Virginia is participating in a pilot program that will allow schools to offer extra help for students before moving them to a different one.

The U.S. Department of Education announced the program Monday. It allows Virginia and six other states to provide supplemental services to students in schools that have not met federal adequate-yearly-progress requirements.

Before now, schools that did not meet those guidelines for two consecutive years had to offer all their students the option to transfer. After three years, the schools had to offer the transfers and provide supplemental services, such as tutors.

State education officials have argued that it makes more sense to offer the extra help first.