U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will hold a press call with reporters at 3 p.m. ET today to discuss the Obama administration's approval of five additional states for flexibility from key provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in exchange for state-developed plans to prepare all students for college and career, focus aid on the neediest students, and support effective teaching and leadership.
The states approved for waivers are Arkansas, Missouri, South Dakota, Utah and Virginia. Today's announcement brings the number of states with waivers to 24. Thirteen additional applications remain under review.