WASHINGTON – Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on Friday praised Georgia’s broad plan to measure school success as a model for other states seeking waivers from the controversial No Child Left Behind law.
Duncan and state school Superintendent John Barge spoke to reporters on a conference call after President Barack Obama formally announced the waiver program. Though both parties agree that No Child Left Behind has shortcomings, particularly in overemphasizing test scores, Congress has failed to come together on an updated law. So the Obama administration will allow states to opt out of the adequate yearly progress requirement in the law if they can come up with an acceptable alternative plan to appraise student progress.
Barge and Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., presented the Georgia plan to Duncan this week. Barge’s proposal would include scores on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test as well as attendance, college or career readiness and other factors.
In his first public comments on the Georgia plan, Duncan said he was impressed with how Barge solicited input from varied sources to develop the standards. The education secretary also noted the state’s success as one of 12 winners of the administration's Race to the Top funding for reform plans.
“Georgia has a real chance, just as they did in Race to the Top, to help lead the country to where we need to go,” Duncan said. “Georgia has taken this not as an opportunity to perpetuate the status quo or rest on its laurels, but to push forward in a very, very meaningful way.”
Duncan said he also has spoken to Gov. Nathan Deal and encouraged Georgia to make a few tweaks and resubmit a formal waiver application. Duncan said he expects to approve the first wave of waivers by year's end. Barge has said he wants the new guidelines in place this school year to establish a baseline and help prevent many of the state's schools from being labeled as "failing" and losing federal funding.
"We are excited for the opportunity to truly measure what our schools are doing," Barge said.
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