Report: 37 percent of Iowa schools failing No ChildLeft Behind standards

More than a third of Iowa schools did not meet annual yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind law in 2011, according to a report by the Center for Education Policy.

The report, which cited information released by the Iowa Department of Education in September 2011, shows 524 out of Iowa's 1,401 schools, or 37 percent, failing to meet the law's standards, a one percent increase over 2010 results.

Failings are labeled as being in need of assistance for not meeting proficiency targets in reading and math on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills and Iowa Tests of Educational Development. There are 97 Eastern Iowa schools on the list, including 15 in Iowa City and 19 in Cedar Rapids -- a decrease from 21 last year.

Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass previously stated that the state plans to apply for one of the waivers being offered by the federal government from some of NCLB's requirements. The waiver is a part of the Branstad administration's proposed "One Unshakable Vision" blueprint for education reform alongside building an Iowa-based teacher and school accountability system.

Glass plans to submit the state's waiver application in February 2012.