Last week Connecticut asked the Feds to exempt them from the NCLB standards in grades 3-8. This week Missouri lowered "testing goals". Why wouldn't they? Was this because of a lack of funding?

Missouri education officials Friday significantly lowered test-score targets that the state's public school children will be expected to meet this year to comply with a federal law.

The revision, which the U.S. Department of Education has approved at the request of state officials, has major implications for the state's 2,034 public schools, because failure to meet the proficiency standards can trigger federal No Child Left Behind Act penalties.

Under the new 2005 targets announced by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 26.6 percent of students will have to be proficient in communication arts, down from 38.8 percent. The math proficiency standard dropped to 17.5 percent from 31.1 percent.

The author of "Tipping Point",(mutually enjoyed)Malcolm Gladwell, has a new book on decision making. In Slate this week he argues his thesis with another author who also has a new book on decision making. The dialogue is a great read.