Obama slowly leaving No Child Behind behind

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Governing - Add Washington and Wisconsin to the list of states that have received No Child Left Behind waivers from the Obama administration.

That brings the total number of states receiving waivers to 26 -- more than half. Another 10 states currently have waiver applications pending with the U.S. Department of Education (see map). The Washington and Wisconsin waivers were announced Friday by the department.

To receive a waiver, states must commit to various reforms outlined by the White House, such as setting new student achievement goals and developing plans for intervening at struggling schools. In exchange, they are relieved from some of NCLB's more onerous requirements, particularly that 100 percent of students be proficient in math and reading by 2014.

The waiver program was initiated last fall by the Obama administration, as NCLB reauthorization bills failed to gain traction in Congress. The law has been due for reauthorization since 2007.

NY Times story