Illinois readies plan on school accountability

[February 23, 2012]  SPRINGFIELD (AP) -- Illinois has a plan to change the way it evaluates the progress of schools and students. The state is submitting it to the U.S. Department of Education.

The Illinois State Board of Education announced details of the plan Tuesday. Targets would be set for each school, each district and for subgroups of students. The goal would be to reduce achievement gaps and the percentage of students not making progress.

Schools and districts would be measured in multiple ways, including graduation rates and achievement in math, reading and science.

The plan is the state's waiver application to the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

Ten states have received No Child Left Behind waivers from the federal government. They are excused from meeting certain deadlines in the No Child Left Behind law.

[Associated Press]

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