The controversial No Child Left Behind reports are coming out today, but some people in the know, from superintendents to parents, are hard pressed to say how, at first glance, they will help the public better understand what's happening in schools.
The reports will reveal whether each school in the state made "adequate yearly progress" toward state goals in reading and math.
Basically, that AYP is boiled down to a simple yes or no: The school either made it or it didn't.
But superintendents, state testing leaders and the Utah PTA say the reports are far more complex.
"I don't really think parents are served by the information. Because it is (complex) in so many different ways, and there are so many variables in their decision if a school is going to make it or not . . . probably none" of the parents are going to understand it, Utah PTA President JoAnn Neilson said. "The experience I've had is, parents think their
schools are great. And when these things come out and say their school needs improvement, some of them might not even believe it."
The reports come under the No Child Left Behind Act, aimed at ensuring schools don't mask struggling populations of students with other children's high scores. The act promises high expectations for all children, even if they're learning English as a second language or have intellectual or learning disabilities.
The goal of NCLB is a lofty one: Have all children proficient in language arts and math by 2014.
States are to map, each year, their steps toward the goal, or lack thereof.
That's where today's reports come into play.
The reports hinge on what the federal government calls "adequate yearly progress."
Basically, schools have to show 95 percent of their students in all 10 subgroups, including special education, economically disadvantaged and ethnic minority groups, took both the language arts and math tests.
They also have to show that enough of their students, in each of the subgroups, either scored at proficient level or are making gains toward proficiency.
The two rules create a checks-and-balance system. They prevent schools from exempting students from testing if they think those kids' scores will pull down the group's — a practice ethnic minority student advocates have fought for years, said Michael Clara, chairman of the Coalition of Minorities Advisory Committee to the Utah State Board of Education.
Indeed, an in-depth look at school data will reveal some children are being left behind. Such information, in fact, is available already on the Utah State Office of Education's Web site, www.usoe.k12.ut.us.
But some education officials wonder if the public will get past the AYP report's "yes" or "no" marks.
And that's created a lot of heartache among districts this year.
The main issue is in participation.
Each of the 10 student groups has to clear the two hurdles, per test, to make AYP. That means if there's one "no" in any of 40 categories, the entire school fails to make AYP.
So, your school can be the highest-scoring in the state in every group, but if just 94 percent of Caucasian students take the math test, the entire school fails to make AYP.
That, superintendents have said, is happening.
And some fear communities are going to be floored by the results.
"I think most parents will hear, 'made adequate yearly progress,' 'did not make adequate yearly progress,' and unless they really look into it, will not understand what that means and, therefore, it won't have much meaning or they'll derive a meaning from it that isn't justifiable," said Barry Newbold, superintendent of the state's largest school district, Jordan, which includes 74,000 students.
Utah PTA and school leaders are urging parents to interpret the reports with caution and call their principals with questions.
"We are encouraging the public to go directly to the data to see that it is not as simple as it looks," said McKell Withers, superintendent for Salt Lake City School District. "If a school is on alert status it could only be because of two or three students."
Ogden School District is sending out summary and detailed reports to parents in every school, said Reed Spencer, who is over curriculum and assessment for the district. Parents also will receive an explanation of exactly what each report means.
In Logan, district leaders are meeting Tuesday with school community councils and PTA groups to explain report nuances.
"Schools in Logan City School District are doing well," Superintendent Richard Jensen said, adding Logan High students consistently score above national peers on the American College Test and the Stanford Achievement Test.
"I think that the federal government has a very narrow view of student achievement. . . . We've encouraged parents to examine other factors in addition to what the government has outlined and use a variety of different predictors, not just federally mandated prescriptive predictors."