The Iowa Department of Education issued its required annual report card on the federal No Child Left Behind law Thursday.
It shows more than 65 percent of the state’s schools are in need of assistance.
Education Director Ryan Wise says the law’s requirement that all students meet annual yearly progress in reading and math is unrealistic.
“Today’s report is based on a law that is fundamentally flawed," he says. "A law that does not guide improvement in schools and does not acknowledge schools that have made significant progress with students who face significant challenges.”
Wise says he’s counting on an overhaul of No Child Left Behind that will give states more authority over the education of their students.