Pa. to seek waiver from No Child Left Behind

Pennsylvania’s secretary of education says he wants a waiver from the No Child Left Behind law.

The exemption would free the state from a federal mandate that all students achieve proficiency in math and reading by 2014.

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Secretary Ronald Tomalis had hoped Congress would revise the law, thus negating the need for a waiver. He now says revisions are unlikely anytime soon.

Many educators say the proficiency goal is unrealistic. This year, about 76 percent of Pennsylvania students scored proficient in math, and about 72 percent hit the mark reading.

The U.S. Education Department began granting waivers in February to states that promised to improve how they prepare and evaluate students and their teachers.

Nearly three dozen states have received such exemptions.