Idaho education officials plan to adopt their own grading system for public schools while seeking a waiver to get around provisions of the Bush-era No Child Left Behind education law.
Under a new accountability system developed by the state Department of Education, Idaho schools would use a new five-star scale to evaluate and recognize schools. The new measuring system would include standardized tests, graduation rates and student enrollment in advanced courses.
Idaho is embarking on its own course after opting to reject the latest requirements for determining school progress under No Child Left Behind, which is known primarily for its emphasis on standardized tests and the labeling of thousands of schools as “failures.”
Idaho and a handful of other states spearheaded a rebellion against No Child Left Behind last year, saying it sets unrealistic benchmarks and fails to accurately measure student growth.
President Barack Obama announced in September that since Congress had failed to rewrite the education law, he would allow states that meet certain requirements to apply for a waiver to get around it.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna is focusing instead on education reforms approved last year that emphasize academic growth for students and less on whether children can pass a specific test. (AP)
