SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - It could be the beginning of the end for "No Child Left Behind."
The ever increasing bar of achievement for students set by NCLB will not go up this school year.
School leaders at the state school board office are pleased. They say the goals set by the federal mandate are unrealistic.
ABC 4 also talked with parents to get reaction. "It just doesn't seem to be working very well," said Julie Ingman.
NCLB requires more Utah students to score proficient on mandated tests each academic year or the school is punished.
"I think that they don't have enough funding to help kids that may have special needs, learning disabilities or also language barriers," said Ingman.
NCLB would require 100 percent of Utah students to score proficient by the year 2014.
"I don't think it's fair for us to go to a school and say, 'If there's one child that doesn't meet the standard then the school is labeled as failing.' I don't think that's fair," said Utah State Superintendent, Larry K. Shumway.
Unfair and unrealistic is the label Utah school leaders are giving "No Child Left Behind."
They're relieved President Obama's administration agrees on some level.
"We believe accountability is a state issue that our state system is really the one that counts for our citizens," said Shumway.
While the Mr. Obama is relaxing the stiff regulations imposed by NCLB. The program will remain in place until Congress can decide what to do with the program.
Until then the Obama Administration would like to give schools a way out of the NCLB with the waiver program.
It will essentially ties federal dollars to other standards.
Those standards have no yet been put in place.
We'll learn details about the waiver this September.
