WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that Ohio has received a waiver for key provisions of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law that would increase flexibility for local schools and improve the quality of instruction for Ohio students. In February, Ohio submitted an application to the Obama Administration that would exempt the state from certain NCLB mandates in exchange for the implementation of proposed education reforms.

“This waiver will allow teachers and administrators to focus on providing quality education for our students, rather than just checking the boxes,” Brown said. “We must all work together to prepare Ohio’s youth for college and career.”

Ohio is one of 18 states that will receive flexibility from NCLB because of the state’s plan to raise standards and improve accountability. The waiver announced today will:

  • Set performance targets based on whether students graduate from high school prepared for the workplace and higher education;
  • Design locally-tailored interventions to help students achieve rather than the one-size-fits-all remedies prescribed under NCLB;
  • Emphasize student growth and progress using multiple measures instead of relying solely on test scores; and
  • Increase flexibility in how they spend federal funds to benefit students.

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