The details of IN education changes

SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTHI) - Changes to the federal education act “No Child Left Behind” relieve Indiana of the requirements.

The question remains what that means for Hoosier schools.

Heavy debates and strong opinions surround the No Child Left Behind Act more than a decade after its creation.

Now, Indiana isn’t part of the debate.

"I am very pleased that Indiana asked for a waiver, and I'm also pleased that the U.S. Department of Education approved Indiana for a waiver," Southwest Sullivan School Corporation Superintendent Keith Brashear said.

The first 10 states to be declared free from the education law are Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Each state presented high state standards to be considered for the waiver.

"So when it comes to fixing what's wrong with No Child Left Behind, we've offered every state the same deal,” President Barack Obama said. “We've said 'if you're willing to set high, more honest standards that the ones that were set by No Child Left Behind, then we're going to give you the flexibility to meet those standards.’"

The response in Indiana is mixed. As with so many things, there are pros and cons.

"We were having to comply with two different accountability models,” Superintendent Brashear said. “We had the state model and then we had the No child left behind model, which is the federal model."

For Indiana, one negative is that new state requirements may be right around the corner.

"They're still working through the process of the A to F accountability model,” Brashear said.

The state model now grades schools and school corporations with an A through F plan. Different success rates and failures add up to scores that are given to schools. Failing for multiple years could result in state takeover.

“I think they're still tweaking that and trying to get it right."

As with anything related to political decision making, standards could fluctuate with different administrations.

"You never know whenever the state legislature could change they could come up with another accountability model," Brashear said.

In the end, the most important thing remains the education of the students.

"It's going to give us opportunities to be a little more flexible."

As standards change, schools in the Hoosier state and across the nation must continue to adjust.

The federal government can take back waivers if schools in a state don't meet guidelines.

For more details on the decision, visit the Indiana Department of Education website or click here to see State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett's response to the change.