Post-NCLB plan gets OK from legislative panel

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PIERRE - The Legislature's rules review panel voted 4-2 this afternoon

to approve the state Department of Education's new system for school

accountability.

The new approach replaces the No Child Left Behind system in South

Dakota.

The U.S. Department of Education granted South Dakota a waiver from

NCLB. State Education Secretary Melody Schopp told the rules panel today

that federal officials told her recently that South Dakota has about 30

days to get its new rules in place or possibly lose the waiver.

The rules panel split over a provision in the new rules that allows two

years for development of teacher and principal evaluation systems.

Voting for the rules were the four Republicans on the panel: Sen. Mike

Vehle, of Mitchell, Sen. Jean Hunhoff, of Yankton, Rep. Roger Hunt, of

Brandon, and Rep. Shawn Tornow, of Sioux Falls.

Voting against were the two Democrats, Sen. Angie Buhl, of Sioux Falls,

and Rep. Peggy Gibson, of Huron.

Buhl, Gibson and Tornow preferred the evaluation portion of the rules be

left out for now.

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