More than half of Idaho’s public schools met their academic goals for the 2007-08 school year, up significantly from the previous year.

Results released by the State Board of Education show 362 out of 648 Idaho schools met their academic benchmarks. State officials say the improvement shows schools are more familiar with the Idaho Standards Achievement Tests that were revised last year.

In 2006-07, seven out of 10 Idaho schools missed their mark. The poor showing was attributed to several factors, including a revised test; changes in the passing scores; and an increase in the percentage of students who must pass the exam for schools to be considered proficient.

The annual progress report is part of No Child Left Behind, the federally mandated school improvement program. Students are measured in reading and math, while most elementary and junior highs also test students in language. High schools are assessed on their graduation rates.

This year, 70 percent of students taking the math exam and 78 percent of students taking the reading and language tests had to pass the exams for schools to be considered proficient. Those scores apply to the school as a whole and several subgroups such as white, Hispanics and low-income students.

State education officials say the same passage rates will be in place for next year, which means schools should continue to show improvement. (Idaho Statesman)