A new report says many states granted waivers from the No Child Left Behind law are relaxing or ignoring federal regulations designed to hold schools accountable for the number of students who graduate from high school on time.
When No Child Left Behind was first signed into law, states used many different ways to calculate graduation rates, and it was difficult to determine how many high school students got a regular diploma in four years.
The U.S. Department of Education tried to fix that in 2008, establishing federal reporting and accountability requirements. But now, with 34 states and the District of Columbia granted waivers from the law, the D.C.-based Alliance for Excellent Education concludes only a few states are in full compliance.
The Education Department declined comment on the report.
