Pennsylvania, New Jersey consider No Child Left Behind waivers

Under the No Child Left Behind Act, 100 percent of students are expected to be proficient in reading and math by 2014.

With the announcement that states can apply for a waiver, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan pretty much said, yea that’s not happening. As many as 80 percent of schools could fail to meet that requirement.

But the waiver, as WHYY’s Mara Zepeda reports, would allow states with schools meeting other education requirements to potentially avoid penalties for failing to meet the proficiency levels.

Jim Buckheit, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association for School Administrators, is pleased about the waiver. NJ Spotlight details the requirements for states considering the waiver. About 50 percent of the public schools in the Garden State don’t meet the proficiency requirement.