The New Hampshire Department of Education says it will not yet ask the federal government for flexibility with the requirements of No Child Left Behind, the federal education law. The DOE is gearing up to request a waiver this spring.
According to state education officials New Hampshire is not ready to ask for a waiver from the toughest testing standards required under No Child Left Behind. Paul Leather from the Department of Education says in order to get a waiver, the state must first build a system that will evaluate teacher and principal effectiveness.
"The federal template really requires state-level control of that evaluation system, where-as in New Hampshire where those decisions have been historically made at the local level," Leather say "we are still building an accountability system that will work for the state."
Leather says it’s “very likely” the state will be ready to apply for a waiver the next spring.
President Obama announced last week the first ten states that will be given flexibility on the No Child Left Behind standards, which include Massachusetts.