Obama Proposes Sweeping Overhaul of 'No Child Left Behind'

The Obama administration will seek sweeping reforms to George W. Bush's "No Child Left Behind" Act, abandoning some metrics that teachers unions, principals and other officials have complained about since the law went into effect, the New York Times reports. Obama will seek broad changes in the ways schools are judged to be succeeding, and will eliminate the law's 2014 deadline for bringing every American student to academic proficiency.

The administration also wants to change the formulas that determine school financing and award a portion of the federal money based on schools' academic progress, rather than their numbers of particular students, such as poor students.

Under No Child Left Behind, schools that fail to meet academic benchmarks must allow students to transfer and offer free tutoring, and face even harsher sanctions if they continue to lag behind. Educators have complained for the eight years the law has been effect that it punishes schools for failing, but does not force them to change.

Administration officials declined to give specifics on the proposal, but say they would solicit input from congressional leaders in both parties to fashion legislation that can achieve bipartisan support.