, separated for ethnicity, poverty, disability and English language proficiency.

Utah raises its achievement expectations every other year until it reaches the 100 percent mark.

This year the proficiency benchmarks increased about 5 percent. Now the goal is 77 percent of third- through eighth-graders and 76 percent of 10th-graders proficient in language arts; and 71 percent of third- through eighth-graders and 59 percent of 10th- through 12th-graders scoring as proficient in math.

That means that schools that were just squeaking by with the old benchmarks aren't cutting it any more.

"With benchmarks going up, it makes it harder and harder for schools with students who are struggling to catch up," said McKell Withers, superintendent of Salt Lake City School District.

That's not to say it can't be done.

"We have refocused energy and have had schools come out of 'school improvement' and make incredible gains and that can demonstrate that progress can be steady and consistent as they focus on the needs of the students," he said.