Adult and Community Learning Services (ACLS)

Massachusetts' ESEA Flexibility Waiver Renewal Request Approved

On July 9, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) received word that the U.S. Department of Education has approved our request to renew the state's Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility waiver. This approval provides Massachusetts schools and districts continued flexibility from provisions of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act through the end of the 2015-16 school year. Beginning in January, ESE worked with a wide range of stakeholders to review implementation of Massachusetts' school and district accountability and assistance system and other aspects of the agency's work that are authorized by the waiver. Through that process, participants identified several aspects of the system that could be improved. The waiver modifications approved by the U.S Department of Education relate to the English language assessment results of English language learners and the minimum group size used for accountability determinations. The renewal request and related documents, including a summary of changes to Massachusetts' annual accountability determinations, are available on our ESEA Flexibility website. For additional information, please email esea@doe.mass.edu or call (781) 338-3550.

Last Updated: July 10, 2015