Eighty-seven percent of the state's schools met the requirements of No Child Left Behind for 2009, as compared to 80 percent last year.

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

"We are quite pleased with our scores," said Darryl Thomas, Granite School District director of research, assessment and evaluation. The district had 18 more schools pass AYP this year than in 2008.

NCLB data are based on the language arts and math sections of the Criterion-Referenced Test, which students take each spring. AYP reports label each school with a passing grade only if the school succeeds in 40 categories, including attendance and subgroups such as "Caucasian" and "Students with Disabilities."

Of the schools statewide that did not meet NCLB requirements, 49 percent of schools for grades 3-8, and 42 percent of schools for grades 10-12, didn't pass AYP due to missing only one category.

Eisenhower Junior High School in Taylorsville, Granite District, missed the mark by one category and received a "failing" label. "It's just sad it has to be an all or nothing deal," said Eisenhower principal Nancy Jadallah.

Antelope Elementary School in Clearfield, Davis School District, passed 37 of 40 categories. "It's disappointing," said Antelope Principal Jody Schaap. "We work hard and strive to have each child achieve." The school implemented a small-group instruction program this fall.

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

Next year, Utah's AYP reports may be disclosed as early as Aug. 7. A new federal rule requires states to release the AYP reports 14 days before school starts. This is so parents can opt to send their students elsewhere, based on a school's AYP report, before classes begin. Utah received a waiver from that requirement this year.

With NCLB, the standard is raised for schools every two years, with higher test scores required to pass. This year is a bar-raising year. The target was raised for language arts but actually lowered in Utah for math due to the state's new rigorous curriculum and therefore more difficult test.

Schools with grades 3-8 had to achieve 83 percent in language arts and 45 percent in math to pass AYP. Schools with grades 10-12 had to reach 82 percent in language arts and 40 percent in math to pass.

Hayden Peak Elementary School in West Jordan, Jordan School District, achieved AYP.