No Child Left Behind waivers: five ways education will change President Obama announced the first 10 states to receive waivers from certain aspects of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) federal education law on Thursday. Many of these states are considered leaders in education reform for the 21st century. Here’s a look at some ways they are pushing for progress through the flexibility granted by the waivers. - Stacy Teicher Khadaroo, Staff writer 1. More subjects measured Under NCLB, critics said, the focus on improving reading and math scores narrowed the curriculum, leaving less time for other subjects. One example of how a waiver would change this: Under Kentucky’s assessment and accountability model approved through its waiver, schools must conduct a yearly program review to ... Continue reading →

Many educators applaud the waivers from some parts of No Child Left Behind, saying the education-reform law has a one-size-fits-all approach. Others worry that minorities could suffer. For 10 states, the chance to get No Child Left Behind off their backs has finally arrived, with President Obama announcing long-awaited waivers from some aspects of the federal education law Thursday. Skip to next paragraph The George W. Bush-era bipartisan law has widely been credited with bringing to light achievement gaps in which racial minority, low-income, disabled, and non-native English speaking students have been the most left behind. But it’s also been widely criticized for a one-size-fits all approach to accountability, with many states saying it’s an albatross.“With the waivers, Obama has changed the landscape of accountability ... Continue reading →