Kansas receives NCLB waiver

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Kansas received approval today for flexibility in meeting certain provisions in the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The waiver, granted by the U.S. Department of Education, will substantially change how Kansas schools, educators and students are measured. Kansas is one of five states and the District of Columbia announced today, and now joins almost three dozen other states in receiving a waiver from the current No Child Left Behind requirements.

The changes outlined in Kansas' plan will move from simply measuring how many students score at "proficient" in reading and math to evaluating the improvement of all students and narrowing the gap between the highest and lowest-scoring students. It also requires the state adopt a teacher evaluation system with a greater emphasis on student learning.

"I'm extremely pleased with the plan that has been advanced with the approval of our state's flexibility request," said Education Commissioner Dr. Diane DeBacker. "An accountability system based on student growth and multiple measures is a key component of our waiver and I believe it will result in a far more meaningful assessment of the progress and success of Kansas schools."