OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Ottumwa High School didn't make the grade on a national test.

OHS principal Steve Hanson said the high school was recently notified that they were placed on the "Schools in Need of Assistance List" for the ’07/’08 school year.

The list is part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Each year eleventh grade students take a test and they are required to meet certain proficiency goals.

Hanson said the school doesn't just have to meet goals for the whole grade. Individual smaller sub groups of students such as low socio-economic or special ed. eleventh graders also needed to meet the targets.

"All it takes is for you to miss the target in one area, in one subgroup and you're on the list. So we're on the list," Hanson said.

School officials are working hard to fix the low score.

Among many things, the school has started a reading class, they've trained teachers for new advanced placement courses and they're eliminating lower level math classes.

"We're implementing a freshman academy, which will restructure how we do things for all ninth grade students. Our goal there is that all ninth graders earn at least 12 credits in their freshman year. If so, they're on a positive track towards graduation," Hanson said.   

Hanson also told KTVO that OHS has been on the list for about four or five years now, but the entire district is on the list for the first time.