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Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

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The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

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A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

No Child Left Behind Act Deemed "Not Proficient"

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Monday, January 8, 2007   


It's the fifth anniversary of the No Child Left Behind Act today, and the law is up for renewal this year.
The federal law is meant to hold schools accountable for their performances with proficiency requirements for students. But more than 100 organizations dealing with education, children's issues and civil rights are calling on Congress to make several changes to the law, including less reliance on testing and helping schools with troubled students instead of punishing them.

Glen Koocher with the Massachusetts Association of School Committees says states with historically lower student achievement actually rank higher than Massachusetts under the law because it allows states to set their own standards.

"If you want to set them very low so you'll all make the achievement levels, that's okay with us, and that's what Congress did. Massachusetts, on the other hand, chose to set the standards higher than any other state in the country."

Monty Neill with the National Center for Fair and Open Testing worries that curriculum has become more focused on test scores at the expense of other important subjects.

"Because we only rely on standardized tests and there's so much teaching to the test, we're getting inflated test scores, and that means that you can't believe the results."

While Massachusetts did significantly improve the high school achievement gap on its latest test scores, Koocher says the tests show little of what students are learning.


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Environment

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This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

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Social Issues

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Environment

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Health and Wellness

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Environment

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Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

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