According to an internal schools report obtained by The Examiner, 72 D.C. public schools are failing federal standards in reading, math and other basic education goals. Under the No Child Left Behind Act, schools in the District of Columbia are required to meet strict standards in reading, math and even attendance.

Those schools that fall short of standards two years in a row are labeled “In Need of Improvement — Year 1”; those that fail three years in a row are “In Need of Improvement — Year 2” and those that fail four years in a row are subject to “Corrective Action.”