This time, it is likely that not as many Utah schools made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) toward the goals of No Child Left Behind as previously thought, said Judy Park, state associate superintendent for data, assessment and accountability, on Friday.

The education office has gone back and forth several times in recent months over which schools made AYP. Certain percentages of students at each school must score proficient or better on state math and reading tests for schools to make AYP. Schools that receive federal money for serving low-income areas can face sanctions in not meeting the goals.

The confusion has been over rules regarding appeals. When a school does not make AYP but feels that it should have, it can appeal. The tumult revolves around which reasons are grounds for appeal and which are not.

Some Utah schools tried to appeal based on certain rules, but those rules don't always apply to Utah schools, Park said.

"We have appeals for reasons that are not approved," Park said.

She said a group of superintendents from across the state met recently and decided not to apply the rules in question to all schools across the state this year. Some officials have been concerned that some schools were applying the rules in order to make AYP while others were not. The idea is to level the playing field.

Now, the only two reasons for which the education office will allow schools to appeal are miscalculations of data or extreme extenuating circumstances.

"This is a huge change in philosophy and practice here at the state office," Park said.

Until now, the education office has see-sawed on which reasons are valid and which are not.

Originally, the education office announced in September that about 72 percent of Utah schools made AYP.

Then about a month later the office said another 30 schools appealed and had also met the goals because of rules that had been overlooked.

Now, Park said those rules that were originally said to be overlooked are not actually ways schools can make AYP in Utah. That means the 30 schools, as well as a number of others that appealed, might not have made AYP after all.

Park said she won't know how many schools will have appeals overturned until she goes through all the appeals. She said Friday she didn't know exactly how many there are.

Park said she likely will announce in December a final tally of which schools made AYP and which did not based on the clarified rules. She said confusion over whether districts or the education office are supposed to decide on school appeals also has led partly to the inconsistencies.

Members of the board's curriculum committee voted Friday to look into writing rules regarding how the process should work in hopes of avoiding so much confusion in the future.

"I really believe as a state board we need to be more clear," said board member Dixie Allen.

Board member Bill Colbert said the process needs to be consistent.

"We are learning a lot about No Child Left Behind," said board member Teresa Theurer.

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* LISA SCHENCKER can be reached at lschencker@sltrib .com or 801-257-8999.

To meet AYP in Utah, a school must have:

* An attendance rate of 93 percent or better

* A high school graduation rate of at least 85.7 percent

* At least 95 percent of students must be tested (in all groups greater than 40 students)

At the high school level:

* 76 percent of students must pass the Language Arts test

* 59 percent of students must pass the math test

At the elementary and middle school level:

* 77 percent of students must pass the Language Arts test

* 71 percent of students must pass the math test

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports measure whether a school has met a series of criteria including attendance, testing and graduation rates required under the federal No Child Left Behind education reform act. All categories of students must meet the requirements for a school to "meet" AYP. Only Title I schools - those receiving federal dollars because of their significant low-income student populations - can face consequences for not meeting AYP. Depending on the number of years a school has failed to meet the criteria, parents may be given the option of moving their children to another school or receiving tutoring. In extreme instances, the school's staff and curriculum may be replaced.