New Jersey is one of 10 states abandoning the federal "No Child Left Behind" program.
Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) said this now gives New Jersey the opportunity to reform its education programs.
The state plans to start intervention efforts for the lowest-performing schools and publish new ratings for all schools, and has already started testing a new teacher evaluation system.
In order to be approved for the federal waiver, New Jersey had to present a plan as to how it would improve student achievement in reading and math.
NJ among 10 states to get No Child Left Behind waiver