No Child Left Behind will now be a thing of the past for Florida and nine other states.

President Obama said his decision to free 10 states from the No Child Left Behind education law will give the flexibility they need to set high standards for students and hold schools accountable. 

The law requires all students to be proficient in reading and math by 2014.

Obama's action strips away that requirement in exchange for a viable substitute plan.

Obama says he's acting because Congress failed to update the law, despite widespread agreement it needs to be fixed.

In addition to Florida, the other states are Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.