Obama May Ease No Child Left Behind Mandates to Avoid School 'Train Wreck'

John Hechinger:

President Barack Obama's administration said it would offer states relief from the nation's main public-education law if Congress fails to enact changes by the start of the school year.

States may avoid requirements of the No Child Left Behind law that, for example, more students pass standardized tests each year if they agree to administration-backed "reforms," U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said June 10 in a press briefing. The Education Department has pushed states to adopt national academic standards and merit pay for teachers. The law ties U.S. funding to test results.

Democratic Senator Tom Harkin and Republican Representative John Kline are among the members of Congress who have criticized the law's focus on holding schools accountable only through testing proficiency. Almost four years ago, Congress released a draft bill to revamp the law, and in March 2010, the Obama administration issued a blueprint for change. No legislation has been formally introduced, giving Congress less than three months to meet the administration's deadline.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at June 17, 2011 1:15 AM
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