AUGUSTA — Maine will not meet a Feb. 28 deadline for requesting a waiver from some provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind accountability system for schools.

The Obama administration announced in September that it would grant states some flexibility in meeting No Child Left Behind’s targets, as long as the states create their own accountability and improvement systems.

The Maine Department of Education announced today that policymakers need more time to develop guidelines for evaluating the effectiveness of schools and educators.

“We cannot hurriedly create a new plan in Augusta and force it on schools and expect it to be embraced,” Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen said in a news release.

Maine’s schools will continue to operate under the requirements and labeling system of No Child Left Behind for at least one more year.


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