As Vernon Ponders Education Reform Plans, State Applies for No Child Left Behind Waiver

Connecticut on Wednesday joined 36 other states and the District of Columbia in applying for a waiver from the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 from the United States Department of Education.

NCLB mandates that all schools achieve test proficiency with 100 percent of their students by 2014, requires a series of sanctions for schools that do not meet that goal, and places restrictions on the use of federal funding. 

State education officials said if Connecticut’s request is successful, the waiver will provide the state flexibility to design a new and improved system of accountability, support, and intervention in schools and districts and the ability to target federal funds to better meet student needs.

The concept was discussed prominently on Monday at a meeting of the Vernon Board of Education. Vernon schools were deemed at the bottom 30 of the state and local education authorities said a reform program - likely under state guidelines - is on the radar screen. 

"Above all, the waiver will enable Connecticut to focus on improving student learning. Under NCLB, schools were measured only based on the percentage of students who score proficient on standardized tests. With the waiver, Connecticut will take a more comprehensive approach to closing the achievement gap and creating academic excellence for all students. In our application, the CSDE commits to increasing the rigor of learning standards, setting a high bar for student achievement with a greater focus on student growth, and supporting high quality educator evaluation and support systems," the state Department of Education said in a statement.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said, “Connecticut’s submission of the waiver request is a critical next step for enacting real education reforms that will lead to dramatic gains for Connecticut’s students. Combined with our state legislative package, the plans in the application will help our state improve our education system, better position our young people for the jobs of tomorrow, and, as a result, enhance our economic competitiveness.”

Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor said, “Our application presents and, if successful, will advance the important activities and reforms currently under way in our state.   From the implementation of a curriculum and assessment system that prepares students for college and career to the establishment of an ambitious yet achievable set of performance goals, and from the development of supports and interventions in low-performing schools to the framing of an evaluation and support system for teachers and school leaders, this application lays out our vision on key fronts and sets forth a plan for us to elevate academic achievement in this state.”

As required by the United States Department of Education, Connecticut’s waiver application addresses four critical areas:

• Transitioning to college- and career-ready standards and assessments.
• Developing systems of differentiated recognition, accountability, and support.
• Evaluating and supporting teacher and principal effectiveness.
• Reducing duplication and unnecessary burden.

Eleven states applied for waivers in the initial round in November of 2011. All states’ waivers were approved in February 2012, stature officials said. A full copy of Connecticut’s waiver application is posted on the Connecticut State Department of Education Web site.