ED rejects Utah’s proposed NCLB growth model
The federal government has again rejected Utah's request to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) by measuring student growth over time. Utah education officials had hoped to use the state's system for measuring school success, U-PASS, to participate in an expanded program allowing states to satisfy NCLB by measuring student growth in math and reading. U-PASS was rejected because it doesn't require all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014 like NCLB does, according to a letter to State Superintendent Patti Harrington from the U.S. Department of Education. The feds also rejected U-PASS because it groups math, reading and science together instead of measuring progress in them separately, and it doesn't measure progress of student ethnic, income and ability groups separately. Instead, the state system lumps those groups together into one "subgroup."
Source: Salt Lake Tribune, 4/24/08, By Lisa Schencker
[Editor’s Note: More on the growth model program is below. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) page includes guidance on the program and applications and decision letters as to other states. The Utah legislature has voiced its dissatisfaction with NCLB by passing legislation that would require the governor's office to approve federal agreements that cost Utah more than $100,000 a year. Details are at the second link. Last month Governor Jon M. Huntsman signed the measure.]
NSBA School Law pages on growth model program
ED website page on growth model program
NSBA School Law pages on Utah NCLB legislation