Government says more than half of U.S. schools failing

The Department of Education estimates the number of schools not meeting targets will skyrocket from 37 to 82 percent in 2011 because states are toughening their standards to meet the requirements of the law. The schools will face sanctions ranging from offering tutoring to closing their doors.

"No Child Left Behind is broken and we need to fix it," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Wednesday.

President Barack Obama campaigned to reform the law, the question still exists as to how to do it.

The law has a goal of having all students proficient in math and reading by 2014. Currently, however, the law only shows the gap in achievement among minority students and students with disabilities.

"We should get out of the business of labeling schools as failures and create a new law that is fair and flexible, and focused on the schools and students most at risk," Duncan said.