Kansas Could Lose No Child Left Behind Waiver

Kansas education officials plan to ask for an extension of their waiver from the No Child Left Behind law.

The U.S. Department of Education put Kansas on notice that it’s at "high risk" of losing its waiver because Kansas hadn’t taken enough steps to use student growth data as part of teacher evaluations. The waivers give states more flexibility in meeting some of the provisions of No Child Left Behind.

Education officials say they aren’t closer to installing a new teacher evaluation system than they were last summer.

Kansas must have a plan with final guidelines for teacher evaluations by May 1 to continue its waiver. Education Commissioner Diane DeBacker says a new appeal will seek another year as the state develops new teacher evaluations.