INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The U.S. Department of Education has approved a one-year extension of Indiana's waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind education law after the state addressed concerns over how it monitored low-performing schools and evaluated teachers and principals.
Federal officials announced the extension Thursday. The state was told in April that its waiver was in jeopardy over its failure to follow through on promises made in its initial waiver plan.
The initial plan was submitted by former Republican schools Superintendent Tony Bennett. His successor, Democrat Glenda Ritz, submitted a revised waiver.
The waiver plays a critical role in determining how much say the state has in how millions of federal Title I dollars are spent.
Indiana was one of 10 states to receive a waiver from the law in 2012.
