Tribal school gets No Child waiver

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration for the first time on Monday granted an Indian tribe’s school flexibility regarding some of the requirements of the No Child Left Behind education law.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said they’re hopeful the waiver becomes a model for other tribes around the county.

The waiver will allow the Miccosukee Indian School in South Florida, which has 150 students, to have its own standard for measuring yearly progress, one that is different from the state’s. As part of the waiver agreement, the school has committed to cutting by half the percentage of students deemed not proficient in reading and mathematics.

Duncan said during a signing ceremony Monday that the Miccosukees’ school will have more freedom to emphasize the tribe’s culture and language, and the school’s standards in some cases will exceed state requirements.

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