Students achieving in Carson City

According to state standards, Carson City students are making adequate yearly progress, but determination on the federal level is yet to be made.

Results released Monday by the Nevada Department of Education show Carson City schools met minimum requirements of the standardized Iowa Test of Basic Skills.

"We're happy to see we don't have any schools in need of improvement," said Mike Watty, associate superintendent of education for the Carson City School District.

Depending on test scores, schools can be labeled exemplary, high achievement or in need of improvement. All others are determined to be making adequate yearly progress.

"We were a little disappointed we didn't have any of them make high achievement," Watty said. "But we certainly came very close."

To be an exemplary school, half of the students must score in the top 15 percent nationally. A high achievement school has 40 percent of its students in the 75th percentile.

About 38 percent of Fritsch Elementary School students scored in the 75th percentile, just missing the highest designation.

Across the state, 37 schools were found to be in need of improvement. They will qualify for additional funding from the state to be used for remediation efforts.

However, the state's evaluation has no bearing on the federal No Child Left Behind act.

Schools determined to be in need of improvement on the federal level lose funding and are subject to a variety of sanctions.

"They're completely different designations," Watty said. "We're cautiously optimistic that if we continue showing the improvement we've shown on these tests, all of our schools will be making adequate yearly progress."

Carson City elementary school students still need to take the districtwide Criterion Reference Tests in May to be used in the final federal evaluations.