Delaware, Georgia, Minnesota, New York and South Carolina have each received a one-year extension for flexibility from certain provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind, according to the Department of Education.
"America's schools and classrooms are undergoing some of the largest changes in decades—changes that will help prepare our students with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that tomorrow's economy will require," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said. "These extensions will allow states to continue the critical work of implementing the bold reforms they developed to improve achievement for all students."
ESEA has been due for Congressional reauthorization since 2007. In the absence of reauthorization, President Obama announced in September 2011 that the administration would grant waivers from parts of the law to qualified states, in exchange for state-developed plans designed to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity, and improve the quality of instruction.
Since fall 2011 Delaware, Georgia, Minnesota, New York and South Carolina have implemented education reforms that go far beyond the Elementary and Secondary Education Act's rigid, top-down requirements, the Department of Education said.
