NCLB Waiver Cheat Sheet: How to Win in the Second Round
With the clock ticking toward the Feb. 28 second-round deadline for states to apply for a waiver under No Child Left Behind, states are scrambling to glean insight from the first-round results so they can get their proposals in tip-top shape.
You can dig through the voluminous amount of documents that the Education Department posted online from each state, or read their cheat sheet for advice on how to make the outside peer reviewers, and federal officials, happy. (Thanks to the loyal Politics K-12 reader for flagging this document for us, which remains fairly hidden on the department's website. We always appreciate such tips!)
Here are the biggest flaws in state applications that peer reviewers had concerns about:
- A lack of consultation with relevant stakeholders in creating the waiver proposal. The department requires that states "meaningfully" engage with teachers, unions, parents, and community organizations,