Twenty six more states plus DC have applied for waivers to free them from many NCLB requirements. If the new applicants are approved, only 13 states will still be operating under the full law (11 states have already received waivers—you can read the story here). In exchange for waivers, the states have to agree to adopt specific reforms designated by the Obama administration.
The following states have applied: Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, along with D.C.
The states will receive notice of their approval status later this spring; the third round of waivers applications is expected to take place in the fall. New Hampshire and Maine have said they still need more time to figure out what they are willing to do to make the waiver requirements work in their states; California, on the other hand, has expressed its skepticism toward the whole process.
It is assumed that the Department of Education will approve most of the waiver applications, given that they approved all eleven applicants from the previous round. To keep track of waiver applications, you can also visit Waiver Watch, discussed here.
To read more, please visit http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2012/02/states_apply_for_waivers_in_se.html?cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS2
