13 schools win appeals on 'No Child' law

Advertiser Staff

Thirteen schools have successfully appealed initial findings by the state Department of Education that they did not make adequate yearly progress last school year under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

One of the schools, Radford High School, is now the only high school state-wide to have made the benchmark. DOE officials said most school administrators argued that they missed out because students listed as enrolled in the schools had moved or transferred by the time standard tests were taken.

No Child Left Behind requires that schools make yearly progress toward the goal of having all students proficient in core subjects by 2014. Schools have to meet 37 annual benchmarks, including attendance and whether low-income, English as a Second Language and special-education students make progress.

Twelve schools had appeals rejected, according to the DOE.

Overall, 169 — or 60 percent — of the state's 280 public schools did not make adequate progress under the law last school year.

The DOE also announced yesterday that Gov. Linda Lingle will recommend to the Legislature emergency spending of $7.4 million to cover an expected collective bargaining shortfall this fiscal year. Lingle administration budget officials initially opposed the DOE's request for the salary money.