WV Undecided About No Child Left Behind Waivers

{West Virginia}...The law, passed by Congress in 2001, requires that all students test at grade level in math and reading by 2014, including special needs and disadvantaged students. West Virginia school officials are taking a wait and see approach before making any decisions on waivers for the No Child Left Behind Act. This year, most West Virginia schools failed to reach the annual yearly progress, but West Virginia isn't alone.  Many states are struggling to keep up with the federal mandate. In August, the U.S. Department of Education announced that states could avoid key aspects of the law by applying for special waivers. State Schools Superintendent Jorea Marple says that's an option for West Virginia down the road, but at this point, school officials are taking their time. Marple says West Virginia’s decision depends on how the Department of Education decides to grant them to other states, but, if the state Board of Education decides not to apply for a waiver, test scores would have to increase about 20 percent each year to meet the 2014 deadline.