The U.S. Department of Education announced today it is reinstating Oklahoma’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Flexibility Waiver for the 2014-15 school year.
The NCLB waiver was pulled in August following the repeal of Common Core academic standards by state legislators. At the time, Assistant Education Secretary Deborah Delisle told Oklahoma officials they could "no longer demonstrate that the state's standards are college- and career-ready standards."
In a letter Monday, USDE said the waiver's eligibility was reconsidered after the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education determined the state's existing Priority Academic Student Skills, or PASS, standards for English and math were college- and career-ready.
“On behalf of Oklahoma educators, parents, students, lawmakers and all Oklahomans invested in better schools, we are grateful for this decision to reinstate the state’s flexibility waiver,” said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Janet Barresi. “The ramifications of losing the waiver would have been significant and with potentially disastrous consequences. Instead, Oklahoma now has an opportunity to build upon the innovations and successful reforms of recent years.”
The current waiver only covers the 2014-15 school year. State officials will have to request another NCLB Flexibility Waiver for the 2015-16 school year.
