WATERLOO - A growing number of Waterloo Community Schools' buildings are falling short of state achievement goals.

Officials said 13 schools plus the district as a whole are being deemed "in need of assistance" for 2009-10 under requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. That's an increase from eight a year ago. The list, based on spring standardized test results, was unveiled by district administrators Monday during a Board of Education work session.

The schools made the list by failing to meet state adequate yearly progress goals for two years in reading and math on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills from third through eighth grade or the Iowa Tests of Educational Development in 11th grade.

Seven of the schools are subject to sanctions and will go through the improvement planning process with the Iowa Department of Education and Area Education Agency 267 because they are part of the Title I program. The schools receive federal funding through the program based on the percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals.

Three of the buildings - Logan Middle School and Kittrell and McKinstry elementaries - were also identified as in need of improvement last year. The other four - Dr. Walter Cunningham School for Excellence and Edison, Irving and Lincoln elementaries - are being named to the list for the first time.

The other six schools are not Title I schools. They won't write plans with the assistance of the state and AEA 267, but will participate in the district's improvement plan process. Those include East, Expo and West high schools plus Bunger, Central and Hoover middle schools.

"I guess the one good thing about being on a plan of assistance is that the state of Iowa has taken a very proactive stance," said Superintendent Gary Norris, noting the schools are surrounding with support and research in formulating or modifying their improvement plans. "They're really putting significant resources behind it."

Since Norris became the district's superintendent a year ago, his administration has been formulating a number of initiatives to address student achievement. Many of those initiatives were included on a strategic plan approved by the board Monday.

He added that the "bottom line" is that "in a few years all kids in the district are going to be achieving at much higher levels."