GALLOWAY – New Jersey’s waiver from the No Child Left Behind Act is good news for Galloway Public Schools, according to Superintendent Annette Giaquinto.

“To me, this is a more accurate assessment of our district than the prior NCLB label of ‘school or district in need of improvement,’” she said Monday, Feb. 13. “Although I am still reviewing all the details of this decision and the other DOE initiatives and mandates, I do know that none of Galloway Schools are on the priority or focus school list.”

The new system will divide schools into three groupings: priority schools, the lowest 5 percent; focus schools, at least the lowest 10 percent; and reward schools, showing high performance rates or progress in closing achievement gaps.

“We are also not on the reward list,” Giaquinto said. “(We) will certainly review the achievement it takes to become a reward school and work toward that goal.”

She said she favors growth labels that measure students’ progress.

“The new system will compare how well fourth-grade students do with how well the same students performed in third grade,” Giaquinto said. “This – to me – is more valid than comparing fourth-grade students this year with those who were in fourth grade a year ago.”

She said the district is always trying to assess and improve its curriculum.

Galloway was designated a district in need of improvement due to test scores where poor results by one social or economic group can lower the rating for the entire school system.

The stated goal of No Child Left Behind was to have 100 percent proficiency in reading and math by 2014.