States are still in the process of putting in place the testing and accountability systems required by the No Child Left Behind Act. To date, only half the states have had their tests fully approved under the prior reauthorization of the law.
| Pushing Forward on Accountability | ||||
| STATE | Accountability plan fully approved by the U.S. Department of Education | Accountability plan fully approved by state board/legislature | Status of state assessment system under 1994 ESEA | State will test grades 3-8 and high school in reading and math (2003-04) 3 |
| Alabama | submit additional information | yes | compliance agreement | yes |
| Alaska | submit final regulations | yes | decision pending | yes |
| Arizona | submit additional information | yes | timeline waiver (through August 2003) | yes |
| Arkansas | submit additional information | yes | Approved | no |
| California | submit final regulations | yes | timeline waiver (through November 2003) | yes |
| Colorado | submit additional information | yes | Approved 2 | no |
| Connecticut | yes | yes | Approved | no |
| Delaware | submit additional information | yes | Approved | yes |
| District of Columbia | submit additional information | expected December 2003 | compliance agreement | yes |
| Florida | yes 1 | yes | decision pending | yes |
| Georgia | submit additional information | yes | timeline waiver (through June 2003) | yes |
| Hawaii | yes | yes | decision pending | no |
| Idaho | submit final regulations | yes | compliance agreement | yes |
| Illinois | yes | yes | Approved | no |
| Indiana | submit additional information | yes | Approved 2 | yes |
| Iowa | submit additional information | yes | timeline waiver (through November 2003) | no |
| Kansas | yes | yes | Approved | no |
| Kentucky | submit additional information | expected December 2003 | Approved | no |
| Louisiana | submit additional information | yes | Approved | yes |
| Maine | submit final regulations | in progress | Approved | no |
| Maryland | yes | yes | Approved 2 | yes |
| Massachusetts | submit additional information | yes | Approved | no |
| Michigan | submit additional information | yes | timeline waiver (through February 2003) | no |
| Minnesota | submit additional information | yes | timeline waiver (through January 2004) | no |
| Mississippi | yes | yes | decision pending | yes |
| Missouri | yes | yes | Approved | no |
| Montana | submit additional information | yes | compliance agreement | no |
| Nebraska | submit additional information | yes | decision pending | no |
| Nevada | submit additional information | yes | decision pending | no |
| New Hampshire | submit additional information | yes | Approved | no |
| New Jersey | yes | yes | decision pending | no |
| New Mexico | submit additional information | yes | timeline waiver (through November 2003) | yes |
| New York | submit final regulations | yes | Approved 2 | no |
| North Carolina | submit additional information | yes | Approved | yes |
| North Dakota | yes | yes | decision pending | no |
| Ohio | submit final regulations | yes | timeline waiver (through Jan. 22, 2004) | no |
| Oklahoma | submit additional information | yes | decision pending | no |
| Oregon | yes | yes | Approved | no |
| Pennsylvania | submit additional information | ? | Approved | no |
| Rhode Island | submit additional information | yes | Approved | no |
| South Carolina | submit additional information | yes | timeline waiver (through June 2003) | yes |
| South Dakota | submit additional information | yes | timeline waiver (through June 2003) | yes |
| Tennessee | submit additional information | yes | timeline waiver (through Fall 2003) | yes |
| Texas | yes | yes | Approved 2 | yes |
| Utah | submit additional information | yes | Approved | yes |
| Vermont | submit additional information | yes | Approved | no |
| Virginia | yes 1 | yes | Approved | no |
| Washington | yes | yes | Approved | no |
| West Virginia | submit final regulations | yes | compliance agreement | yes |
| Wisconsin | submit additional information | yes | timeline waiver (through 2002-03 school year) | no |
| Wyoming | yes | yes | Approved 2 | no |
| U.S. TOTAL | 13 | 47 | 25 | 21 |
| 1 July 2003 letters to 6 states (Florida, Missouri, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming) indicated that state accountability plans would be approved by the U.S. Department of Education as long as state confirmed mutual understanding on issues related to proper counting of high school graduates, report card, limited-English-proficient, or special education policies. As of Dec. 1, 2003, the Department had not yet fully approved accountability plans for Florida or Virginia. Those states are not counted in the column total. | ||||
| 2 State assessment system was approved by the U.S. Department of Education under the 1994 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act, but is in need of additional peer review because of changes made to the system since that approval. | ||||
| 3 Not all of the 20 states and the District of Columbia that receive credit for testing in grades 3-8 and high school administer standards-based tests in any or all of those grades or use a consistent test from grade to grade. | ||||
| Source: U.S. Department of Education and Education Week‘s annual state policy survey, 2003. | ||||
