By Devin Katayama
Louisville, KY – Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday says he feels positive about Kentucky's application to waive federal requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act. Several states will be turning in applications today for exemptions from NCLB regulations that many consider outdated and unrealistic.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was in Louisville last week and met with Holliday to discuss the state's application. Holliday says Duncan expressed some concerns, including parts of NCLB that keep track of low-income and minority student performance. Holliday says Kentucky's application has addressed those issues:
"We don't want to lose sight of those. That's been the big concern and with the waiver process we don't want to lose sight of the good things about No Child Left Behind which was to focus on all children."
Holliday will learn whether Kentucky is exempt from NCLB in a couple months. The state has already begun to implement parts of its own accountability system.