Wayzata School District Responds To No More NCLB Law

President Barack Obama announced Feb. 9 that Minnesota would be one of 10 states to receive a reprieve from the federal education law No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

In exchange, Minnesota would have to outline new, “bold” reforms to improve teacher effectiveness, grade school accountability and close the achievement gap in social and ethnic categories.

“My administration is giving states the opportunity to set higher, more honest standards in exchange for more flexibility,” Obama stated through a White House issued press release Thursday. “If we’re serious about helping our children reach their potential, the best ideas aren’t going to come from Washington alone.”

Minnesota requested a waiver from NCLB last year, laying out a plan in its place to reduce the achievement gap found via assessment tests over the next six years.

The movement, led by Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius, uses four measures of school performance, utilizing current tools such as the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment tests, Adequate Yearly Progress measures, a year-over-year measurement of student growth, and school district graduation rates.

Through those four measurements, three school designations will be created. Schools scoring in the bottom 5 percent will be designated as “Priority Schools,” where the state will focus on developing and implementing a turnaround plan for that school, or school district.

The next bottom 10 percent of schools, as measured by the state, will be tagged as “Focus Schools.” These schools will be asked to work with their respective school district and the MDE to identify which subgroups are creating an achievement gap, and target an improvement plan to address specific needs.

Finally, schools in the top 15 percent will be identified as “Reward Schools.” These schools will be asked to share best practices with MDE, and will be “publicly recognized” at the state level for their work.

"Minnesota’s No Child Left Behind waiver is a great step in the right direction," said Wayzata Communications Director Amy Parnell. "It will allow the Minnesota Department of Education to be in a better position to work with school districts to demonstrate accountability in student learning from a local perspective, which makes more sense."

The of last year.  

"The waiver is a good thing because it allows those closest to the work the ability to decide the appropriate materials, lessons and instructional methods to help students grow academically," Parnell said. "Schools will still be held accountable for student learning, but will have the flexibility to determine how to best meet student needs."

Obama granted the federal waivers after “waiting too long for reform,” he said. The administration requested rewrites to the national act back in 2010.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said the current NCLB law, as written, causes narrowing of curriculum.

"Teachers will have more flexibility," Parnell said. "There will be less teaching to the test and more personalization in meeting student learning needs."

The state will have to do a lot of work to inform people that the waiver doesn’t take Minnesota schools away for measuring improvement.

Most schools in the Wayzata School District made Annual Yearly Progress except one, which was a big part of meeting NCLB standards.

But just because AYP and NCLB may not be in Minnesota schools' future, it doesn't mean things should slide.

"Accountability for student proficiency and growth in reading and math will still be measured by state assessments, and we will continue providing our students will a challenging, engaging and personalized learning experience," Parnell said.