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Principal James Lujan's secret to success started small, with eight parents who wanted to learn English.

Word got around among the Spanish speakers at Eugene Field Elementary School that the principal was the best English teacher in the South Valley neighborhood.

Lujan had to move his parent class to the cafeteria when it grew to 46.

His adult students were so grateful, they tried to pay him. "No, no, no, I told them. Dedicate one hour back to your kid tonight. That will pay me," Lujan said.

Connecting with parents and getting them involved in their children's learning is the rest of Lujan's secret.

Lujan and his school were recognized on July 27 in a news conference on academic progress.

Eugene Field was among 11 district schools that made adequate yearly progress last year after two years of failing to reach the federally mandated goals for student achievement.

District officials said they are spreading the successes of the 11 schools to others that are struggling.

"We need to help all of them soar," Superintendent Beth Everitt said.

To reach the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act, each school community — parents, teachers, neighbors, businesses and community groups — must support teaching and learning, Everitt said.

By 2014, each child should be proficient in reading and math, under the federal goal.

"I'd like to see it met," Everitt said. "We want it to happen."

Everitt said parents are offered a variety of classes, GED preparation, computers and English as a second language at other schools where parent involvement has increased.

Students in poverty schools are also offered tutoring free of charge, but more of them should take advantage of the help, she said.

In the 2006-07 school year, 21,000 students were eligible for free tutoring, but only 18 percent signed up and only 1,200 completed tutoring. This year, the district will mail out notices to families about tutoring instead of sending flyers home in backpacks.

Next week, the new list of schools that made AYP and those that didn't during testing this spring will be released by the state Public Education Department.

Albuquerque principals have received documents from the state for review. They can challenge the state data if they find errors, district officials said.

The state has embargoed all information about the AYP designations until Aug. 1, when state Education Secretary Veronica Garcia plans a public announcement in Santa Fe.