Duncan says states will get No Child Left Behind waivers

Seeing “no clear path” toward reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind education law, the Obama administration announced on Aug. 8 that it will unilaterally issue waivers to states, exempting them from some of the law’s regulations.

States and local administrators had been clamoring to the Department of Education for relief from federal mandates — and the sanctions that threaten to punish schools for not meeting the law’s requirements.

In September, the administration will announce the details of the plan. In a conference call with reporters, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said all states will be encouraged to apply for regulatory relief in exchange for “reforms,” which include raising standards for student achievement, implementing school improvement plans, focusing on fixing the lowest-performing schools, and teacher evaluation systems.

“I cannot overemphasize how loud the outcry is for us to do something now,” said Duncan. “Our job, simply put, is to support reform at the state and local level. We need to get out of the way wherever we can.”

No Child Left Behind requires that by 2014 all students test proficient in grade-level reading and math and that schools have a 100 percent graduation rate. Critics of the law have pointed out that schools with higher populations of low-income students, English language learners and students with disabilities are hardest hit trying to meet those goals and are sanctioned each year even if they show progress.

Politico, Aug. 8

The Tennessean, Aug.