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Education Department Introduces New Flexibility for NCLB Waivers

States still developing their No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver applications can also request a one-year extension of their student achievement targets, according to a letter sent by the U.S. Department of Education Tuesday to chief state school officers.

States still developing their No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver applications can also request a one-year extension of their student achievement targets, according to a letter sent by the U.S. Department of Education Tuesday to chief state school officers.

The letter also announced that the third deadline for applying for a NCLB waiver is Sept. 6. The department offered top state education officials the option of maintaining their 2010-2011 annual measurable objectives (AMOs), which are used to determine whether schools made adequate yearly progress (AYP), for 2011-2012 in exchange for making several committments, including a pledge to eventually apply for a full NCLB waiver.

Under the current law, states must increase their AMOs yearly, leading up to the requirement of 100 percent proficiency by 2014. The extensions would allow states to maintain their 2011-2012 AMOs at 2010-2011 levels while developing an application for a full NCLB waiver.

In the letter, the department said states must also adopt to the following policies to receive a one-year AMO waiver:

  • Adopt college-and-career-ready standards
  • Provide student-growth data to teachers
  • Identify achievement and graduate rate gaps
The full letter can be found below.

 
Dylan Scott is a GOVERNING staff writer.
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