The No Child Left Behind education law is up for renewal this year. Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander has joined several of his Republican colleagues in sponsoring legislation that would make radical changes.

No Child Left Behind places strict standards on schools to measure student achievement. They’re based on standardized test scores and the standards get tougher every year. A number of states, including Tennessee, have sought waivers of some of the requirements as more and more schools end up on the failing list. Senator Alexander says any renewal of No Child Left Behind should give more power to state and local officials.

“The responsibility is moving to where the responsibility ought to be, which is with parents and communities and less of that invented in Washington.”

Measuring student performance based on test scores is known as Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP.  Instead, the GOP Senators are proposing that states focus on the five percent of schools that perform at the very bottom.

Senator Alexander says many of his ideas have the support of Democrats in Washington, including President Obama and Education Secretary Arnie Duncan. Alexander says he hopes he’ll be able to come to agreement with Senate Democrats and pass a reformed version of No Child Left Behind by the end of the year.