No Child Left Behind, the measure put in place by the Bush administration which required public schools to meet required targets in reading and mathematical proficiency, could be no more. The original measure required all schools to be proficient by 2014 or face penalties such as the loss of federal funding. Administration officials claim the ultimatum does harm to the schools where such resources are needed most. President Obama is prepared to allow states more flexible guidelines.
The main criticism against No Child Left Behind is that it encouraged schools to lower their standards rather than improve, in order to guarantee a higher success rate. Under the new measures, states would be required to show they are transitioning to a program that focuses on college and career ready standards. States would still be allowed to set their own benchmarks. Additionally, teachers would be evaluated on a number of factors, not just student performance.
