Tutors going untapped.

Byline: Peter Bailey

Sep. 29--Parents have until Friday to register their children for free private tutoring if they attend one of 95 Miami-Dade County schools that have failed to meet requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind law.

District officials say the law can be confusing, and most of the 80,000 eligible students around the county are not taking full advantage of its provisions.

"Parents are just beginning to understand this very complex law," said Rafael Urrutia, the district's Title I project administrator. "As they become more educated about its benefits, we'll see more students participating."

Last year, only 121 students signed up and received private tutoring, according to district records.

The law requires schools that fail to achieve "adequate yearly progress" for two consecutive years to offer free tutoring services or allow transfers to a better school. At schools that fail to progress for three years, students can also receive private tutoring at the school district's expense.

Progress is determined by student performance on standardized exams such as the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.