ESEA Flexibility

The U.S. Department of Education has invited each State education agency (SEA) to request flexibility regarding specific requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) in exchange for rigorous and comprehensive State-developed plans designed to improve educational outcomes for all students, close achievement gaps, increase equity, and improve the quality of instruction.

• 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Bureau of Indian Education submitted requests for ESEA flexibility
• 43 States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico are approved for ESEA flexibility (see the list of peer reviewers)

Choose a StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasBureau of Indian EducationColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

• States approved for ESEA flexibility
• States with ESEA flexibility requests under review
• States formerly approved for ESEA flexibility

Overview

• ESEA Flexibility Policy Document
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Addendum

Critical Topics

• Dear Colleague Letter on ESSA Transition, January 28, 2016
• ESSA Webinar, December 21 & 22, 2015
• Dear Colleague Letter on ESSA Transition, December 18, 2015
• ESEA Flexibility Renewal
• ESEA Flexibility One-Year Extension
• Accountability Addendum to Flexibility Request and Sample Addendum
• Amendment Submissions Process and Template
• Field Testing and Teacher and Principal Evaluation Flexibility
• Graduation Rates & ESEA Flexibility
• Monitoring Process and Documents
• Report Card Guidance for SEAs and LEAs (Assistant Secretary's letter)
• Teacher and Principal Evaluation and Support Systems
• Teacher and Leader Evaluation and Support Systems
• Technical Assistance Initiative
• Transitioning from ESEA Flexibility to ESEA
• For more see Additional Support and Technical Assistance

• ESEA Flexibility Request
  • Submission Windows 1 and 2 (September 23, 2011-February 28, 2012)
  • Submission Window 3 (February 29, 2012-September 6, 2012)
• ESEA Flexibility Review Guidance
  • Submission Windows 1 and 2
  • Submission Window 3

If you have questions regarding ESEA flexibility that are not answered in the attached documents, or as SEA teams you would like to schedule a time to speak with Department staff about ESEA flexibility requests, please contact us at ESEAflexiblity@ed.gov.

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