2001 - President Bush signs his No Child Left Behind (NCLB) initiative - a federal accountability system - into law. The system requires schools to show annual gains on state tests for all student groups, regardless of ethnicity, poverty, first language or disability.

2001-2003 - State Office of Education pauses development of U-PASS system to focus on requirements of No Child law.

January 2004 - Rep. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, sponsors a bill to opt out of NCLB, citing federal intrusion and excessive cost.

February 2004 - U.S. Department of Education officials come to Salt Lake City and threaten to withhold $106 million - most of it targeting low-income students - if Utah boycotts NCLB.

March 2004 - Legislature pushes Dayton's bill to interim study.

January 2005 - Dayton returns with House Bill 135, which doesn't opt out but instead places Utah's education priorities and systems ahead of NCLB.

February 2005 - House unanimously passes HB135.

March 2005 - Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. asks Senate not to take final vote before general session's end. He wants more time to negotiate with Washington for flexibility under NCLB. Huntsman promises a special session to pass Dayton's bill if feds don't budge. The Senate honors his request.

March-April 2005 - Huntsman education deputy Tim Bridgewater continues negotiations with federal government.

April 7 - U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announces flexibility for testing special education students, as well as a willingness to consider state accountability plans.

April 18 - Spellings sends letter to Sen. Orrin Hatch detailing potential $76 million loss in federal funding if Utah doesn't comply with NCLB.

April 19-20 - Special session to vote on Dayton's bill, now known as House Bill 1001.