As many as 31 schools that narrowly avoided takeover last spring could join the list of 24 now under state oversight as a result of critical test results that will be released beginning Thursday.

And those schools are not the only ones sweating out the results of the high-stakes test.

All public schools are expected to show progress on the Hawai'i State Assessment under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which has become a driving force behind changes in curricula and teaching methods as schools look for ways to boost student performance.

The extra effort resulted in marked improvement on the tests last year, with 52 percent of the state's public schools meeting all the requirements of NCLB, up from 39 percent the year before.

However, it will be even harder for schools to meet the goals this year as the NCLB targets jump significantly in reading and math. Schools that managed to squeak past last year's benchmarks  they had to have 28 percent of students proficient in reading and 10 percent of students proficient in math  will have to show big gains to meet the new targets: 44 percent of students proficient in reading and 30 percent of students proficient in math.

And unlike last year, when schools facing restructuring were given a few extra months to show progress and avoid takeover, there will be no such reprieve this year.

More schools are expected to face sanctions every year as the NCLB targets ratchet higher until 2014, when every student across the country is expected to be proficient in core subjects.

The sanctions range from providing tutoring to restructuring, which essentially means the DOE, rather than the principal, will make management decisions at the school.

But the implications go beyond the schools themselves. Twenty-four schools are in restructuring this year, with three private providers hired to help improve performance at a cost to the state of more than $7.9 million.

The mood among principals at the 31 schools facing takeover this year is mixed as they await word on whether their hard work has paid off enough to retain management of their schools.

"Our current status remains 'planning for restructuring,' " said Kalihi-Kai Elementary principal Stanley Kayatani. "We did meet (adequate yearly progress) last year, so we are excited about receiving the score from this past one."

Meeting AYP two years in a row would put the school in good standing and guarantee it would be at least six years before restructuring would again become a possibility.

At Waipahu Elementary, optimism is tempered by the realization that the school faces monumental challenges. Principal Keith Hayashi points out that almost half the student body is composed of immigrant students who aren't proficient in English and who may not have any consistent educational background.

"For some of them, they haven't had any formal education," Hayashi said. "They've never been in school. We're fortunate our teachers here really care for the students and put their heart and soul into helping each one. But it's still a challenge for us."

Under NCLB, not only must the school as a whole meet proficiency thresholds, but 37 subpopulations also must meet the requirements, which means groups such as special education, disadvantaged and limited English students must perform as well as any other students.

LOW-INCOME FAMILIES

At Kamaile Elementary principal Glen Kila is hopeful about the progress students are making, despite the fact the school has one of the largest percentages of students receiving free or reduced-cost lunches  nearly 90 percent of the student body in 2003-04  meaning their families are low-income. That's important because poverty is considered a major risk factor for children.

"We're really excited about it. We met Safe Harbor (levels)," said Kila, referring to a provision that kept schools that did not meet AYP from being restructured if their subpopulations showed significant improvement.

Schools still can qualify for Safe Harbor if they do not meet AYP, but unlike last year, they will not be given extra time to demonstrate progress on other assessments and quarterly reports.

"That was only for one year, and that was only for those schools that were in 'planning for restructuring' and 'restructuring,' " said Robert McClelland, director of the DOE's planning and evaluation office.

There will be a one-month appeal period following the preliminary AYP results on Aug. 18, so by the end of September, all schools should know what their official status will be for the next school year, McClelland said.

PARENTS INVOLVED

Hayashi, principal at Waipahu Elementary, remains optimistic that the hard work the staff has put in will outweigh the challenges of the school's population.

"We did a lot of planning last year in terms of what we're teaching and why and helping students reflect on the quality of what they learned, and identifying what quality work is," he said.

Last year the school began offering classes for parents as well, bringing them in an hour before school ends, and then having their children join them for an additional hour after school.

"It starts with crafts, something the parents and children can do together," Hayashi said. "What we're also aiming for is building on literacy and giving them opportunities to talk and do things with their children. We want to address those positive family values that are so important. They're very busy at home, with some parents working multiple jobs and trying their best to help their kids, so this is our way to provide opportunities for them to do activities together.

"We started with a small group, and as word gets out, it will build."

Reach Treena Shapiro at tshapiro@honoluluadvertiser.com and Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com.