Ohio is one of the 15 states applying for additional flexibility under the Bush administration's No Child Left Behind Act. In response to criticism about the rigid nature of the law, the government has adapted its guidelines to allow leeway for as many as 10 states in meeting the federal guidelines for student progress by the 2014 deadline. Given the overwhelming changes the law requires - with no financial assistance from the government to meet these standards - Ohio is one of the many states lagging in adequate funding to comply with the federal standards.
The federal government is correct is agreeing to provide this leeway, and now states might have a chance to meet these guidelines. However, as welcome a change as the flexible guidelines might be, the truth remains that No Child Left Behind still places a substantial burden on the states.
Thousands of schools across the country have been listed as needing improvement - a rating that identifies those schools as having to raise standardized test scores or face the elimination of future funding. Considering that students enrolled in well-funded schools often perform better on standardized tests (those student usually have more updated materials and smaller class sizes), it is logical to give states flexibility in adapting to the federal statutes and not simply cut funding until the schools have had enough time to adjust.
Ohio is not the only state that is seeking leniency. Other applications have come from Florida, Arizona, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, Indiana, Colorado, New Hampshire, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. This type of response from states all over the country makes it evident that No Child Left Behind has not been a success, so far. Ohio, and any other state direly needing flexibility to achieve the goals of No Child Left Behind, should be granted additional consideration to have a fair chance to comply. Whether it is one state or all 50 that needed extra time, each should have that chance.
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