As with a baby's first tentative steps, sometimes progress starts in small increments that eventually lead to great strides.

That's the path that Duquesne City School District administrators are hoping is indicated by the district's results on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests, which were given in the spring to pupils in grades three, five, eight and 11.

When the state Department of Education released the final results in late September, Duquesne remained on the department's lists of schools not meeting standards of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

However, Duquesne educators are ecstatic that in one category -- third-grade math -- 60 percent of the pupils scored proficient or advanced.

While third-grade scores didn't count this time toward the federal standard, that percentage is high enough that it exceeded the target of 45 percent set for math in grades five, eight and 11 to be considered to be making adequate yearly progress, or AYP.

Next year, scores on tests in grades three through eight plus 11 will count, so officials are hopeful the third-grade math score bodes well for the future.

And while the district still has much work to do to prevent it from teetering on closing, the third-grade math scores represent a significant accomplishment for the district, which has been called the lowest-performing district in the state: The scores mark the first time any student group earned a score that could have met an AYP target.

"We are definitely walking a different path now," said Steve Biancaniello, curriculum director.

However, third-grade reading scores in Duquesne were disappointing. Only 11 percent performed at proficient, none were rated advanced and 63 percent scored in the lowest category, below basic.

In addition to expecting at least 45 percent of students to score at proficient or advanced levels in math, the state standards also called for 54 percent to score at those levels in reading.

Other AYP measures are test participation and graduation or attendance rates. If a school has at least 40 students in a subgroup such as special education, low-income or minority, the school must meet targets for each group.

Educators strive to hit the law's benchmarks because failure to do so can result in penalties as severe as disbanding a school district, something Duquesne has managed to escape narrowly.

And districts that struggle with socioeconomic issues that impact education more often than others fall out of compliance.

McKeesport Area is also among local suburban districts on noncompliance lists for 2005.

East Allegheny is under a warning by the state because of low scores but is struggling to improve them.

Schools can avoid being placed on the noncompliance lists -- even if they don't hit test score targets -- if they reduce by 10 percent the number of students that fall below proficient.

The state considers such districts to be in "safe harbor" and protected from penalties for the year progress is reported.

Crowing and parents

At the beginning of the school year, students who hit or exceeded the state targets on the PSSA were honored by Duquesne at a school board meeting.

The 39 students who scored at the advanced level were given plaques. Another 104 children who scored proficient were given certificates.

That recognition has sparked parent interest in the schools, a factor that administrators in the districts said is essential to improving test scores.

"We had parents call and say 'I heard about that thing. What do I have to do for my kid to get one?' " Dr. Biancaniello said.

McKeesport Area employs a parent involvement coordinator, whose duties include organizing workshops to teach parents how to help their students at home.

East Allegheny is under a warn- ing from the Department of Edu- cation because the high and mid-dle schools failed to meet academic goals. The schools, which are housed in one building, are on the state's School Improvement II list since students have not met state targets for the third year.

The School Improvement II designation requires the schools to develop a tutoring program and forces the district to use its own money to pay for the extra instruction.

Consequently, the district not only has broadened its tutoring program, it also requires students who fall short in reading or math to take extra classes in those subject areas. Extra study, which can include after-school and/or summer sessions, may continue until the student's senior year, if he or she misses the mark on the 11^th grade PSSA exam.

Norwin Middle School is also under warning status, according to the state education Web site www.paayp.com.

Overall, the majority of students surpassed the state target of 54 percent proficiency. But, 22.7 percent of middle school students in special education hit the mark in reading; and in math, only 23 percent got there.

A warning means that the school for the first time failed to reach state proficiency goals for all its students. The school will have a year to get back on par.

One way to do that, said Dr. Tracy McNelly, the Norwin director of secondary education, is a plan to station two teachers in middle school special ed classrooms. One teacher will impart content; the other will be a trained special education instructor.

Also, starting this year to stir greater interest in the PSSA tests at the high school level, students who pass in 11th grade will receive one credit. On Monday, the school board voted to increase the number of credits needed to graduate by one.

McKeesport Area

Schools in the McKeesport Area School District made four noncompliance lists.

The district remains on the Improvement I list for the second year because it has failed to make adequate yearly progress in subgroups that include minority, economically disadvantaged and special education students, said Assistant Superintendent Shirley Golofski.

The district is making efforts to correct that.

"We've increased our parent involvement by providing workshops for the parents," Dr. Golofski said, adding that the efforts are headed by a parent involvement coordinator. "We've tried to tie them into student performances and recognizing students for their improvements. Then we talk with parents about different strategies they can work with kids at home."

Cornell Middle School, one of the district's two middle schools for pupils in grades four to six, remains in its fourth year on the Corrective Action I list, which allows school choice, tutoring and changes in teaching methods. The school missed the mark for reading for black students.

Among the measures the district has taken to address the problems at Cornell are lowering class size and purchasing computer software programs that can assess pupils' needs and create individual remediation exercises.

McKeesport Area High School, for grades nine through 12, remains on the School Improvement II list because it missed state targets for participation in the PSSAs by minority and special education students. It also missed several math and reading targets.

The district's Founders Hall, which houses grades seven and eight, was put on the state warning list because it missed overall and some other reading targets.

Tutoring

All of the districts on school improvement plans offer tutoring to students.

McKeesport and Duquesne offer after-school and summer tutoring programs. Some students also qualify for vouchers to seek supplemental tutoring from outside vendors.

But, district officials said, it's often hard to get parents to take their children for outside help due to lack of transportation.

In McKeesport, letters were sent to more than 600 families whose children were eligible for vouchers, and "we might have had six or seven who responded," Dr. Golfoski said.

Staying off list

Getting off the lists becomes more difficult as the education department raises its targets for test scores every two years. The ultimate goal of No Child Left Behind is for all pupils to test as proficient by 2014.

More pressure will be added to Pennsylvania school districts next year as grades four, six and seven are added to the test groups.

Educators agree that while the goal of having all pupils test proficient by 2014 may be too lofty to become reality, the challenge to meet it is improving education.