Idaho students show progress

BOISE – More Idaho students are succeeding under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, but 14 school districts face intense scrutiny under the law after eight years of failing in reading and math.

The Idaho state Department of Education on Wednesday released scores from Idaho Standards Achievement Tests that show about 66 percent of Idaho schools made adequate progress under No Child Left Behind during the most recent school year. That rate has nearly tripled since two years ago, when 26 percent of schools made adequate progress.

Public schools chief Tom Luna said the state has spent $15 million during the past three years to help students who struggle.

“The fact that more students are making AYP (adequate yearly progress) is a result of that effort,” Luna said. “Do we have more work to do? Absolutely.”

This year’s test results show 14 school districts have been in the “needs improvement” category for eight years.

Of those districts, 13 include schools that failed to meet standards in either math or reading. The Shoshone School District in south-central Idaho has not made adequate progress in both subjects. The Plummer-Worley School District did not meet reading standards, although its Lakeside Middle School is among those the education department is highlighting for achievement. The middle school has met goals two years in a row.

District administrators have said attempts to raise test scores have been slowed by a dramatic influx of students who speak English as a second language. The percentage of students required to meet math and reading goals under the federal law also has increased over time, because of the way No Child Left Behind was set up to gradually raise achievement goals.

“Those schools that continue to struggle will participate in more intense intervention,” Luna said.

Two years ago, 21 Idaho school districts were in their sixth year of not making adequate progress under No Child Left Behind.

Some districts made enough progress to move out of the “needs improvement” category last year, but 15 school districts still faced some of the harshest sanctions under the law.

The failing schools within those districts were eligible for tutoring help, and parents had the option of transferring their students to more successful schools. Idaho also had the option of stepping in and assuming local control of the failing schools, but the state Department of Education decided to put off such action.

Instead of being taken over by the state, schools within those 15 districts were required to work with the agency and map out a detailed restructuring plan.

Within the past year, the state Education Department has also used federal funding to hire three school improvement coordinators, said Marybeth Flachbart, deputy superintendent for student achievement and school improvement.

Nationwide, nearly 36 percent of schools failed to meet yearly progress goals in 2008 and millions of children were a long way from reaching the law’s ambitious goal – that every student can read and do math at his or her grade level by the year 2014.

Schools are required to meet 41 benchmarks for student achievement under No Child Left Behind.

Luna has been appointed to a national task force that will work with Congress and the Obama administration on the reauthorization of the 2001 law and says this is one of the areas he would like to see changed.

“If a school misses 30 they are identified as not making AYP. If they miss one they are identified the same,” Luna said.