WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is giving seven more states and the District of Columbia continued flexibility from the requirements of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind education law.
Besides the nation's capital, Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Tuesday announced the renewal of waivers for Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, New York, and West Virginia.
Current law requires schools to use standardized tests in reading and math to measure student progress. Schools in states with waivers wouldn't be excused from the testing requirements but instead could develop and implement their own plans to measure progress that go beyond the required testing. The idea is to free the states from some of the more rigid parts of No Child Left Behind while Congress works on an update to the law.
"These states are effectively making strides towards ensuring that every child has access to the life-changing and life-transforming opportunities that a quality education creates," Duncan said in a conference call with reporters.
Duncan said states and local districts are showing "incredible creativity in using different means to achieve the same goal — getting every student in America college- and career-ready."
Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, West Virginia and the District of Columbia had their waivers extended for three years, through the 2017-18 school year. New York received a four-year renewal, through the 2018-19 school year.