Iowa will seek to opt out of No Child Left Behind

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Department of Education officials have notified their federal counterparts that they will seek a waiver from requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.

State officials have criticized that law as too rigid and argued it relied too heavily on standardized test scores.

Education Department Director Jason Glass says Iowa officials have developed their own rigorous standards and can implement them in a way that ensures students make progress each year.

They announced details of that plan earlier this month.

Glass noted that federal officials have encouraged states to seek a waiver from the federal law, as long as they develop their own systems for measuring the progress students are making.

In a statement released Wednesday, Glass says the formal waiver request will be filed in February.