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Obama to overhaul NCLB NY Times Article

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  1. coursework
    work assigned to and done by a student during a course of study; usually it is evaluated as part of the student's grade in the course
    One section of the current Bush-era law has required states to certify that all teachers are highly qualified, based on their college coursework and state-issued credentials.
  2. Department of Education
    the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with education (including federal aid to educational institutions and students); created 1979
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  3. merit pay
    extra pay awarded to an employee on the basis of merit
    That effort collapsed, partly because teachers’ unions and other educator groups opposed an effort to incorporate merit pay provisions into a rewritten law.
  4. educator
    someone who educates young people
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  5. rating system
    a system of classifying according to quality or merit or amount
    In recent meetings with representatives of education groups, Department of Education officials have said they also want to eliminate the school ratings system built on making “adequate yearly progress” on student test scores.
  6. evaluation
    the act of ascertaining or judging the quality of
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  7. charter school
    an experimental public school for kindergarten through grade 12; created and organized by teachers and parents and community leaders; operates independently of other schools
    The competition has also encouraged states to open the door to more charter schools, which receive public money but are run by independent groups.
  8. deadline
    the point in time at which something must be completed
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  9. after-school
    outside regular school hours
    Schools that miss their targets in reading and math must offer students the opportunity to transfer to other schools and free after-school tutoring.
  10. utopian
    pertaining to or resembling an ideally perfect state
    The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, foreshadowed the elimination of the 2014 deadline in a September speech, referring to it as a “utopian goal,” and administration officials have since made clear that they want the deadline eliminated.
  11. rewrite
    compose differently
    The last serious attempt to rewrite the law was in 2007.
  12. administration
    the act of governing or exercising authority
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  13. upend
    become turned or set on end
    They want to upend that scheme by making states and districts pledge to take actions the administration considers reform, before they get the money.”
  14. report card
    a written evaluation of a student's scholarship and deportment
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  15. student
    a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  16. school
    an educational institution
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  17. apportion
    distribute according to a set plan or special purpose
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  18. rework
    use again in altered form
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  19. proficiency
    the quality of having great facility and competence
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  20. education
    activities that impart knowledge or skill
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  21. collaborate
    work together on a common enterprise or project
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  22. scoring
    evaluation of performance by assigning a grade or score
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  23. eliminate
    end, take out, or do away with
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  24. elimination
    the act of removing or getting rid of something
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  25. federal
    of a government with central and regional authorities
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  26. input
    signal going into an electronic system
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  27. entitlement
    right granted by law or contract
    The department thinks that’s become too much of an entitlement.
  28. Education
    the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with education (including federal aid to educational institutions and students); created 1979
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  29. euphemism
    an inoffensive expression substituted for an offensive one
    The law has, to date, labeled some 30,000 schools as “in need of improvement,” a euphemism for failing, but states and districts have done little to change them.
  30. Duncan
    United States dancer and pioneer of modern dance (1878-1927)
    The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, foreshadowed the elimination of the 2014 deadline in a September speech, referring to it as a “utopian goal,” and administration officials have since made clear that they want the deadline eliminated.
  31. Cunningham
    United States dancer and choreographer (born in 1922)
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  32. evaluate
    estimate the nature, quality, ability or significance of
    In the Race to the Top competition, the administration has required participating states to develop the capability to evaluate teachers based on student test data, at least in part, and on whether teachers are successful in raising student achievement.
  33. accountability
    responsibility to someone or for some activity
    Instead, under the administration’s proposals, a new accountability system would divide schools into more categories, offering recognition to those that are succeeding and providing large new amounts of money to help improve or close failing schools.
  34. formula
    a group of symbols that make a mathematical statement
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  35. metric
    based on a decimal unit of measurement
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  36. mainstay
    a prominent supporter
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  37. recast
    mold again
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  38. yearly
    a reference book that is published regularly once every year
    Currently the education law requires the nation’s 98,000 public schools to make “adequate yearly progress” as measured by student test scores.
  39. differentiate
    acquire a distinct character
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  40. budget for
    calculate enough money for; provide for in the budget
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  41. teacher
    a person whose occupation is instructing
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  42. failing
    failure to reach a minimum required performance
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  43. stalemate
    a situation in which no progress can be made
    The changes would have to be approved by Congress, which has been at a stalemate for years over how to change the policy.
  44. humiliate
    cause to feel shame
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  45. well-worn
    showing signs of much wear or use
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  46. coordinated
    dexterous in using more than one set of muscle movements
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  47. branding
    the act of stigmatizing
    Educators have complained loudly in the eight years since the law was signed that it was branding tens of thousands of schools as failing but not forcing them to change.
  48. school district
    a district whose public schools are administered together
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  49. adequate
    having the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task
    Currently the education law requires the nation’s 98,000 public schools to make “adequate yearly progress” as measured by student test scores.
  50. scores
    a large number or amount
    Currently the education law requires the nation’s 98,000 public schools to make “adequate yearly progress” as measured by student test scores.
  51. conditional
    imposing or depending on or containing an assumption
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  52. proficient
    having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
    All students are required to be proficient by 2014.
  53. law
    the collection of rules imposed by authority
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  54. bipartisan
    supported by both sides
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  55. change
    become different in some particular way
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  56. focusing
    the concentration of attention or energy on something
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  57. incorporate
    make into a whole or make part of a whole
    That effort collapsed, partly because teachers’ unions and other educator groups opposed an effort to incorporate merit pay provisions into a rewritten law.
  58. amount of money
    a quantity of money
    Instead, under the administration’s proposals, a new accountability system would divide schools into more categories, offering recognition to those that are succeeding and providing large new amounts of money to help improve or close failing schools.
  59. encourage
    inspire with confidence
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  60. public school
    a tuition free school in the United States supported by taxes and controlled by a school board
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  61. score
    a number that expresses accomplishment in a game or contest
    Currently the education law requires the nation’s 98,000 public schools to make “adequate yearly progress” as measured by student test scores.
  62. district
    a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  63. school board
    a board in charge of local public schools
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  64. high school
    a public secondary school usually including grades 9 through 12
    A new goal, which would replace the 2014 universal proficiency deadline, would be for all students to leave high school “college or career ready.”
  65. center on
    have as a center
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  66. improve
    to make better
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  67. achievement
    the action of accomplishing something
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  68. coordinate
    of equal importance, rank, or degree
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  69. academic
    associated with an educational institution
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  70. endorse
    approve of
    Mr. Duncan has publicly endorsed such an approach, Mr. Cunningham said.
  71. define
    show the form or outline of
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  72. participating
    taking part in an activity
    In the Race to the Top competition, the administration has required participating states to develop the capability to evaluate teachers based on student test data, at least in part, and on whether teachers are successful in raising student achievement.
  73. defining
    the process of determining the form or meaning of something
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  74. proposal
    the act of making a suggestion
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  75. foreshadow
    indicate by signs
    The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, foreshadowed the elimination of the 2014 deadline in a September speech, referring to it as a “utopian goal,” and administration officials have since made clear that they want the deadline eliminated.
  76. official
    of or relating to a place of business
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  77. currently
    at this time or period
    Currently the education law requires the nation’s 98,000 public schools to make “adequate yearly progress” as measured by student test scores.
  78. trillion
    the number that is represented as a one followed by 12 zeros
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  79. require
    have need of
    Currently the education law requires the nation’s 98,000 public schools to make “adequate yearly progress” as measured by student test scores.
  80. competition
    the act of contending with others for rewards or resources
    In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama hailed the results so far of that competition, which has persuaded states from Rhode Island to California to make changes in their education laws.
  81. chaotic
    completely unordered and unpredictable and confusing
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  82. goal
    the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve
    The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, foreshadowed the elimination of the 2014 deadline in a September speech, referring to it as a “utopian goal,” and administration officials have since made clear that they want the deadline eliminated.
  83. math
    a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement
    Schools that miss their targets in reading and math must offer students the opportunity to transfer to other schools and free after-school tutoring.
  84. graduation
    the successful completion of a program of study
    The new standards will also define what students need to learn in earlier grades to advance successfully toward high school graduation.
  85. succeeding
    coming after or following
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  86. based
    having a base
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  87. President Bush
    43rd President of the United States
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  88. fall short
    fail to meet (expectations or standards)
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  89. labeled
    bearing or marked with a label or tag
    The law has, to date, labeled some 30,000 schools as “in need of improvement,” a euphemism for failing, but states and districts have done little to change them.
  90. credentials
    a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts
    One section of the current Bush-era law has required states to certify that all teachers are highly qualified, based on their college coursework and state-issued credentials.
  91. data
    a collection of facts from which conclusions may be drawn
    In the Race to the Top competition, the administration has required participating states to develop the capability to evaluate teachers based on student test data, at least in part, and on whether teachers are successful in raising student achievement.
  92. datum
    an item of factual information from measurement or research
    In the Race to the Top competition, the administration has required participating states to develop the capability to evaluate teachers based on student test data, at least in part, and on whether teachers are successful in raising student achievement.
  93. budget
    a summary of intended expenditures
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  94. money
    the most common medium of exchange
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  95. provisions
    a stock or supply of foods
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  96. credential
    a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts
    One section of the current Bush-era law has required states to certify that all teachers are highly qualified, based on their college coursework and state-issued credentials.
  97. objectionable
    causing offense or disapproval
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  98. financing
    the act of funding
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  99. fail
    be unable
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  100. fiscal year
    any accounting period of 12 months
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  101. overhaul
    make repairs, renovations, revisions or adjustments to
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  102. generate
    bring into existence
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  103. hand out
    give to several people
    Now the administration hopes to apply similar conditions to the distribution of the billions of dollars that the Department of Education hands out to states and districts as part of its annual budget.
  104. certify
    provide evidence for
    One section of the current Bush-era law has required states to certify that all teachers are highly qualified, based on their college coursework and state-issued credentials.
  105. gap
    an open or empty space in or between things
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  106. planning
    an act of formulating a program for a course of action
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  107. base
    lowest support of a structure
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  108. Rhode Island
    a state in New England
    In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama hailed the results so far of that competition, which has persuaded states from Rhode Island to California to make changes in their education laws.
  109. state
    the way something is with respect to its main attributes
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  110. dismissal
    the sending away of someone
    Schools that repeatedly miss targets face harsher sanctions, which can include staff dismissals and closings.
  111. run by
    pass by while running
    The competition has also encouraged states to open the door to more charter schools, which receive public money but are run by independent groups.
  112. test
    standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity or aptitude
    Currently the education law requires the nation’s 98,000 public schools to make “adequate yearly progress” as measured by student test scores.
  113. distribute
    give to several people
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  114. progress
    the act of moving forward, as toward a goal
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  115. outline
    the line that appears to bound an object
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  116. outlined
    showing clearly the outline or profile or boundary
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  117. closing
    the act of closing something
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  118. to date
    prior to the present time
    The law has, to date, labeled some 30,000 schools as “in need of improvement,” a euphemism for failing, but states and districts have done little to change them.
  119. encouraged
    inspired with confidence
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  120. eligible
    qualified for or allowed or worthy of being chosen
    States that prohibit the use of test scores in teacher evaluations, for example, are not eligible for the funds.
  121. ranking
    position on a scale in relation to others
    Earlier this month, Mr. Duncan and more than a dozen other administration officials took steps toward organizing a new rewrite, meeting with the Democratic chairmen and ranking Republican members of the education committees in both houses of Congress.
  122. department
    a specialized division of a large organization
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  123. capability
    the quality of being able to do something
    In the Race to the Top competition, the administration has required participating states to develop the capability to evaluate teachers based on student test data, at least in part, and on whether teachers are successful in raising student achievement.
  124. provision
    the activity of supplying something
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  125. target
    a reference point to shoot at
    Schools that miss their targets in reading and math must offer students the opportunity to transfer to other schools and free after-school tutoring.
  126. in the main
    for the most part
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  127. significantly
    in an important manner
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  128. participate
    be involved in
    In the Race to the Top competition, the administration has required participating states to develop the capability to evaluate teachers based on student test data, at least in part, and on whether teachers are successful in raising student achievement.
  129. association
    a formal organization of people or groups of people
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  130. system
    a group of independent elements comprising a unified whole
    In recent meetings with representatives of education groups, Department of Education officials have said they also want to eliminate the school ratings system built on making “adequate yearly progress” on student test scores.
  131. chronic
    long-lasting or characterized by long suffering
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  132. specifically
    in distinction from others
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  133. suburban
    relating to or characteristic of or situated in suburbs
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  134. billion
    one thousand million items or units in the United States
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  135. build on
    be based on; of theories and claims, for example
    In recent meetings with representatives of education groups, Department of Education officials have said they also want to eliminate the school ratings system built on making “adequate yearly progress” on student test scores.
  136. administrator
    someone who manages a government agency or department
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  137. nonetheless
    despite anything to the contrary
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  138. president
    the leader of a republic or democracy
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  139. solicit
    request urgently or persistently
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  140. required
    necessary by rule
    All students are required to be proficient by 2014.
  141. broad
    having great extent from one side to the other
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  142. stimulus
    any information or event that acts to arouse action
    The administration has already made its mark on education through Race to the Top, a federal grant program in which 40 states are competing for $4 billion in education money included in last year’s federal stimulus bill.
  143. compete
    engage in a contest or measure oneself against others
    The administration has already made its mark on education through Race to the Top, a federal grant program in which 40 states are competing for $4 billion in education money included in last year’s federal stimulus bill.
  144. rating
    standing or position on a scale
    In recent meetings with representatives of education groups, Department of Education officials have said they also want to eliminate the school ratings system built on making “adequate yearly progress” on student test scores.
  145. meeting
    the social act of assembling for some common purpose
    In recent meetings with representatives of education groups, Department of Education officials have said they also want to eliminate the school ratings system built on making “adequate yearly progress” on student test scores.
  146. each year
    without missing a year
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  147. commitment
    the act of binding yourself to a course of action
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  148. Hunter
    a constellation on the equator to the east of Taurus
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  149. category
    a general concept that marks divisions or coordinations
    Instead, under the administration’s proposals, a new accountability system would divide schools into more categories, offering recognition to those that are succeeding and providing large new amounts of money to help improve or close failing schools.
  150. governing
    responsible for making and enforcing rules and laws
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  151. annual
    occurring every year
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  152. group
    any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  153. performing
    the performance of a part or role in a drama
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  154. tutor
    a person who gives private instruction
    Schools that miss their targets in reading and math must offer students the opportunity to transfer to other schools and free after-school tutoring.
  155. collapse
    break down, literally or metaphorically
    That effort collapsed, partly because teachers’ unions and other educator groups opposed an effort to incorporate merit pay provisions into a rewritten law.
  156. judging
    the cognitive process of reaching a decision or drawing conclusions
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  157. attended
    having a caretaker or other watcher
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  158. public
    not private
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  159. Congress
    the legislature of the United States government
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  160. college
    an institution of higher education
    A new goal, which would replace the 2014 universal proficiency deadline, would be for all students to leave high school “college or career ready.”
  161. include
    have as a part; be made up out of
    Schools that repeatedly miss targets face harsher sanctions, which can include staff dismissals and closings.
  162. encouraging
    giving courage or confidence or hope
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  163. Bush
    United States electrical engineer who designed an early analogue computer and who led the scientific program of the United States during World War II (1890-1974)
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  164. qualified
    meeting the proper standards and requirements for a task
    One section of the current Bush-era law has required states to certify that all teachers are highly qualified, based on their college coursework and state-issued credentials.
  165. fiscal
    involving financial matters
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  166. policy
    a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group
    The changes would have to be approved by Congress, which has been at a stalemate for years over how to change the policy.
  167. spokesman
    a male spokesperson
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  168. signature
    your name written in your own handwriting
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  169. replace
    put something back where it belongs
    A new goal, which would replace the 2014 universal proficiency deadline, would be for all students to leave high school “college or career ready.”
  170. provide
    give something useful or necessary to
    Instead, under the administration’s proposals, a new accountability system would divide schools into more categories, offering recognition to those that are succeeding and providing large new amounts of money to help improve or close failing schools.
  171. brief
    of short duration or distance
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  172. prohibit
    command against
    States that prohibit the use of test scores in teacher evaluations, for example, are not eligible for the funds.
  173. earlier
    more early than; most early
    The new standards will also define what students need to learn in earlier grades to advance successfully toward high school graduation.
  174. repeatedly
    several time
    Schools that repeatedly miss targets face harsher sanctions, which can include staff dismissals and closings.
  175. Bruce
    king of Scotland from 1306 to 1329
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  176. insert
    introduce
    Educators who have talked to the administration said the officials appeared to be considering inserting similar provisions into the main education law, by requiring the use of student data in teacher evaluation systems as a condition for receiving federal education money.
  177. label
    a brief description given for purposes of identification
    The law has, to date, labeled some 30,000 schools as “in need of improvement,” a euphemism for failing, but states and districts have done little to change them.
  178. approve
    judge to be right or commendable; think well of
    The changes would have to be approved by Congress, which has been at a stalemate for years over how to change the policy.
  179. career
    the particular occupation for which you are trained
    A new goal, which would replace the 2014 universal proficiency deadline, would be for all students to leave high school “college or career ready.”
  180. union
    the state of being joined or united or linked
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  181. leave behind
    depart and not take along
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  182. recent
    of the immediate past or just previous to the present time
    In recent meetings with representatives of education groups, Department of Education officials have said they also want to eliminate the school ratings system built on making “adequate yearly progress” on student test scores.
  183. graduate
    receive an academic degree upon completion of one's studies
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  184. distribution
    the act of spreading or apportioning
    Now the administration hopes to apply similar conditions to the distribution of the billions of dollars that the Department of Education hands out to states and districts as part of its annual budget.
  185. equivalent
    being essentially comparable to something
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  186. sweeping
    taking in or moving over a wide area
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  187. legislative
    relating to a lawmaking assembly
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  188. effort
    use of physical or mental energy; hard work
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  189. congressional
    of or relating to a national legislative assembly
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  190. in public
    in a manner accessible to or observable by the public
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  191. standard
    a basis for comparison
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  192. boards
    the stage of a theater
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  193. qualify
    prove capable or fit; meet requirements
    One section of the current Bush-era law has required states to certify that all teachers are highly qualified, based on their college coursework and state-issued credentials.
  194. measured
    having notes of fixed rhythmic value
    Currently the education law requires the nation’s 98,000 public schools to make “adequate yearly progress” as measured by student test scores.
  195. publicly
    in a manner accessible to or observable by the public
    Mr. Duncan has publicly endorsed such an approach, Mr. Cunningham said.
  196. loudly
    with relatively high volume
    Educators have complained loudly in the eight years since the law was signed that it was branding tens of thousands of schools as failing but not forcing them to change.
  197. oppose
    be against
    That effort collapsed, partly because teachers’ unions and other educator groups opposed an effort to incorporate merit pay provisions into a rewritten law.
  198. dropping
    coming down freely under the influence of gravity
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  199. charter
    a document creating an institution and specifying its rights
    The competition has also encouraged states to open the door to more charter schools, which receive public money but are run by independent groups.
  200. minority
    being or relating to the smaller in number of two parts
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  201. new
    not of long duration
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  202. divide
    a serious disagreement between two groups of people
    Instead, under the administration’s proposals, a new accountability system would divide schools into more categories, offering recognition to those that are succeeding and providing large new amounts of money to help improve or close failing schools.
  203. pledge
    a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something
    They want to upend that scheme by making states and districts pledge to take actions the administration considers reform, before they get the money.”
  204. current
    occurring in or belonging to the present time
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  205. sanction
    official permission or approval
    Schools that repeatedly miss targets face harsher sanctions, which can include staff dismissals and closings.
  206. race
    a contest of speed
    The administration has already made its mark on education through Race to the Top, a federal grant program in which 40 states are competing for $4 billion in education money included in last year’s federal stimulus bill.
  207. successfully
    in a manner marked by a favorable outcome
    The new standards will also define what students need to learn in earlier grades to advance successfully toward high school graduation.
  208. top
    the upper part of anything
    The administration has already made its mark on education through Race to the Top, a federal grant program in which 40 states are competing for $4 billion in education money included in last year’s federal stimulus bill.
  209. persuade
    cause somebody to adopt a certain position or belief
    In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama hailed the results so far of that competition, which has persuaded states from Rhode Island to California to make changes in their education laws.
  210. focus
    the concentration of attention or energy on something
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  211. miss
    fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
    Schools that miss their targets in reading and math must offer students the opportunity to transfer to other schools and free after-school tutoring.
  212. similar
    having the same or nearly the same characteristics
    Now the administration hopes to apply similar conditions to the distribution of the billions of dollars that the Department of Education hands out to states and districts as part of its annual budget.
  213. develop
    progress or evolve through a process of natural growth
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  214. helping
    an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  215. acknowledge
    declare to be true or admit the existence or reality of
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  216. award
    give, especially as an honor
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  217. grade
    a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
    The new standards will also define what students need to learn in earlier grades to advance successfully toward high school graduation.
  218. consider
    think about carefully; weigh
    They want to upend that scheme by making states and districts pledge to take actions the administration considers reform, before they get the money.”
  219. era
    a period marked by distinctive character
    One section of the current Bush-era law has required states to certify that all teachers are highly qualified, based on their college coursework and state-issued credentials.
  220. acknowledged
    recognized or made known or admitted
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  221. main
    most important element
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  222. decline
    grow worse
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  223. receive
    get something; come into possession of
    The competition has also encouraged states to open the door to more charter schools, which receive public money but are run by independent groups.
  224. want
    the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  225. finance
    the commercial activity of providing funds and capital
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  226. Monday
    the second day of the week; the first working day
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  227. tremendous
    extraordinarily large in extent or amount or power
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  228. recognition
    identifying something or someone by remembering
    Instead, under the administration’s proposals, a new accountability system would divide schools into more categories, offering recognition to those that are succeeding and providing large new amounts of money to help improve or close failing schools.
  229. issue
    some situation or event that is thought about
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  230. attend
    be present
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  231. contend
    compete for something
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  232. dollar
    the basic monetary unit in many countries
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  233. propose
    present for consideration, examination, or criticism
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  234. plan
    a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be achieved
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  235. approved
    established by authority; given authoritative approval
    The changes would have to be approved by Congress, which has been at a stalemate for years over how to change the policy.
  236. hail
    precipitation of ice pellets
    In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama hailed the results so far of that competition, which has persuaded states from Rhode Island to California to make changes in their education laws.
  237. making
    the act that results in something coming to be
    In recent meetings with representatives of education groups, Department of Education officials have said they also want to eliminate the school ratings system built on making “adequate yearly progress” on student test scores.
  238. high
    being at or having a relatively great or specific elevation
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  239. succeed
    attain success or reach a desired goal
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  240. funds
    assets in the form of money
    States that prohibit the use of test scores in teacher evaluations, for example, are not eligible for the funds.
  241. transfer
    move from one place to another
    Schools that miss their targets in reading and math must offer students the opportunity to transfer to other schools and free after-school tutoring.
  242. improvement
    the act of making something better
    The law has, to date, labeled some 30,000 schools as “in need of improvement,” a euphemism for failing, but states and districts have done little to change them.
  243. decade
    a period of 10 years
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  244. brand
    a name given to a product or service
    Educators have complained loudly in the eight years since the law was signed that it was branding tens of thousands of schools as failing but not forcing them to change.
  245. judge
    an official who decides questions before a court
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  246. raising
    the event of something being raised upward
    In the Race to the Top competition, the administration has required participating states to develop the capability to evaluate teachers based on student test data, at least in part, and on whether teachers are successful in raising student achievement.
  247. need
    require or want
    The new standards will also define what students need to learn in earlier grades to advance successfully toward high school graduation.
  248. included
    enclosed in the same envelope or package
    The administration has already made its mark on education through Race to the Top, a federal grant program in which 40 states are competing for $4 billion in education money included in last year’s federal stimulus bill.
  249. especially
    to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  250. create
    bring into existence
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  251. use
    put into service
    States that prohibit the use of test scores in teacher evaluations, for example, are not eligible for the funds.
  252. opposed
    being resistant to
    That effort collapsed, partly because teachers’ unions and other educator groups opposed an effort to incorporate merit pay provisions into a rewritten law.
  253. close
    at or within a short distance in space or time
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  254. make
    perform or carry out
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  255. said
    being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  256. offering
    something put forward for acceptance
    Instead, under the administration’s proposals, a new accountability system would divide schools into more categories, offering recognition to those that are succeeding and providing large new amounts of money to help improve or close failing schools.
  257. govern
    exercise authority over, as of nations
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  258. get it
    understand, usually after some initial difficulty
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  259. role
    the actions and activities assigned to a person or group
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  260. call for
    express the need or desire for; ask for
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  261. stroke
    a single complete movement
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  262. signed
    having a handwritten signature
    Educators have complained loudly in the eight years since the law was signed that it was branding tens of thousands of schools as failing but not forcing them to change.
  263. also
    in addition
    In recent meetings with representatives of education groups, Department of Education officials have said they also want to eliminate the school ratings system built on making “adequate yearly progress” on student test scores.
  264. low
    less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  265. for example
    as an example
    States that prohibit the use of test scores in teacher evaluations, for example, are not eligible for the funds.
  266. worn
    affected by wear; damaged by long use
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  267. say
    utter aloud
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  268. details
    true confidential information
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  269. universal
    applicable to or common to all members of a group or set
    A new goal, which would replace the 2014 universal proficiency deadline, would be for all students to leave high school “college or career ready.”
  270. developed
    being changed over time, as to be stronger or more complete
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  271. describe
    give a statement representing something
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  272. condition
    a mode of being or form of existence of a person or thing
    Now the administration hopes to apply similar conditions to the distribution of the billions of dollars that the Department of Education hands out to states and districts as part of its annual budget.
  273. action
    something done (usually as opposed to something said)
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  274. neglect
    leave undone or leave out
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  275. attract
    exert a force on
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  276. White House
    the government building that serves as the residence and office of the President of the United States
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  277. merit
    the quality of being deserving
    That effort collapsed, partly because teachers’ unions and other educator groups opposed an effort to incorporate merit pay provisions into a rewritten law.
  278. Democratic
    belong to or relating to the Democratic Party
    Earlier this month, Mr. Duncan and more than a dozen other administration officials took steps toward organizing a new rewrite, meeting with the Democratic chairmen and ranking Republican members of the education committees in both houses of Congress.
  279. ready
    completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
    A new goal, which would replace the 2014 universal proficiency deadline, would be for all students to leave high school “college or career ready.”
  280. independent
    free from external control and constraint
    The competition has also encouraged states to open the door to more charter schools, which receive public money but are run by independent groups.
  281. bringing
    the act of delivering or distributing something
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  282. failure
    an act that does not succeed
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  283. September
    the month following August and preceding October
    The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, foreshadowed the elimination of the 2014 deadline in a September speech, referring to it as a “utopian goal,” and administration officials have since made clear that they want the deadline eliminated.
  284. opposition
    being against something that you disapprove or disagree with
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  285. performance
    the act of doing something successfully
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  286. complain
    express discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness
    Educators have complained loudly in the eight years since the law was signed that it was branding tens of thousands of schools as failing but not forcing them to change.
  287. scheme
    an elaborate and systematic plan of action
    They want to upend that scheme by making states and districts pledge to take actions the administration considers reform, before they get the money.”
  288. card
    thin cardboard, usually rectangular
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  289. reform
    make changes for improvement to remove abuse and injustices
    They want to upend that scheme by making states and districts pledge to take actions the administration considers reform, before they get the money.”
  290. year
    the period of time that it takes for a planet (as, e.g., Earth or Mars) to make a complete revolution around the sun
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  291. chairman
    the officer who leads the meetings of an organization
    Earlier this month, Mr. Duncan and more than a dozen other administration officials took steps toward organizing a new rewrite, meeting with the Democratic chairmen and ranking Republican members of the education committees in both houses of Congress.
  292. partly
    in part; in some degree; not wholly
    That effort collapsed, partly because teachers’ unions and other educator groups opposed an effort to incorporate merit pay provisions into a rewritten law.
  293. praise
    an expression of approval and commendation
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  294. clear
    readily apparent to the mind
    The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, foreshadowed the elimination of the 2014 deadline in a September speech, referring to it as a “utopian goal,” and administration officials have since made clear that they want the deadline eliminated.
  295. ten
    the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  296. nation
    a politically organized body of people under a government
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  297. highly
    to a great degree or extent; favorably or with much respect
    One section of the current Bush-era law has required states to certify that all teachers are highly qualified, based on their college coursework and state-issued credentials.
  298. numbers
    an illegal daily lottery
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  299. California
    a state in the western United States on the Pacific
    In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama hailed the results so far of that competition, which has persuaded states from Rhode Island to California to make changes in their education laws.
  300. close to
    (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  301. staff
    a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose
    Schools that repeatedly miss targets face harsher sanctions, which can include staff dismissals and closings.
  302. abandon
    forsake; leave behind
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  303. offer
    present for acceptance or rejection
    Schools that miss their targets in reading and math must offer students the opportunity to transfer to other schools and free after-school tutoring.
  304. successful
    having succeeded or being marked by a favorable outcome
    In the Race to the Top competition, the administration has required participating states to develop the capability to evaluate teachers based on student test data, at least in part, and on whether teachers are successful in raising student achievement.
  305. services
    performance of duties or provision of space and equipment helpful to others
    “Right now most federal money goes out in formulas, so schools know how much they’ll get, and then use it to provide services for poor children.
  306. section
    one of several parts or pieces that fit with others
    One section of the current Bush-era law has required states to certify that all teachers are highly qualified, based on their college coursework and state-issued credentials.
  307. principal
    main or most important
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  308. raise
    move upwards
    In the Race to the Top competition, the administration has required participating states to develop the capability to evaluate teachers based on student test data, at least in part, and on whether teachers are successful in raising student achievement.
  309. fund
    a reserve of money set aside for some purpose
    States that prohibit the use of test scores in teacher evaluations, for example, are not eligible for the funds.
  310. child
    a human offspring (son or daughter) of any age
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  311. representative
    serving to typify
    In recent meetings with representatives of education groups, Department of Education officials have said they also want to eliminate the school ratings system built on making “adequate yearly progress” on student test scores.
  312. leaders
    the body of people who lead a group
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  313. out in
    enter a harbor
    “Right now most federal money goes out in formulas, so schools know how much they’ll get, and then use it to provide services for poor children.
  314. refer
    make a remark that calls attention to
    The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, foreshadowed the elimination of the 2014 deadline in a September speech, referring to it as a “utopian goal,” and administration officials have since made clear that they want the deadline eliminated.
  315. center
    an area that is in the middle of some larger region
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  316. Union
    the United States
    In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama hailed the results so far of that competition, which has persuaded states from Rhode Island to California to make changes in their education laws.
  317. dozen
    the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
    Earlier this month, Mr. Duncan and more than a dozen other administration officials took steps toward organizing a new rewrite, meeting with the Democratic chairmen and ranking Republican members of the education committees in both houses of Congress.
  318. advance
    move forward
    The new standards will also define what students need to learn in earlier grades to advance successfully toward high school graduation.
  319. conditions
    the context that influences the performance of a process
    Now the administration hopes to apply similar conditions to the distribution of the billions of dollars that the Department of Education hands out to states and districts as part of its annual budget.
  320. portion
    something determined in relation to a thing that includes it
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  321. perform
    get done
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  322. too much
    more than necessary
    The department thinks that’s become too much of an entitlement.
  323. poor
    having little money or few possessions
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  324. more
    greater in size or amount or extent or degree
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  325. director
    someone who manages an organization
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  326. sweep
    clean by using a broom or as if with a broom
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  327. program
    a series of steps to be carried out
    The administration has already made its mark on education through Race to the Top, a federal grant program in which 40 states are competing for $4 billion in education money included in last year’s federal stimulus bill.
  328. apply
    employ for a particular purpose
    Now the administration hopes to apply similar conditions to the distribution of the billions of dollars that the Department of Education hands out to states and districts as part of its annual budget.
  329. steps
    the course along which a person has walked or is walking in
    Earlier this month, Mr. Duncan and more than a dozen other administration officials took steps toward organizing a new rewrite, meeting with the Democratic chairmen and ranking Republican members of the education committees in both houses of Congress.
  330. process
    a particular course of action intended to achieve a result
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  331. Republican
    a member of the younger of two major U.S. political parties
    Earlier this month, Mr. Duncan and more than a dozen other administration officials took steps toward organizing a new rewrite, meeting with the Democratic chairmen and ranking Republican members of the education committees in both houses of Congress.
  332. American
    of or relating to the United States of America or its people or language or culture
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  333. reading
    written material intended to be read
    Schools that miss their targets in reading and math must offer students the opportunity to transfer to other schools and free after-school tutoring.
  334. Peter
    disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles
    Peter Cunningham, a Department of Education spokesman, acknowledged that the administration was planning to ask Congress for broad changes to the education law, but declined to describe the changes specifically.
  335. help
    give assistance; be of service
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  336. date
    the specified day of the month
    The law has, to date, labeled some 30,000 schools as “in need of improvement,” a euphemism for failing, but states and districts have done little to change them.
  337. grant
    let have
    The administration has already made its mark on education through Race to the Top, a federal grant program in which 40 states are competing for $4 billion in education money included in last year’s federal stimulus bill.
  338. other
    not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  339. detail
    a small part considered separately from the whole
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  340. more than
    (comparative of `much' used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  341. appear
    come into sight or view
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  342. serious
    of great consequence
    The last serious attempt to rewrite the law was in 2007.
  343. Jack
    a man who serves as a sailor
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  344. quality
    an essential and distinguishing attribute of something
    Yet the administration is not planning to abandon the law’s commitments to closing the achievement gap between minority and white students and to encouraging teacher quality.
  345. rank
    relative status
    Earlier this month, Mr. Duncan and more than a dozen other administration officials took steps toward organizing a new rewrite, meeting with the Democratic chairmen and ranking Republican members of the education committees in both houses of Congress.
  346. go out
    move out of or depart from
    “Right now most federal money goes out in formulas, so schools know how much they’ll get, and then use it to provide services for poor children.
  347. White
    a member of the Caucasoid race
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  348. amount
    how much there is of something that you can quantify
    Instead, under the administration’s proposals, a new accountability system would divide schools into more categories, offering recognition to those that are succeeding and providing large new amounts of money to help improve or close failing schools.
  349. committee
    a special group delegated to consider some matter
    Earlier this month, Mr. Duncan and more than a dozen other administration officials took steps toward organizing a new rewrite, meeting with the Democratic chairmen and ranking Republican members of the education committees in both houses of Congress.
  350. opportunity
    a possibility from a favorable combination of circumstances
    Schools that miss their targets in reading and math must offer students the opportunity to transfer to other schools and free after-school tutoring.
  351. out to
    fixed in your purpose
    Now the administration hopes to apply similar conditions to the distribution of the billions of dollars that the Department of Education hands out to states and districts as part of its annual budget.
  352. built
    having a substance added to increase effectiveness
    In recent meetings with representatives of education groups, Department of Education officials have said they also want to eliminate the school ratings system built on making “adequate yearly progress” on student test scores.
  353. to it
    to that
    The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, foreshadowed the elimination of the 2014 deadline in a September speech, referring to it as a “utopian goal,” and administration officials have since made clear that they want the deadline eliminated.
  354. impossible
    not capable of happening or being done or dealt with
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  355. so far
    to the degree or extent that
    In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama hailed the results so far of that competition, which has persuaded states from Rhode Island to California to make changes in their education laws.
  356. aid
    the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  357. meet
    come together
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  358. measure
    determine the dimensions of something or somebody
    Currently the education law requires the nation’s 98,000 public schools to make “adequate yearly progress” as measured by student test scores.
  359. make it
    succeed in a big way; get to the top
    The administration has already made its mark on education through Race to the Top, a federal grant program in which 40 states are competing for $4 billion in education money included in last year’s federal stimulus bill.
  360. secretary
    an assistant who handles correspondence and clerical work
    The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, foreshadowed the elimination of the 2014 deadline in a September speech, referring to it as a “utopian goal,” and administration officials have since made clear that they want the deadline eliminated.
  361. various
    having great diversity or variety
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  362. expected
    considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  363. governor
    the head of a state authority
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  364. example
    an item of information that is typical of a class or group
    States that prohibit the use of test scores in teacher evaluations, for example, are not eligible for the funds.
  365. both
    equally or alike
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  366. eight
    the cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one
    Educators have complained loudly in the eight years since the law was signed that it was branding tens of thousands of schools as failing but not forcing them to change.
  367. address
    the place where a person or organization can be found
    In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama hailed the results so far of that competition, which has persuaded states from Rhode Island to California to make changes in their education laws.
  368. speech
    communication by word of mouth
    The secretary of education, Arne Duncan, foreshadowed the elimination of the 2014 deadline in a September speech, referring to it as a “utopian goal,” and administration officials have since made clear that they want the deadline eliminated.
  369. language
    a means of communicating by the use of sounds or symbols
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  370. pass
    go across or through
    The current system issues the equivalent of a pass-fail report card for every school each year, an evaluation that administration officials say fails to differentiate among chaotic schools in chronic failure, schools that are helping low-scoring students improve and high-performing suburban schools that nonetheless appear to be neglecting some low-scoring students.
  371. made
    produced by a manufacturing process
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  372. can
    airtight sealed metal container for food or drink, etc.
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  373. leader
    a person who rules or guides or inspires others
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  374. approach
    move towards
    Mr. Duncan has publicly endorsed such an approach, Mr. Cunningham said.
  375. get
    come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  376. attention
    the act of concentrating on something
    The education law has been praised for focusing attention on achievement gaps, but it has also generated tremendous opposition, especially from educators, who contend that it sets impossible goals for students and schools and humiliates students and educators when they fall short.
  377. mark
    a distinguishing symbol
    The administration has already made its mark on education through Race to the Top, a federal grant program in which 40 states are competing for $4 billion in education money included in last year’s federal stimulus bill.
  378. bill
    an itemized statement of money owed for goods or services
    The administration has already made its mark on education through Race to the Top, a federal grant program in which 40 states are competing for $4 billion in education money included in last year’s federal stimulus bill.
  379. instead
    in place of, or as an alternative to
    Instead, under the administration’s proposals, a new accountability system would divide schools into more categories, offering recognition to those that are succeeding and providing large new amounts of money to help improve or close failing schools.
  380. according
    in agreement with
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  381. picture
    a visual representation produced on a surface
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  382. part
    one of the portions into which something is regarded as divided and which together constitute a whole
    Now the administration hopes to apply similar conditions to the distribution of the billions of dollars that the Department of Education hands out to states and districts as part of its annual budget.
  383. drop
    let fall to the ground
    “They were very clear with us that they would change the metric, dropping adequate yearly progress and basing a new system on another picture of performance based on judging schools in a more nuanced way,” said Bruce Hunter, director of public policy for the American Association of School Administrators, who attended one of the meetings.
  384. support
    the act of bearing the weight of or strengthening
    He said that although the administration had developed various proposals, it would solicit input from Congressional leaders of both parties in coming weeks to create legislative language that can attract bipartisan support.
  385. board
    a stout length of sawn timber
    Educators who have been briefed by administration officials said the proposals for changes in the main law governing the federal role in public schools would eliminate or rework many of the provisions that teachers’ unions, associations of principals, school boards and other groups have found most objectionable.
  386. attempt
    make an effort
    The last serious attempt to rewrite the law was in 2007.
  387. accord
    concurrence of opinion
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
  388. sign
    a visible clue that something has happened or is present
    Educators have complained loudly in the eight years since the law was signed that it was branding tens of thousands of schools as failing but not forcing them to change.
  389. taking
    the act of someone who picks up or takes something
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  390. some
    quantifier
    Some details of the president’s proposals are expected to be made public on Monday, when the president outlines his $3.8 trillion budget for the 2011 fiscal year.
  391. years
    a prolonged period of time
    The changes would have to be approved by Congress, which has been at a stalemate for years over how to change the policy.
  392. wear
    put clothing on one's body
    The well-worn formulas for distributing tens of billions of dollars in federal aid have, for decades, been a mainstay of the annual budgeting process in the nation’s 14,000 school districts.
  393. every
    (used of count nouns) each and all of the members of a group considered singly and without exception
    The Obama administration is proposing a sweeping overhaul of President Bush’s signature education law, No Child Left Behind, and will call for broad changes in how schools are judged to be succeeding or failing, as well as for the elimination of the law’s 2014 deadline for bringing every American child to academic proficiency.
  394. national
    of or relating to or belonging to a country
    Currently more than 40 states are collaborating, in an effort coordinated by the National Governors Association and encouraged by the administration, to write common standards defining what it means to be a graduate from high school ready for college or a career.
  395. take
    get into one's hands
    “They want to recast the law so that it is as close to Race to the Top as they can get it, making the money conditional on districts’ taking action to improve schools,” said Jack Jennings, president of the Center on Education Policy, who attended a recent meeting at which administration officials outlined their plans in broad strokes.
  396. at least
    not less than
    In the Race to the Top competition, the administration has required participating states to develop the capability to evaluate teachers based on student test data, at least in part, and on whether teachers are successful in raising student achievement.
  397. island
    a land mass that is surrounded by water
    In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama hailed the results so far of that competition, which has persuaded states from Rhode Island to California to make changes in their education laws.
  398. house
    a dwelling that serves as living quarters for a family
    Significantly, said those who have been briefed, the White House wants to change federal financing formulas so that a portion of the money is awarded based on academic progress, rather than by formulas that apportion money to districts according to their numbers of students, especially poor students.
Created on Mon Feb 01 15:02:29 EST 2010

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