The New York Times is reporting the U.S. Senate Wed., Dec. 9, approved a major revision of the No Child Left Behind legislation. The measure will end an era of federal control in education policy after 14 years. The law would restore authority for school performance and accountability to local districts and to states. While it keeps the existing annual testing requirements in reading and math and requires that states act to improve the lowest performing schools, it permits more local control to set goals, determine school ratings and decide remedial measures. “It will unleash a flood of excitement and innovation and student achievement that we haven’t seen in a long time,” said Senator Lamar Alexander, the Tennessee Republican who leads the Senate Education Committee. A similar bill passed the House of Representatives last week. President Obama is expected to sign the bill today (Thu., Dec. 10). Read the full story in The New York Times.