Good or Bad? NJ Released from No Child Left Behind Law

New Jersey is among 10 states no longer compelled to adhere to the No Child Left Behind standards, according to NBC 10 Philadelphia.

The Obama administration freed 10 states that applied for waivers from the law. In return, the states had to supply alternate plans for how children will be educated and tested.

The 10 states needed to prove their plans for how to “prepare children for college and careers, set new targets for improving achievement among all students, reward the best performing schools and focus help on the ones doing the worst,” NBC 10 reported.

No Child Left Behind has been under intense scrutiny since its enactment in 2002. It requires students to meet certain benchmarks set by states or risk federal funding for schools.

Supporters characterize the law as a way to ensure standards, improve education for children, force underperforming schools to shape up and close achievement gaps between socioeconomic and racial groups. Critics say it is an under-funded mandate that forces schools to “teach to the test” and imposes unrealistic deadlines.

Along with New Jersey, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Tennessee were granted No Child Left Behind waivers.

What do you think? Is it good for New Jersey schools to get the waiver and use their own standards to evaluate students’ learning? Or, given the achievement gaps between rich and poor districts, is the waiver a bad thing for students?

Vote in the poll and share your thoughts below.