Education Department will allow states to delay imposing sanctions on teachers and principals

Acknowledging that teachers and principals may need more time to understand and incorporate new education standards, the U.S. Department of Education will allow states up to one additional year before using their new evaluation systems to impose personnel consequences. Education Secretary Arne Duncan says that states that seek and are granted this flexibility "will have the authority to delay any personnel consequences for teachers and principals tied to the new assessments for up to one year until 2016-17."

• Read Duncan's letter to chief state school officers.
• Read Duncan's entry on the U.S. Department of Education's Homeroom blog that elaborates on the rationale for offering states more flexibility.