The District’s application for relief from federal No Child Left Behind requirements has been approved, officials from the U.S. Education Department said. Under the law, the District was expected to get 100 percent of students proficient in math and reading by 2014 — a goal the feds themselves acknowledged was unrealistic. Instead, D.C. will try to have 74 percent of students to be proficient in math and 73 percent in reading by 2017. Currently, less than half of District students can pass standardized math and reading exams. The District will also seek to increase its four-year high school graduation rate from 59 percent to 78 percent by 2017. Waivers for 31 other states, including Maryland and Virginia, gained approval as well. – Lisa Gartner
