RALEIGH -- State Board of Education members are in Washington, D.C., to put in their two cents on No Child Left Behind.

They left late Wednesday morning and have a busy schedule meeting with North Carolina's Congressional members and U.S. education officials.

The federal law requires schools to make progress each year in reading and math. The ultimate goal is to have all students proficient by 2014. The program is up for renewal this year and reform is likely.

"It's absolutely important," Board member Wayne McDevitt said. "There's a lot of input but the states play a particular role in the implementation that we'll be conveying our own experience with No Child Left Behind over these past five years and convey some of the things we think need to be tweaked to move forward."

Right now less than half of North Carolina schools are meeting progress expectations. Board members will return to Raleigh Thursday night.