The Choice Channel

“Almost 300,000 reading and math tests taken by Illinois students in 2006 weren’t counted because the state relaxed a rule under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, allowing some schools to dodge a warning they were failing. The tests most likely to be discounted were low-income and minority students, The Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday. Almost one in four black students and one in five low-income students didn’t have their scores counted. According to federal guidelines, a school’s progress under the law is evaluated on tests taken by students enrolled for a ‘full academic year,’ which each state defines.” (03/29/07)