However, giving educators greater flexibility enabled schools to more effectively respond to the increased demographic diversity of America and the needs of students. In schools with multicultural populations, including lessons in cultural tolerance, incorporating cultural diversity into the history and literature classes, and even on a very basic level, simplifying some of the language for ESL students in science and math classes when mainstreaming those students made education more responsive and also more student-friendly. Even if students do not meet standards by the end of a particular year, the education of students facing special challenges is often best met by an approach that focuses on educating the student in a long-range fashion, rather than upon annual testing.

Receiving a poor rating can be demoralizing for a school. For a school where simply getting to school on time is an achievement for some students, or schools that have seen remarkable progress...
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