On September 6, seven states (Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and West Virginia). Puerto Rico, and the Bureau of Indian Education applied in Round 3 for an ESEA waiver.
Thirty four states and the District of Columbia have now been approved for waivers, and three states’ requests are still outstanding: California, Iowa, and Illinois. Six states have not yet applied: Montana, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and Wyoming.
The presidential and congressional elections will have a significant impact on whether waivers remain in place beyond 2014. Governor Romney’s education advisors have already noted that if Romney wins the election, his administration would review the waivers to determine their efficacy, and would consider revising or eliminating the required criteria President Obama put in place.