St. Paul Pioneer Press (Minnesota)   February 16, 2009

HEADLINE:  Education: Minnesota principals say NCLB not possible

By Megan Boldt

Almost all Minnesota school principals polled for a survey said the federal requirement that all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014 is unattainable.

That's according to results released this morning by Minnesota 2020, a left-leaning think tank. More than 97 percent of principals surveyed said schools would not meet the goals outlined under No Child Left Behind.

About 740 of the approximately 1,800 principals across the state were polled.

According to the survey results:

• No Child Left Behind forces schools to teach to the test. About 71 percent of principals said more time and resources are spent on test preparation. And 40 percent said they have taken class time from arts and other subjects to spend time on areas covered on the tests.
• The federal law has unrealistic expectations for special education students and those learning English. About 90 percent of principals said those students should not be held to the same standards as their peers.