DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. Department of Education has denied Iowa’s request for a waiver from key provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind rules. Iowa Department of Education Director Jason Glass says the state’s application was denied because lawmakers in a bill passed this year requires any changes in teacher evaluations to be first approved by the Legislature. Glass says he warned lawmakers that such a requirement would mean rejection. He says it’s a missed opportunity for Iowa schools to find relief from the 2002 law. Glass says the law holds schools to unrealistic measures and then blames them for failure. Gov. Terry Branstad says responsibility for the denial lies squarely at the feet of the Iowa Legislature, which did too little to improve schools despite repeated warnings.