Tensions increase in standoff over No Child Left Behind

By Mike Cronin
The Salt Lake Tribune

Despite more than a year of working with the U.S. government, the relationship Utah education officials have with their federal counterparts remains frosty over the state's plans to measure student performance and define qualified teachers. The dispute stems from differences over how to implement President Bush's education-reform law, No Child Left Behind (NCLB). State Superintendent Patti Harrington said she hoped that the tense dynamics change soon. Yet, a letter she recently received from the U.S. Department of Education indicates the rift remains.

...NCLB sets criteria for teacher quality and holds schools accountable for improving test scores among students of all ethnic, income and language groups, as well as students with disabilities. Utah wants its own accountability system - the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students - to count toward No Child Left Behind compliance.

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