This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's waiver from No Child Left Behind expires next summer, but if the state school board requests an extension, it could last until 2018.
The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday that states can now request a three-year waiver extension rather than the traditional annual renewal from the embattled federal law.
Utah first received a waiver in 2012, which allows the state to avoid punitive sanctions tied to student performance in exchange for adopting college- and career-ready education standards and a system of teacher performance evaluations.
Without a waiver, a Utah school would need a 100-percent proficiency rate on year-end tests or potentially face diverted funding, administrative shakeups or school closures.
"The idea of having a three-year extension, rather than a year-to-year extension, does provide a little more stability so that schools and districts know what to expect," said state school board chairman David Crandall.
The state school board voted unanimously in August to request a one-year extension. But that decision was met with vocal criticism, particularly from individuals and groups opposed to the Common Core State Standards.
Critics of the waivers have accused the Obama administration of circumventing the legislative process and using the threat of No Child Left Behind to coerce states into adopting the Common Core.
Utah's latest waiver request included language reaffirming that the state maintains control over its school standards and curriculum. Board members have also maintained that the Common Core was adopted independent of flexibility from No Child Left Behind.
Federal education leaders accepted the state's waiver request, including the new language, in October.
"We took the stance that the department knows what we're doing and they can either grant a waiver or not grant a waiver," Crandall said. "We're not going to be bound by the the waiver to behave a certain way."
Before Utah education leaders decide to request a three-year extension, Crandall said, the board would have to debate the issue and review requirements set by the federal government.
Utah Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka, a longtime critic of No Child Left Behind, said it remains to be seen whether Utah's current waiver contributed to greater local control.
Ruzicka said the waiver only frees states from provisions of No Child Left Behind, but the law itself needs to be changed or abandoned entirely.
"Why aren't we just out of it?" she said. "Nobody wants No Child Left Behind. It's time for Congress to just repeal No Child Left Behind."
Ruzicka said the state school board needs to be very clear what the waivers entail before they sign on to a three-year commitment.
"I want to know for certain that there are no entanglements at all," she said.
States must request a three-year extension no later than March 31, 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Certain states that were among the first to receive waivers also will be able to request a four-year extension through the 2018-2019 school year.