Most of the schools in the Robbinsdale School District did not hit No Child Left Behind targets this year.

Only the Robbinsdale Spanish Immersion Elementary School in New Hope and Zachary Lane Elementary in Plymouth made adequate yearly progress, according to information released last week by the Minnesota Department of Education. The two schools have made adequate yearly progress every year since No Child Left Behind passed.

Students in grades three through eight are tested in reading and math each year Under No Child Left Behind. Students also are tested at least once in their sophomore through senior years.

Schools must meet targets as a whole and in subgroups, such as free/reduced lunch, limited English proficiency and special education. Subgroups also include ethnic designations, such as Asian, Hispanic, black and white. (Note: A list of the schools that did not make AYP is below.)

Despite the fact that 11 of the district's schools failed to make AYP, a news release from Tia Clasen, communications director for the district, highlighted some bright spots.

Forest Elementary, Neill Elementary and Northport Elementary "collectively improved in 16 groups in math and reading," Clasen wrote.

The district uses the Measures of Academic Progress to analyze students in reading and math and make decisions, according to Clasen. "Such decisions have led to changes at the elementary level such as dedicated intervention and enrichment time for students, and flexible grouping strategies.

"At the middle school level, analysis of data has led to a 'double-dosing' in reading and/or math for students who need more targeted interventions, helping them to achieve at grade level," Clasen's news release said.

“More work is needed,” Superintendent Aldo Sicoli said. “Our focus is on what is best for kids, every day, all day, not just once a year or for one grade level. We fully embrace the philosophy that we are all partners in providing nothing less than an excellent education for our students.”

Out of 2,255 schools (public and charter) in the state, about 47 percent did not make AYP. About 45 percent made AYP and for the rest there was insufficient data to make a determination.

Of the 1,056 schools that did not make AYP, 38 percent were elementary schools and about 22 percent were high schools.

Brenda Cassellius, Minnesota commissioner of education, wrote in a letter to parents that "how students are growing and learning" is more important than the individual test scores.

"In addition to using one test score as the primary determination of a school’s success or failure, it (No Child Left Behind and adequate yearly progress) also compares the performance of one group of students to the performance of a totally different group of students the following year," Cassellius wrote. "This is not a fair, valid or accurate way of measuring how schools are really doing."

In August, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton applied for a waiver from No Child Left Behind, after President Barack Obama announced possible relief from the law.

"In the coming months, the Minnesota Department of Education will work with the U.S. Department of Education to provide relief from this law that will allow us to develop better accountability measures for Minnesota's schools," Cassellius wrote. "... We are hopeful Minnesota will soon be granted the regulatory flexibility to provide our state’s children, parents and stakeholders with a school accountability system they deserve."

Robbinsdale schools that did not make adequate yearly progress

* All areas of failure refer to proficiency, unless otherwise noted.