No Child Left Behind law faces changes

WASHINGTON, April 23 (UPI) -- U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is proposing changes in the federal No Child Left Behind law aimed at reducing the number of high school dropouts.

The Bush administration wants all states to use the same formula to calculate high school graduation rates in an effort to force schools to ensure that more students earn diplomas, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The proposed changes would require low-performing schools to do a better job of informing parents about the right to government-funded tutoring and transfer to a better-performing school.

Renewal of the six-year-old No Child Left Behind law is currently stalled in Congress.

"While I will continue working with legislators to renew this law, I also realize that students and families and teachers and schools need help now," Spellings said Tuesday during a visit to Detroit, which has one of the county's highest school dropout rates.

The proposed changes will take effect in November after a public comment period.