News Brief

02/08/13

Five Important Questions About NCLB Waiver Implementation

Education Week (02/08/13) McNeil, Michele

Following the recent U.S. Senate hearing on the Obama administration's No Child Left Behind waivers, New Jersey Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, New York Education Commissioner John King, Jr., and Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday engaged in a one-hour discussion about the waivers hosted by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Moderator Andy Rotherham and the audience asked a number of questions and found that the waivers may not be as successful in some states as in others. Cerf said he does not want to see a lot of back-and-forth between the states and the federal government regarding the waivers and potential changes to Race to the Top promises among states. King indicated he would like to see the U.S. Department of Education publicly call out states that are not responsibly implementing their waivers and levy financial penalties against them. "We have to be careful not to conflate flexibility with the Wild West," he said. Cerf would prefer states be held accountable for student outcomes rather than the technical details of their individual plans, and King said it is the responsibility of educators to deal with lower test results when they switch over to common tests and cut scores. In terms of possible obstacles for states, Cerf said districts will need new systems of improvement, like regional achievement centers, and Holliday said states need greater district-level innovation. Additionally, King said the public must believe that the lowest-performing schools can be improved.

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