The standards in President Bush's new education law are so demanding that educators believe thousands of schools across the nation - the overwhelming majority in some states - could be labeled as failing. Even in states such as Connecticut and North Carolina, where public schools are considered among the best in the nation, officials predict that vast numbers of schools will fall short of targets under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Although officials have praised the law's intent to improve academic performance, some worry that it will single out far too many schools for intervention. In North Carolina,...