State reworking bid to exit federal education mandates (WI)

JS Online ^ | 5-14-12 | Erin Richards

[afraidfortherepublic]

Wisconsin is reworking its application for relief from certain elements of a 10-year-old federal education law, based on feedback received from the U.S. Department of Education last month that outlined where the state's application was light on details.

A letter from April 17 indicates the state needs a better plan for transitioning to college- and career-ready standards in its schools, and for implementing teacher and principal evaluation and support systems. Wisconsin's plan also needs ambitious yearly objectives for schools and better criteria for recognizing progress over time in persistently low-performing schools.

State officials on Monday said the cycle of feedback and revision is normal as states around the country propose new accountability measures for schools that would replace the punitive system under the federal law known as No Child Left Behind.

"This is very, very common," Lynette Russell, assistant state superintendent for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, said in an interview Monday.

"We've put together a draft response to the bullet points (in the April 17 letter) so we can make sure we've included everything they're seeking. Then we'll rewrite the waiver application."

Patrick Gasper, spokesman for the DPI, said the state would resubmit its waiver application this month.

Wisconsin was one of 26 states that applied in February for a waiver from elements of the No Child Left Behind law that mandates all children be proficient in reading and math by 2014.

That goal is widely believed to be unrealistic, and a growing number of schools in Wisconsin and nationwide have missed yearly progress targets leading up to 2014 and were subsequently labeled as failures under the law.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Wisconsin No Child Left Behind proposed exit ping

FReep Mail me if you want on, or off, this Wisconsin interest ping list.

[alloysteel]

And this puts Governor Scott Walker in a bad light....how?

The Journal-Sentinal would not be bringing up this story unless it was to excite the base of unionized teachers. But in fact “No Child Left Behind” has never lived up to its expectations, and except for the direct beneficiaries (the NEA and affiliated union agencies), it does not substitute for instilling basic skills in reading, mathematics and logical thinking which so many of our youth miss out on in the “assembly-line” schooling system we are saddled with.

[knittnmom]

Besides, I thought educators all hated “no child left behind” - after all, it was a Bush plan.