DOE’s wish for 2005:
More flexibility

All of us have hopes and dreams for 2005. Many of them are personal in nature and involve family members and friends. As an organization, the Department of Education is busy planning for the upcoming year, and we should have some well-defined goals prior to the 2005 legislative session. However, one of our greatest hopes is for increased flexibility within the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Some recent meetings have given us hope that we may have more options in 2005.

I attended a meeting in Washington, D.C., in early December. The purpose of the meeting was to propose changes in the current administration of NCLB. Many issues were discussed, but there was particular emphasis on the following areas:

• Growth model
• Special education
• Limited English proficient students
• Highly qualified teachers

We are hopeful that movement will occur in each of these areas. 

In addition to the areas mentioned above, the department is currently reviewing our own flexibility in the administration of NCLB in South Dakota. We have recently discussed the following areas to determine if we can assist the schools in our state as they attempt to meet the standards of NCLB.

• Residentially placed students
• Applying more flexibility with safe harbor
• Reviewing AMO targets in graduation rate/attendance
• Determining how school results are reported to the public

We do recognize that schools have worked extremely hard to meet the standards of NCLB. It is our hope that we will see increased flexibility from the U.S. Department of Education along with additional assistance from the South Dakota Department of Education.

Best wishes for a prosperous 2005!