Their comments came in the national teleconference announcing the report's findings. The teleconference included Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and Utah Rep. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, who sponsored the law to prioritize state education goals and spending over federal goals.

"I have a great concern that our education systems will not be benefited under the deadening hand of bureaucracy," Dayton said.

The U.S. Department of Education says it's unfortunate some states find reform more trouble than it's worth "and are not acting in the best interest of America's children," said Samara Yudof of the department's Office of Public Affairs.

"What is really happening is a revolution of accountability and high standards across the nation," Yudof said. "Nearly every state is working hard to help all students achieve. No Child Left Behind is working — evidence from both the Nation's Report Card and the states' own data prove it."

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