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DPI releases NCLB waiver draft, seeks public comment
Posted: 1/23/2012 3:59:53 PM
The state Department of Public Instruction on Monday released its draft waiver request for the state to apply for flexibility under No Child Left Behind mandates. States can apply to the U.S. Department of Education for a waiver if they show how they will use the flexibility to enhance instruction and student outcomes.
Wisconsin is well-positioned to apply for a NCLB waiver, with work over the past year to create a system of school and educator accountability as well as a transition to new assessments. The DPI is seeking public comment on the draft (see link below to take the survey) and will turn in the application February 21.
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, renamed No Child Left Behind, has “shackled schools by being overly prescriptive and prohibiting creative reforms that would help more students gain the skills needed for further education and the workforce,” State Superintendent Tony Evers said. “Wisconsin’s request for flexibility from NCLB is driven by the belief that increasing rigor across the standards, assessment, and accountability system will result in improved instruction and improved student outcomes,” he added.
Wisconsin’s application focuses on four areas:
College and Career-Ready Expectations for All Students
- The WKCE assessment will be replaced with exam aligned to Common Core Standards, with an emphasis on literacy.
- New proficiency levels based on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP).
- Increase in graduation standards: minimum of three years of math and science.
Differentiated Recognition, Accountability, and Support
- Schools will be held accountable for student attainment, growth in student achievement, closing achievement gaps, and on-track to graduation and postsecondary readiness.
- An index system will be developed that uses multiple measures to classify schools along a continuum of performance and a new school report card will be developed.
- The state’s lowest-performing schools and those with the largest achievement gaps will be identified. New procedures for identifying schools and districts will replace the current Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) determination and will establish recognition for high-performing schools.
- All publicly funded schools included in accountability and support measures (under NCLB, only Schools Identified for Improvement that receive Title I funding must implement reforms).
Support for Effective Instruction and Leadership
- Teachers and principals evaluated based on educator practice and student outcomes.
- Evaluations will link to each educator’s professional development plan.
- Provisions in the draft waiver request are based on recommendations from the State Superintendent’s Educator Effectiveness Design Team.
Reduce Duplication and Unnecessary Burden
- New reporting system will consolidate information and include timely updates.
Read the full draft
Click here to read more about each focus area or the entire draft waiver.
Add your thoughts
The DPI is conducting an online survey to gather public feedback and guidance on the waiver. The survey will be open until February 3. Click here to take the survey.
