The Obama administration will submit a series of changes to the current No Child Left Behind legislation for approval by Congress, The New York Times reported Sunday. The changes would address many concerns voiced by educators since the George W. Bush administration enacted the law, while maintaining a focus on closing the achievement gap between minority and white students, educators who had been briefed by administration officials told The Times. The proposal would distribute money based on academic progress in school districts rather than the size of low-income student populations in each district. Both parties in Congress are providing input aimed at creating legislation that can garner bipartisan support, according to The Times. More information about the proposals will be announced when President Obama outlines the 2011 budget.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco ruled that Stephanie Enyart, a blind law student, can use computer-assisted reading devices for her bar exam this month, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The National Conference of Bar Examiners had previously banned Enyart from taking the exam because the software that magnifies text and reads it aloud into earbuds was viewed as too generous and could lead to the theft of test questions. Examiners previously held that Enyart should take the exam using a paper-and-pencil version that displays questions, which are read out loud by a human reader, on a large screen and requires six days instead of the standard three-day testing period. Enyart, who is currently a law clerk at Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley, graduated from University of California Los Angeles Law School last spring and was permitted to use the reading devices during her studies there, according to the Chronicle.
