The Utah State Board of Education today voted against applying to be one of 10 states to participate in a pilot program that will allow states to differentiate between schools that miss federal testing goals by a little versus schools that miss them by a lot. Now, schools that accept federal money for serving low-income areas all face the same consequences regardless of their reasons for falling short.

Judy Park, associate state schools superintendent, said the pilot program might look good on the surface, but the details are worrisome.

"It would increase the amount [the U.S. Department of Education] is involved in our choice of interventions," Park said. "It's much more intrusive than currently what we experience."

Spellings said the U.S. Department of Education will give preference to states where at least 20 percent of schools that accept federal money for serving low-income areas are failing to meet goals when choosing participants for the pilot. State Schools Superintendent Patti Harrington has said only 5 percent of such schools in Utah are now failing to meet the goals.