Idaho bill supports repeal of No Child Left Behind

BOISE (AP) - A state lawmaker introduced a measure Tuesday urging Congress to repeal the nation's No Child Left Behind education law.

Rep. Linden Bateman, R-Idaho Falls, offered a list of complaints about the law known primarily for its emphasis on standardized testing and the labeling of thousands of schools as failures.

Bateman said Idaho now spends $5.7 million a year on a "mean-spirited testing system" that No Child Left Behind thrust upon the state. His measure, which was introduced in the House Education Committee, supports a repeal of the federal law.

The measure will now get a full hearing before the committee.

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna wants the state to adopt its own school accountability system while seeking a waiver from the Obama administration to reject the latest federal requirements under No Child Left Behind.

Idaho and a handful of other states spearheaded a rebellion against the 10-year-old law last year, saying it sets unrealistic benchmarks and fails to accurately measure student growth. Bateman supports Luna's plan but said he is leery of the federal waivers.

"I don't think the president has authority to grant waivers under the law," Bateman said.

President Barack Obama announced in September that since Congress had failed to rewrite No Child Left Behind, he would allow states that meet certain requirements to apply for a waiver to get around it.

Eleven states have already formally requested waivers, while Idaho plans to meet a second deadline to apply on Feb. 21. A 21-day public comment period on Idaho's application ends Wednesday.

If granted a federal waiver, Idaho plans to start using a new, five-star scale to evaluate and recognize schools next year.

The new measuring system would use standardized test scores to gauge student academic growth and proficiency in grades 3-10, while things like graduation rates and student enrollment in advanced courses would come into play in later grades.

The state Department of Education chose a five-star scale because it's a rating system the general public can relate to, Luna has said.