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Adequate Yearly Progress, a federal mandate that all children will be at or above proficiency standards in reading and math by the 2013-14 school year, has left districts like Lakota in a bind.

While the law's mission is for all children to succeed, sometimes that can't be measured by standardized tests, school officials said.

"The one good thing about No Child Left Behind is the accountability piece," said Superintendent Mike Taylor. "Whether or not we're measuring the right things in our students is really the question."

Last year, Lakota did not meet the AYP goals set for students on individual education plans for various disabilities. The paradox is that these children are on individual plans, but their success is measured by a standardized test, Taylor said. If those students' scores don't align with standards set for all students, Lakota will lose the "excellent" ranking it has touted for six years and will drop down two levels to "continuous improvement."

The state has set a trajectory path in order to raise the bar until districts reach the national goal. This year the standards became more rigorous, requiring between 58 to 80 percent passage rates in various grade levels. These numbers will increase until they reach 100 percent five years from now in all groups of students no matter the race, socioeconomic background or primary language.

Although Lakota has spent the past several years beefing up programming and refining its teaching process through scientific research to reach these groups, there is no easy answer to getting students to the 100 percent level, said Special Services Director Vicki Curtis.

The district is still compiling data, but she said it is not yet clear if all the subgroups met AYP.

Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Ron Spurlock said the high schools have remodeled their homeroom approach, using the time for more individualized counseling for students. There are programs district wide to help students feel more connected to their teachers and peers, and he said curriculum changes, data-driven teaching, master scheduling and professional learning communities have been implemented to drive success.