Topeka ? Kansas has received a waiver from the federal government from some provisions of No Child Left Behind, officials announced today.

“I’m extremely pleased with the plan that has been advanced with the approval of our state’s flexibility request,” said State Education Commissioner Diane DeBacker.

The decision means that the accountability system for Kansas schools will shift from ensuring a prescribed percentage of students achieve proficiency on state reading and math assessments each year to ensuring schools achieve a prescribed level of improvement on at least one of several Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) established by the state, DeBacker said.

The new system will be in place for the upcoming 2012-13 school year.

The waiver also means that Kansas will implement a system that includes student achievement as a factor in teacher evaluations.

Kansas submitted is waiver request in February after President Barack Obama’s administration announced that it would grant state waivers from some NCLB provisions provided that the states pursue education reforms.

DeBacker said approval of Kansas’ waiver took longer than expected but “we gained a stronger plan through the process.”