Secretary Lowery Joins Obama, Duncan for NCLB Waiver Announcement
Delaware Secretary of Education Dr. Lillian M. Lowery joined President Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in Washington, D.C., today as the President announced flexibility from some provisions of the No Child Left Behind act in exchange for aggressive state-led reforms. Lowery welcomed the opportunity to answer their call to apply for a waiver.
“This vision for innovative and aggressive reform -- backed by stringent accountability -- is in line with the work already underway in Delaware,” Lowery said.
For example:
- Delaware already is transitioning to college- and career-ready standards and assessments thanks to last year’s adoption of the national Common Core Standards and implementation of our new computer-adaptive DCAS test as well as the state-funded school-day SAT administration.
- At the urging of educators and parents, Delaware began the transition to a growth model several years ago, which aligns with USED’s call to develop a system that recognizes and rewards schools that are making progress closing achievement gaps.
- Statewide reform efforts, including Delaware’s Partnership Zone, already are focusing extra help and resources to improve student learning in the state’s persistently low-achieving schools.
- Delaware also is on the forefront nationally in connecting student progress over time and multiple measures of professional practice to educator evaluations through the addition of a student growth measure to our DPAS II evaluation system.
“The President’s announcement today will help Delaware realize its vision that every single student in our system will graduate college and career ready, with the freedom to choose his or her life’s course,” Lowery said. “This flexibility frees our educators from unfair and outdated federal sanctions and rewards them for the aggressive reforms they are undertaking on behalf of Delaware’s children.”
The President’s press release with more details on the waiver package is provided below.
Obama Administration Offers Flexibility from No Child Left Behind
Today, the Obama Administration outlined how states can get relief from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – or No Child Left Behind (NCLB) – in exchange for serious state-led efforts to close achievement gaps, promote rigorous accountability, and ensure that all students are on track to graduate college- and career-ready.
“To help states, districts and schools that are ready to move forward with education reform, our administration will provide flexibility from the law in exchange for a real commitment to undertake change. The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level,” President Obama said.
What this means for you:
- For Teachers: A collaborative learning culture where teachers can target instruction towards the needs of students and offer a well-rounded curriculum. Fair and responsible evaluations that are based on multiple measures including peer review, principal observation, and classroom work.
- For Principals: Greater flexibility to tailor solutions to the unique educational challenges of their students and recognition for progress and performance.
- For Parents: Accurate and descriptive information about their children’s progress and honest accountability that recognizes and rewards success – where schools fall short – targeted and focused strategies for the students most at risk.
- For Students: A system that measures student growth and critical thinking to inspire better teaching and greater student engagement across a well-rounded curriculum.
For more information on how this flexibility package may affect you, read our blog post: What NCLB Flexibility Means for You.
Get the Facts:
- Detailed info can be found at ED.gov's ESEA Flexibility page
On the Blog:
You are subscribed to News from Secretary Duncan and ED from the U.S. Department of Education.
|
Delaware's Department of Education is committed to promoting the highest quality education
for every Delaware student by providing visionary leadership and superior service.
|
Contact Info.
Alison Kepner Delaware Department of Education 401 Federal Street, Suite #2 Dover, Delaware 19901 Phone: (302) 735-4035 Fax: (302) 739-4654 Email: akepner@doe.k12.de.us |
Other Press Releases |
