State education officials have delayed finalizing Idaho's No Child Left Behind waiver with the federal government until the end of April in order to pursue a more flexible agreement for local districts.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra announced the change to the House Education Committee on Monday.
She had just finished attending meetings with other state education heads in Washington, D.C.
Ybarra says she wants local districts to be able assess students on attendance, social and emotional growth and various test scores — not just one federally-required test.
Federal law requires 95 percent of Idaho students to take a federally-approved standardized test or the state could risk losing federal funding.
She says she also wants to reward school districts for meeting goals instead of punishing them for falling short.