Last week, state test scores revealed that Jackson Elementary School third-graders were making remarkable strides in reading, while fifth-graders had improved their math by leaps and bounds.

But on Tuesday, the federal government released its own report stating that Jackson is now below standard, despite the fact that students are meeting and, in some cases, exceeding academic benchmarks.

Jackson — which has the highest number of disadvantaged children in Medford — has an average student attendance rate of 91.33 percent, but the federal government has set a new standard of 92 percent.

"I hope our teachers don’t feel beat-up. They did some really amazing things last year," said Jackson Principal Tom Ettel. "This isn’t about academics."

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Jackson school is just one of 15 schools in Jackson County that didn’t meet a rigorous set of federal standards that are recorded in Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) reports. There are 57 schools in the county.

The reports are part of the No Child Left Behind Act. It requires schools to meet all AYP standards in all categories or face a variety of consequences ranging from lost funding to state takeover.

The majority of local schools didn’t meet AYP standards because of the performance of students with disabilities and children who don’t speak English, reflecting a state-wide trend, school officials said.

In a few cases, the student body as a whole fell shy of federal goals, including South Medford High School’s graduation rate. AYP mandated that 68.1 percent of all students must earn a diploma in four years. South graduated 62.69 percent of its students.

At Butte Falls, a total of 12 high school students dropped out over a two-year span, also bringing the school below AYP standards.

Medford school board member Peggy Penland said the federal government’s goal is admirable and schools should be held to a higher level of accountability.

However, she added that schools with a large population of disadvantaged, disabled or non-English speaking children will never meet AYP standards.

"It’s mathematically impossible," said Penland, who believes the federal mandate is an attempt to privatize public education. "It’s a system of measurement that’s flawed."

For example, all students with learning disabilities must overcome their handicap to meet AYP standards — a move that would take them out of special education.

The majority of disabled students at 11 schools didn’t meet AYP standards in either math or English, including disabled students at Eagle Point high and middle schools.

"Can all of these (disabled) kids get in the proficient category? No. Reality and experience tells me that can’t happen," said Eagle Point Superintendent Bill Feusahrens, a former special education teacher. "I know that many kids with disabilities are not going to fall into that proficient category, no matter how much we improve."

The situation is similar for students who are not proficient in English. Educators say once a child becomes fluent in English, he or she is moved out of that category though they likely face disadvantages compared to native English speakers.

Educators say although the task might be impossible, they plan to make improvements wherever possible.

"We need to analyze the reports and try to isolate the group of kids we tested (who fell below standards)," said Phoenix-Talent Superintendent Ben Bergreen, who noted that severe budget cuts will make the job a challenge. "We’ll do the best we can with what we have."

"We’ll never meet (the federal standards) for disabled and English-language learners. If we do, then we’ve found the silver bullet that everybody’s been looking for." added Medford Curriculum Director Phil Long.

"But there probably are ways to do what we do better, and we’ll continue to look."

South Medford culinary arts teacher Leslie Ashcraft plans to help her students meet those difficult federal standards by incorporating math and English curriculum in her cooking lessons.

"It’s difficult, because kids try and fight it. They say why do I have to do math? I want to cook," said Ashcraft. "I think we have to address these issues in all areas."

Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail jbriskey@mailtribune.com