The waiver asks that the state be relieved of some of the law's provisions -- including the requirement that all students be proficient in English and math by 2014.

Education officials will revise Minnesota's application for a waiver from the federal law in light of conditions laid out by President Obama. The state wants to be freed from the testing requirements and mandatory sanctions in No Child Left Behind.

Kline says states should be allowed to opt out of the controversial law, which sets unachievable goals for some schools. But he says the president is overreaching his power by granting waivers from the program.

The state has developed new ways to measure school performance if a requested waiver from No Child Left Behind is approved. The Education Commissioner thinks they'll be fairer and more accurate. A state business leader thinks they'll "destroy the accountability system for schools."

Officials say the president plans to formally announce that states seeking to drop parts of the law can apply for waivers. Cassellius submitted Minnesota's waiver request last month.

The Minnesota Education Department on Friday released the list of schools that failed to make what federal officials call “Adequate Yearly Progress."

The full impact of Minnesota's new accountability system came into view this week with the announcement of the final group of schools facing new labels and corrective actions. The state now uses its own system after it won a waiver from the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind law. Using the new definitions makes the overall picture seem rosier: 213 schools are now labeled underperforming in some way, compared to more than 1,000 under No Child Left Behind.