Obama administration must retool No Child Left Behind law

THE Obama administration must get serious about its fall deadline for renewing the No Child Left Behind federal law, starting with showing states how it plans to spell r-e-l-i-e-f.

As in relief from key provisions of the law, a need expressed by practically every state, including Washington. Without it, Idaho, Montana and South Dakota have threatened to ignore the law altogether.

The White House can avoid this kind of showdown by not just dangling the prospect of state waivers as a stopgap measure, but spelling out lasting changes that can be reworked into legislation for its already overdue reauthorization effort. This does not sidestep Congress; it helps lawmakers.

Few states are on track to meet the law's 2014 deadline for ensuring all students are "proficient" in reading and math. The goal has been hindered by tough budget cuts in education but also struggles by states to navigate the No Child act's one-size-fits-all paradigm.

Hammering out areas of flexibility and places where the federal regulatory arm ought to remain begins with bipartisan agreement in Congress on the law's critical accountability. The goal that all students should master common educational standards without regard for race or income remains a good one.

Flexibility lies in the route states take to get there. Not all students will reach proficiency at the same time. Schools that fail to make the law's required adequate yearly progress one year, may make it the next. Thus, designations of winners and losers are unhelpful.

Fix this broken law. Provide relief in terms of flexibility and consistent funding. Then give this devil its due. The No Child Left Behind Act rightly turned attention and focus toward the academic achievement of struggling students. Teachers and parents pay more attention to performance and innovation is more than a buzzword.