Submissions will be received from October 11 until October 21, 2011. We welcome feedback..."

On September 23, the US Department of Education announced that the federal government would invite states to apply for flexibility from the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). States would be granted flexibility in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive state-developed plans designed to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity, and improve the quality of instruction.

An overview of the federal guidance for this application can be found in the document below, located on the US Department of Education’s website.

http://www.ed.gov/esea/flexibility

As outlined in this guidance, states would be required to submit a plan in the following three areas:
Transitioning to college- and career-ready standards and assessments
Developing systems of differentiated recognition, accountability, and support
Evaluating teacher and principal effectiveness and supporting improvement

Because such changes would have a major impact on our state’s educators and families, we are soliciting input from K-12 stakeholders and the broader public on what elements should be included in New Jersey’s application. Please visit the link below to submit comments to the Department.

https://education.state.nj.us/esea/

Submissions will be received from October 11 until October 21, 2011. We welcome feedback in any of the three areas outlined in the federal application.  Please circulate this link to all interested parties.