By Dale Chu
Iowa has officially submitted its ESSA waiver, and the state is making a very deliberate choice: leave state testing alone. The key part to home in on is on page 12:
[Iowa] does not seek waivers related to the development and implementation of challenging state academic standards and aligned assessments described in Section 1111(b)(1) and (2) of the ESEA, nor to the production of annual state and school report cards required under Section 1111(h).
Setting aside the state’s lackluster report card, this might strike some as a surprising move, but it’s not if you know anything about Iowa’s experienced state chief, McKenzie Snow, and her commitment to assessment and accountability.
What I Like
- Assessment stability: Iowa explicitly states it will not request waivers related to state testing or the development and implementation of academic standards. The state will continue administering its statewide assessments as required under federal law.
Questions I Have
- Legality: Will Iowa’s waiver clear the legal hurdles? It’s notable that the state wants to include Title I, Part A—the largest tranche of federal K-12 dollars—as part of its block grant proposal.
- Achievement: Will this waiver help move the needle on student learning? Iowa’s Title I allocation is modest, and reading and math scores hover around the middle.
- Resource allocation: If approved, how will funding and support reach the students who need it most? Will policy guide decisions, or will politics call the plays?
Bottom Line
Iowa’s ESSA waiver shows a state deliberately steering clear of testing changes while seeking to push the limits of federal flexibility to streamline administrative and fiscal processes. The federal green light is still pending, but Iowa’s strategy is clear: play it safe on tests, focus the waiver on getting Uncle Sam’s fingers out of the purse strings.
Have thoughts or reactions? Send them my way; we may feature select perspectives in a future Waiver HQ post.