
Education officials in Virginia say 68 percent of the state's public schools have met new annual goals in reading, mathematics and graduation.
The state's Department of Education released results of the objectives designed to reduce education gaps between low and high-performing schools, according to the Associated Press. The new benchmarks replace the previous annual progress targets of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
In June, the state was given a waiver by the U.S. Department of Education for certain provisions of the federal law.
Based on the new "ambitious but achievable'' objectives, education officials are directing 4-85 schools to develop and implement improvement plans to raise achievement levels for some races and groups, such as low income students and students with disabilities.
The data is based on results from state standardized tests.

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