PITTSBURGH - Superintendents from 19 Western Pennsylvania counties were expected to sign a petition today recommending federal legislators make changes to the No Child Left Behind Act.

School superintendents from Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Indiana, Jefferson, Lawrence, Mercer, Venango, Warren, Washington and Westmoreland counties planned to meet at the North Hills Junior High School at 1 p.m. to sign the petition, which requests "necessary refinements" to the law.

Once the petition is signed, it will bring the number of Western Pennsylvania superintendents to officially ask for the changes to 300.

The petition requests these changes be law:

Allow special education students' progress to be measured by the assessments specified in the individual education plan.

Provide sufficient time and accommodation for assessing limited English proficient children.

Fully fund this act and other federal mandates to support schools and districts in accomplishing the goals established for them.

Schools represented by the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV in Grove City, which includes all the school districts in Butler County, signed the petition in March.