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Lifestyle,nightlifeNo More Child left behind at 2022States that want out of specific No Child Left Behind provisions must adapt four reforms that mirror the administration's legislative priorities, President Barack Obama will announce Friday morning."To help states, districts and schools that are ready to move forward with education reform, our administration will provide flexibility from the law in exchange for a real commitment to undertake change," Obama said in a statement released by the White House Thursday. "The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level."On Thursday, the White House circulated materials explaining that the administration will offer a "flexibility package."The No Child Left Behind law, passed by Congress a decade ago during the George W. Bush administration, requires regular standardized testing and the disaggregation of educational data by subgroup. It also states that just about 100 percent of students must reach proficiency in math and reading by 2014. As the deadline has approached, an increasing number of schools in each state have been labeled as "failing" under No Child Left Behind, in part because the reporting model focuses on raw scores, not improvement in scores. "Failing" schools face escalating consequences. States such as Montana and Idaho have resisted the ever-increasing performance targets, saying the law strains their capacities and leads to an overly broad portrayal of schools as underperforming.In light of those concerns, a White House fact sheet stated, the administration will allow states to request "flexibility through waivers of specific provisions" of No Child Left Behind, including the timeline for proficiency; "flexibility regarding school improvement and accountability requirements," which will allow states to set their own consequences for so-called failing schools; and "flexibility related to the use of federal education funds." Rural districts will have more freedom.A state that requests these waivers, the fact sheet said, will have to show that: It has already "adopted college- and career-ready standards in reading/language arts and mathematics" and administer "tests aligned" with these standards. The fact sheet does not detail what exactly such standards would entail, although U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has previously said states that haven't adapted the Common Core State Standards will not be barred from requesting waivers. It has set systems "of differentiated recognition, accountability and support," which includes turnaround plans targeted at the lowest 5 percent of the states' schools. It is "evaluating and supporting teacher and principal effectiveness" with a process that includes educator input. A senior administration official said on a conference call that this process must consider test scores.Beyond that, few details are available about the plan, such as the amount of funding over which states will have more discretion and the turnaround models that failing schools will have to use.No Child Left Behind has been up for renewal since 2007, and the administration released its own blueprint for the law in March 2010. But congressional gridlock has prevented formal reauthorization so far. Both Republicans and Democrats have introduced small components of a reauthorization -- with one measure involving charter schools passing last week -- but few have gained traction.In August, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said Obama had approved plans to, in effect, reform the law without going through Congress: The secretary would waive specific provisions of the law in exchange for states agreeing to adopt favored reforms.Under No Child Left Behind, the Secretary of Education may waive provisions of the law for states in need, but he has no explicit authority to ask states to adopt reforms in exchangeRead More on

Selina Jen faces media for the first time since filming accident
TAIPEI: S.H.E's Selina Jen faced the media for the first time in a Taipei press conference on Wednesday, 89 days after she was hospitalised for the serious burns she suffered in a filming accident on the set of Chinese drama "I Have A Date With Spring", reported Taiwan media.

Sporting a head of short hair, Jen, whose face appeared to have escaped any serious injury, entered the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital auditorium flanked by her group mates Ella Chen and Hebe Tien, to thunderous applause from the gathered journalists.

Clad in a grey bodysuit and a pink vest, the 29-year-old singer-actress, whose face now looks rounder after gaining 5 kilograms after the accident, became very emotional and broke down shortly after going onto the stage.

"Thank you everyone. I am sorry for making everyone worry. Today, I can finally go home!" Jen said as she and her group mates bowed to the audience.

"We are S.H.E!"

Despite being separated for such a long time because of the accident, Jen and her group mates seemed determined to stick together.

They indirectly dispelled fears that the group would break up by coming together to introduce themselves as a group once more, for the first time since the accident.

"Hello everyone! We are S.H.E!" the trio declared before each group member introduced herself.

Chen was visibly overjoyed. She raised her arms in triumph as Jen concluded the introductions.

Jen wept as she went on to thank her doctors and nurses for taking good care of her as well as her family members, record label HiM International Music, fans and fiance, lawyer Richard Chang, for giving her their unwavering support.

Chen later added that Jen's road to recovery "is a long one" and hoped that people will "give her some space" while Tien expressed that she deeply respected Jen for showing such courage and optimism in the face of adversity.

Jen made her exit after accepting a congratulatory bouquet and a cake from the medical staff that treated her.

Looking forward

Although there were initial fears that Jen could be disfigured, Professor Lin Zhi Hong, the doctor leading the medical team treating Jen, is optimistic that she will be able to work again.

"We believe allowing Selina to return to work is not a problem, although dressing must be applied to keep pressure on her facial scars. But I believe the future is bright."

Jen's father added that, despite her injuries, his daughter will still be able to sing and have children in the future.

He also praised Chang for sticking with her through thick and thin, calling him "a dependable other half" for Selina.

"When the accident happened, I once told him that they did not have to get married and that he could call off the wedding. But he refused."

Meanwhile, HiM International Music's general manager He Yan Ling has pledged that the company will do everything it can to aid Jen on her road to recovery and take care of her showbiz career.

She also expressed that HiM is now engaged in negotiations with Hunan Television, the broadcaster which had invited Jen to participate in "I Have A Date With Spring", over responsibility for the accident and compensation matters.

Soon after Wednesday's press conference, Taiwanese director Chen Ming Zhang, who helmed the project, issued a second apology to Jen and her group mates on his micro-blog for letting things go out of hand on the set.

The director had only recently issued a 2,000-word apology on his micro-blog but S.H.E fans complained it was too little too late. Read more

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