'No Child Left Behind' Deemed Cumbersome as Obama Grants Waivers to 10 States
The Obama administration has freed 10 states from the George W. Bush era No Child Left Behind federal law that sought to improve test scores and education standards in the nation's public schools.
The first round of 10 wavers were announced Thursday morning, with Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee all getting their exemptions, the LA Times reported. In exchange of no longer having to match up to the high test scores, the above mentioned states will enjoy greater flexibility on a local level and be able to set their own strategies on how to improve education.
No Child Left Behind was a bi-partisan effort signed in 2002, but many now consider it too cumbersome and a hindrance to progress, because it forces schools to focus heavily on obtaining high test scores from students, or face sanctions. The idea behind the law,as described by The Associated Press, was to hold education facilities accountable for the performance of all students, no matter their race, income, disabilities or level of English proficiency.
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The law requires that all students be proficient in reading and math by 2014, which means that they must perform at grade level in those subjects. It has led to schools focusing too heavily on how students are fairing with test scores, and pressures them to do all that they can to improve the scores to match the standards – failure in this goal puts schools in danger or harsh consequences, such as sending children to higher-performing schools, offering tutoring and replacing staff.
"After waiting far too long for Congress to reform No Child Left Behind, my administration is giving states the opportunity to set higher, more honest standards in exchange for more flexibility," President Barack Obama stated during the announcement.
The waivers will hope to create comprehensive systems of teacher and principal development, evaluation and support that include factors beyond test scores, such as principal observation, peer review, student work, or parent and student feedback.
"Today, we're giving 10 states the green light to continue making reforms that are best for them. Because if we're serious about helping our children reach their potential, the best ideas aren't going to come from Washington alone. Our job is to harness those ideas, and to hold states and schools accountable for making them work," The president added.
Congress has been accused of being too slow to reform the law and make it more productive. The 10 states that received waivers, for example, have been unable to reach the standards the government requires. The AP shared that 28 other states, including D.C. and the territory of Puerto Rico will also take advantage of the waiver.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan declared his support of Obama's decision on Thursday, highlighting the weaknesses of No Child Left Behind. He explained that it actually drives down standards and labels too many schools as failing.
"Rather than dictating educational decisions from Washington, we want state and local educators to decide how to best meet the individual needs of students," Duncan said.
