Federal rules relaxed for some failing schools

 For many Maryland schools that miss academic targets year after year under the No Child Left Behind law, the stigma associated with needing help will ease under a precedent-setting program the federal government announced July 1, 2008.

The U.S. Education Department's action will relax one of the 2002 law's toughest and most-criticized provisions, with repercussions for Prince George's and Montgomery schools. Instead of lumping together chronically struggling schools with those that are generally strong performers but fall slightly short of targets, Maryland will have two accountability tracks: schools with "comprehensive" needs and those with "focused" needs.

Five other states also won leeway from the department. Virginia sought to join the experiment, but its bid was not accepted. Read more in The Washington Post online.