The Obama administration has approved Nevada's request to substitute its own student achievement and teacher accountability standards for the federal No Child Left Behind law.
Nevada's plan creates the Nevada School Performance Framework for classifying and rewarding school performance.
The waiver was announced Wednesday by Gov. Brian Sandoval and state Superintendent James Guthrie.
Sandoval says the waiver represents "a new day" for education in Nevada.
The state applied for a waiver in February, but officials reworked Nevada's application after receiving feedback from the U.S Department of Education.
Nevada is one of 33 states and the District of Columbia that have been granted waivers from the federal education law.
Washoe County Superintendent Pedro Martinez released this statement regarding the waiver:
"We are very pleased with the decision by the U.S. Department of Education to grant Nevada a waiver from the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Washoe County School District was very involved with the development of the waiver application, and we are excited about the new accountability framework. The Nevada School Performance Framework is built around student growth, which provides a more complete picture of student achievement. The new system raises the standard of education in our state by raising the bar for all students. It will allow us to continue to focus on continuous improvement at schools throughout Washoe County so that every child receives a high-quality education that readies them for college and highly-skilled careers. We look forward to continuing our positive relationship with the Governor's Office and the Nevada Department of Education in our joint pursuit of excellence in our schools and to achieving our goal of ‘every child, by name and face, to graduation.'"
