Softer Spellings, Minnesota Misgivings, and Different Takes on Year 3 (NCLB News)

At the USDE, things seem to be softening -- and the WTimes over-simplifies by giving the Governator sole credit for the change:

Spellings Hints at More Flexibility on NCLB EW
ED Expected to Raise Alternate Assessment Cap to 3 Percent
Arnold wields clout on education rules Washington Times

Spellings hasn't gone entirely soft, however, as shown in this piece where she takes on Connecticut's assertions that testing costs too much and that things were better before NCLB:

Testing Serves Students The Hartford Courant (Spellings op-ed)

On Capitol Hill, one of the law's Democratic sponsors reiterates his support for NCLB compared to weak state standards here: Big George Speaks (Eduwonk). At the same time, Nebraska Cong. Lee Terry (R-NE) introduces what the NEA calls "the first Republican-initiated bill to amend the No Child Left Behind Act." (H.R. 1177)

Meanwhile, there are lots of different views on this week's CEP report:

Report Says Law Provokes Schools to Help Needy Students WaPo
States Worry About Meeting Requirements of Education Law NYT
Progress report on NCLB shows hits, misses EW
Gains being seen in schools; white-minority gap narrows SDUT
No Child Left Behind review offers positive signs, warning signs MST
Link to Report

Out in the states, Minneapolis joins the list of states considering pulling out of NCLB, and Utah ponders its options, while Florida moves foward with its standards-lowering effort:

Bill could pull state out of 'No Child' law Minneapolis Star Tribune
Florida Eyes Change No Child Standards Miami Herald
If talks fail, Utah education reform should ...Salt Lake Tribune
Discussions Continue in Utah NCTQ
Texas defies Feds on special ed testing in NCLB National School Boards Association
No Child Left Behind Act conference slated for early April Tulsa Native American Times
Federal Data Show Gains On Language EW
Subgroup Reporting and School Segregation EW

With such big dollars involved, it's no surprise that tutoring remains a big issue:

States Wrestle With How to Evaluate Tutoring EW
Chicago Officials Gloat over Bad Tutoring NCTQ
Turnout for free tutoring Honolulu Star-Bulletin, HI
Teachers' Union Is Approved for U.S. Tutoring Program
Prince George's Leads State In Transfers Among Schools

Best of the Rest:

Greatness in the classroom USAT
Ed. Trust Defends Stance On Utah’s NCLB Plan EW
Civil Rights Panel Member Resigns, Citing ‘Partisanship’ EW
Sitting on school funds Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
ESEA’s 40th Anniversary Begins to Draw Reflection EW
Scrutiny Increases At Ailing SchoolsWashington Post
Law could drive some out of special education Kansas City Star