Alabama’s ESEA Flexibility Waiver Request Released for Public Comment

The ALSDE released Alabama’s ESEA flexibility waiver request for public comment today. We have until Tuesday, August 21, to send comments to eseaflexibility@alsde.edu.

Click to read the press release.

Click to read the full document.

Click here to read more information about other states’ flexibility waiver requests.  Thirty-three states have received approval to implement their new accountability plans.

Click here to read more general information about what flexibility is and where this all came from.

Here’s a fact sheet on ESEA flexibility.

A quick timeline on ESEA flexibility waivers:

September 23, 2011 – President Obama issued an Executive Order allowing states the opportunity to opt out of current Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measures.  States would have to submit requests that follow strict guidelines proving that standards and measures would remain high.  This was done in an effort to provide more flexibility at the state level from stringent AYP methods.

November 14, 2011 – Initial application period for waivers from states.

February 9, 2012 – Ten states were given approval to implement their new programs.

February 29, 2012 – Second deadline for next round of waivers.

September 6, 2012 – Third deadline for next round of waivers.

Anyone who has any interest in how students, schools, districts, and our state are held accountable for achievement and progress needs to take the time to review the document.  No question is too small and there is no such thing as a stupid question, either.  Please use the next seven days to review and ask questions about this plan.