Waiver would change school accountability in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s request for a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law gives a glimpse of how state educators would like to judge the state’s schools in the future.

For example, they would dump the current law’s system of determining which schools are failing based on comparing test scores in math and reading between different groups of students.

Instead they propose creating a system of measures that would also take into account students’ academic growth, schools’ success in shrinking the achievement gap and, for high schools, the graduation rate.

The Minnesota Department of Education submitted its request on Monday evening, putting the state in the first group of states to apply for a waiver.

Education Commissioner Brenda Cassellius says she’s hopeful the request will be granted.