While recent reports say Wisconsin is first in the country in meeting
standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act, a nonprofit national research group
said Tuesday the results are not due to outstanding education.

Kevin Carey, research and policy manager for Education Sector — an
independent education research group — released a report about how NCLB's
loopholes have allowed states to sidestep the law's original intent.

Carey said a common misconception of NCLB is that it forces states to
meet standards set by the federal government. In reality, Carey said the act
leaves many decisions about education standards up to the state.

The report details how NCLB allows states to self-report their improvements
in K-12 Education, which Carey said Wisconsin has taken advantage of.

"No Child Left Behind gives state departments of education the power to
decide what exactly passing means," Carey said.

For example, Wisconsin reported 96 percent of its schools are passing
schools, a higher number than any other state.

"But Wisconsin is not 96 percent because the schools are the best,"
Carey said. "What this indicates is that Wisconsin is among the leading states
in the country in finding loopholes in No Child Left Behind legislation."

NCLB does require 70 percent of students in a school pass the state's
standardized test in order for the school to be considered "passing."

However, a loophole in NCLB allows states to put in a margin of error.
Wisconsin has a margin of error of 10 percent, so a school with a 60 percent
passing rate can be considered passing.

"Essentially, the state of Wisconsin is trying to make itself look
better than it is," Carey said.

Patrick Gasper, communications officer for the Wisconsin Department of
Public Instruction, said the DPI does not take Carey's report at face value.

"We reject the findings of this report," Gasper said. "This is just
another think tank in Washington, D.C., trying to promote its own wants."

Wisconsin has recently received awards at the national level for its
K-12 education, Gasper said, which makes him wonder how Carey can be so
negative about the state's education.

"We feel that we're doing the right things," Gasper said. "And all of
the things we're doing under NCLB have been approved by the federal Department
of Education."

Carey's report made five suggestions to Congress to help curb the
problems with NCLB. First, he wants Congress to close the loopholes that states
have been using to bypass the purpose of NCLB.

Carey said he also wants resolutions to the bill to be specific, to
include an increased amount of peer review of departments of education, to
require states to provide a two-year accountability plan to the federal
government and improve collaboration between the state and federal departments
of education.