No Child Left Behind Act Changes Weighed

Provisions on Penalties, special Needs Students Targeted for Revisions

Washington

Scholars and practitioners last week proposed mending the No Child Left Behind Act to better address the needs of students with disabilities and those learning English. The law's accountability requirements pose unique challenges for such students and the schools that serve them, contributing to many schools' identification as inadequate.

A central problem, said Margaret J. McLaughlin, a professor of education at the University of Maryland College Park, is what it means to "close the achievement gap" for students with disabilities, who, by...