Some Utah schools improve on tests while others struggle to meet NCLB requirements

While 80 percent of the state's schools met the requirements of No Child Left Behind for 2008, as compared to 75 percent the previous year, Utah's schoolchildren continue to struggle to meet the continually increasing requirements of the federal mandate.

The Utah State Office of Education announced NCLB Adequate Yearly Progress reports today.

NCLB mandates are intended to help schools ensure all students are succeeding — regardless of ethnicity, income, disability or English skills — and are proficient in language arts and math by 2014.

Utah's testing officials also announced Monday how students did on the conglomerate of state-required tests: the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students.

To reach an acceptable level for U-PASS, a school must meet state standards in whole school participation, proficiency and progress.

Of elementary and middle schools, 85 percent achieved an acceptable level of performance with U-PASS this year, compared to 84 percent in 2007.

Of high schools, 94 percent achieved an acceptable level of performance this year compared to 79 percent in 2007.

State testing officials are continuing to examine the data but say the jump in high school U-PASS achievement could be due to an

increase in participation as students are taking exams "more seriously," said Judy Park, USOE associate superintendent of data, assessment and accountability.

Also, there is a difference this year in calculating the high school math segment of U-PASS. Students taking math classes at a level higher than algebra and geometry for credit were calculated into the mix, Park said.

NCLB data is based on results from the Criterion-Referenced Test which is taken each spring, as well as test participation and attendance. To achieve a passing mark on the AYP reports a school must have passing grades in all 40 testing categories.

Darryl Thomas, Granite School District director of research, assessment and evaluation, says he has seen principals and teachers burst into tears upon seeing their AYP reports.

"It is difficult," he said.

Of the elementary and middle schools (grades 3-8) that failed to pass AYP, 36.1 failed in just one category. For the nonpassing high schools, 47.6 percent failed in just one category.