WASHINGTON, D.C. — In response to declining national test scores and growing concerns over student achievement, the U.S. Department of Education has issued a formal invitation to state education leaders, encouraging them to take full advantage of existing flexibilities under federal education law. The move aims to give states greater autonomy over how they use federal education funds and implement academic programs.
The letter, addressed to all chief state school officers, outlines how states can apply for waivers and implement discretionary authority granted by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). By using this process, state leaders can request exemptions from certain statutory and regulatory requirements, enabling them to shift resources more effectively toward student-centered strategies without being hampered by federal bureaucracy.
This policy action comes amid growing scrutiny of the nation’s public education system, following disappointing results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The nationwide test, often referred to as the “Nation’s Report Card,” showed marked declines in math and reading proficiency among students in multiple grade levels—a trend federal officials say demands urgent attention.
“The recent NAEP results are a wake-up call that too many of our students have not been well-served by our public education system,” said Hayley Sanon, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. “Under President Trump and Secretary McMahon’s leadership, the Department of Education remains focused on empowering families and improving academic achievement through state innovation.”
The Department’s guidance provides state education agencies with a framework for developing waiver requests. It also outlines the steps the Department will follow in evaluating these requests, emphasizing a streamlined and responsive approach aimed at supporting states as they work to raise academic standards.
This initiative is part of the broader Trump Administration effort to decentralize education policy, granting states increased flexibility in curriculum development, resource allocation, and program implementation. By encouraging states to pursue waivers, the Department seeks to reduce compliance burdens that many argue have constrained innovation and hindered local efforts to improve academic outcomes.
While the Department did not specify which waivers it expects states to prioritize, the guidance encourages educational agencies to consider the full scope of flexibility permitted under federal law, particularly those that allow for expanded parental choice, targeted interventions for struggling schools, and more efficient use of federal dollars.
In reiterating its commitment to local control, the Department’s letter signals a renewed emphasis on state-driven accountability systems and tailored solutions—an approach that supporters argue is more effective than uniform national mandates.
“The Department stands at the ready to help them accomplish this,” Sanon affirmed, indicating the agency’s willingness to support state-level innovation in pursuit of improved student achievement.
As states review the guidance and weigh their options, education advocates, district leaders, and policymakers will be closely watching how this new push for flexibility translates into measurable academic improvements—and whether local solutions can reverse the troubling trajectory revealed in recent assessments.
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