The basic idea behind the federal No Child Left Behind law makes perfect sense: set standards for our schools, develop ways to measure how well those standards are being met, insist on accountability and offer help for those who are struggling.

As Advertiser Education Writer Beverly Creamer has reported, that last item — offering help — has been slow to launch in any significant way.

Two forms of help, tutoring and transportation to more "successful" schools, are hardly being used, Creamer reports.

Few families have taken advantage of subsidized transportation to another school. And only about 10 percent of the students eligible for extra tutoring are receiving the help.

That's unacceptable. The question is, how do we improve those numbers?

On out-of-district transportation, the fact may simply be that parents just don't want to have their kids bused off to another part of the island.

On tutoring, the matter is more complex. Bureaucratic red tape, much of it imposed by the federal government and other parts developed here at home, make it daunting for busy parents to seek help.

Schools must be empowered to offer tutoring in the forms and styles that make most sense to their own school community. Some might want to make professional tutoring part of existing after-school programs. Others might want to "extend" the regular school day and use on-site teachers to handle the tutoring (and receive the extra money set aside for the task).

Still others might wish to plug into cultural forms or activities for groups who are uncomfortable dealing with the formal school system.

The key here is flexibility and an ability to meet the needs of individual students rather than adhering to a one-size-fits-all program.

But accountability also means accountability for parents. Yes, many folks are stressed, with little time to devote to anything other than the struggle to survive. Others are new to Hawai'i and uncomfortable with having too much to do with officialdom.

But what could be more important than a quality education for our next generation? The money isn't great, and the logistical challenges are many, but No Child does offer a window into extra tutoring and enrichment for our keiki.

We must seize the opportunity.