State board OK's troubled-schools pilot program.

TALLAHASSEE -- (AP) -- Florida's education board approved a federal pilot program Tuesday to give the state more flexibility dealing with troubled schools.

Under the federal Differential Accountability Program, schools that fail to meet standards under the federal No Child Left Behind program will receive targeted help from education experts.

In the past, schools were required to take specific, federally mandated steps at specific times if they failed to make adequate yearly progress under the law.

Now, state education leaders can assess each failing school and design programs that best fit the school. Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland and Ohio were accepted to the pilot program earlier this year.

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