State, Federal Report Cards Show Different Sides of Utah Schools

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) Two sets of report cards came out this week revealing very different views of Utah's public schools. One shows a record number of schools failing to meet the standards set by federal authorities. The other shows a strong number of schools measuring well by state standards. So what's a parent to do?

"The two accountability systems - U-PASS and AYP - are very different in their measurements and they way they are calculated," says Associate State Superintendent Judy Park. "You can't compare one with the other."

Park says the AYP reports - which stand for Adequate Yearly Progress - were created by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Twenty-seven percent of Utah schools failed last year by those standards, which Park says is not surprising. Utah education officials believe the state's own system, called UPASS, is far superior for measuring schools, says Park.

"AYP uses a system with 40 different ways a school can fail - they have to meet 40 different criteria," says Park. "U-PASS looks at a much more holistic view of a school."

Park says the reason more schools failed to meet Adequate Yearly Progress is that federal standards have increased. The systems also differ in how they measure performance of English language learners and students with special needs.

Visit the Utah State Office of Education Website for both AYP and U-PASS reports on every elementary school in Utah.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW