The state expects 80 percent of students to score as proficient on tests, or that students show enough growth toward that goal in both the whole school and a subgroup, which includes everyone but white students who can afford school lunch.

Schools that meet those goals receive the U-PASS stamp of approval. Those that don't are identified as needing assistance.

As in many districts, subgroup math scores tripped up all Nebo high schools, despite other improvements. Springville High School's average math scores increased from 87 percent to 90 percent. But the subgroup averaged 55 percent proficiency.

The subgroups at Landmark High, the district's alternative school, and the Young Parents High School did not clear state benchmarks in both math and language arts.

Interestingly, the Young Parents High School only counts 10 students in the subgroup. If the school had nine such students, it would have cleared the state's benchmarks under a mathematical weight called "safe harbor" that protects schools with small ethnic minority and low-income populations.

"It's not that the scores were bad, it's just they needed a little more focus on our subgroup," said Seth Sorensen, the district's assessment specialist. "We'll spend some time with the high schools looking at the data."

Granite District assessment and research director Darryl Thomas notes the state's CRTs don't capture students in upper-level math.

"If you were to weigh the whole school (in math proficiency), like they're weighted in 10th- and 11th-grade language language arts," he said, "you'd see a different pattern."

Nebo high school algebra and geometry teachers have begun extra training to help students perform better on the state's test, Sorensen said.

Salt Lake Superintendent McKell Withers said he has had questions about the state's data in recent weeks and was not aware of the end result for his schools. He said he would look into it next week.

Another anomaly: a Granite District east-west divide. All high schools that would have gone in a proposed east-side district, plus Taylorsville High, made the U-PASS grade. Those on the west did not.

"It's what students choose to take in their high school courses," Thomas said. "We've got more students taking those (upper-level) classes up there (on the east side), yes."

To see how your school did, go to results.schools.utah.gov/upass/search.aspx. Or for more information on U-PASS, visit www.schoools.utah.gov/assessment/info_upass.aspx.

---

E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com; lhancock@desnews.com; terickson@desnews.com