Nearly half of Illinois Quad-City schools - and twice as many as last year - failed to pass muster this year on state reading and math tests, according to a newly released report.

In Rock Island-Milan, Moline-Coal Valley, United Township and East Moline, seven schools landed on the federal school improvement list for falling short of state achievement targets for at least two consecutive years. Another eight missed goals for the first time on the exams, which students took last March and April.

The Illinois State Board of Education on Friday released district and school report cards that are required under No Child Left Behind and judge schools based on how students in grades 3 through 8 and 11 scored on the tests, among other things.

More area elementary schools than ever before were flagged by the state, while several middle schools made significant gains and met targets. All three local Illinois high schools continued to underperform on the exams.

"With No Child Left Behind, (the targets) go up each year," said Clint Christopher, director of technology and curriculum for the Moline-Coal Valley School District. "As time goes on, it becomes more and more challenging to hit those targets."

Specifically, here's how

Quad-City districts fared:

-- In the Rock Island-Milan School District, Audubon, Earl Hanson, Frances Willard and Ridgewood elementary schools missed targets for the first time. The Rock Island Primary and Intermediate academies, Edison Junior High and Rock Island High School fell short for at least two consecutive years.

Families at Edison and the Rock Island Primary Academy have the option to transfer their children to a better-performing school because the buildings receive federal money for low-income students. In addition to transferring, students at the Rock Island Primary Academy also are eligible for tutoring services, because the school has missed targets for three consecutive years.

After three years of falling short on state tests, Washington Junior High School made enough gains to meet expectations this year. It must do so for two consecutive years to be removed from the federal school improvement list.

-- In the Moline-Coal Valley School District, Ericsson, Lincoln-Irving, Bicentennial and Washington elementary schools underperformed for the first year. Moline High School missed goals for the fifth consecutive year but doesn't face sanctions because it doesn't receive federal money for its poor students.

John Deere and Woodrow Wilson Middle School met targets for the second consecutive year, meaning they are no longer considered schools in need of improvement.

-- For the seventh consecutive year, United Township High School District missed achievement goals. The school, which receives federal dollars, implemented a restructuring plan last year.

-- Glenview Middle School in the East Moline School District underperformed for the second consecutive year.

Rock Island and United Township officials could not immediately be reached Friday for comment.

Statewide, 1,553 schools - or 40 percent of Illinois schools - failed to make adequate gains on this year's test, a 31 percent increase from last year. The state increased achievement targets 7.5 percentage points this year, meaning at least 70 percent of students at a school need to pass the reading and math exams in order for the school to not be labeled as failing.

"We feel like we have put a lot of pieces in place," Christopher said. "It's not that we are doing anything differently this year. We are staying the course, continuing to do what we are doing and providing students with the interventions they need."

- - - -

Schools that missed state targets by district (and number of years they have underperformed)

Rock Island-Milan School District

• Rock Island High School (six years)
• Edison Junior High School (three years)
• Audubon Elementary School (one year)
• Earl Hanson Elementary School (one year)
• Frances Willard Elementary School (one year)
• Rock Island Primary Academy (three years)
• Ridgewood Elementary School (one year)
• Rock Island Intermediate Academy (three years)

Moline-Coal Valley School District

• Moline High School (five years)
• Ericsson Elementary School (one year)
• Lincoln-Irving Elementary School (one year)
• Bicentennial Elementary School (one year)
• Washington Elementary School (one year)

East Moline School District

• Glenview Middle School (two years)

United Township High School District

• United Township High School (seven years)