Illinois is still waiting to hear about a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
The state wants to break loose from the federal regulations. Illinois State Board of Education Spokesman Matt Vanover says the state requested a waiver from the federal government several months ago.
Last year only eight state school districts met the act's standards for what's known as adequate yearly progress, or AYP. Vanover says the act sets all school districts to the same standards. That means a poor, underachieving district would have to meet the same standards as a wealthy, more successful one.
Ten states have been granted a waiver since the president encouraged states to seek them. Vanover says the state should know if the federal government accepts its waiver has been accepted within a few months.
