Kansas education officials say negotiations
with the federal government are moving the state closer to
obtaining a waiver from requirements of the No Child Left Behind
law.
Judi Miller, an administrator with the Kansas education
department, told the State Board of Education on Tuesday that
federal officials have approved parts of the state’s application.
A waiver would remove the federal mandate for all Kansas
students to demonstrate proficiency in math and reading by 2014.
Kansas would instead adopt new standards for measuring the
annual progress of schools and districts toward student proficiency
in reading and math. The state would also develop its own method
for assessing the quality of teachers and administrators, and for
providing more opportunities for career and technical education.
