AIR Principal Researcher Angela Minnici Selected by U.S. Education Department to Review Second Round of State Applications for ESEA Waivers
Washington, D.C. – Dr. Angela Minnici, a principal researcher at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to serve as a reviewer for the second round of applications by states seeking exemptions from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) – enacted as part of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation.
Dr. Minnici is the Deputy Director of the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, a federally funded comprehensive center, and her current work focuses on coordinating, supporting and leading project teams dedicated to the development and implementation of tools and processes designed to improve educator effectiveness.
In September 2011, the White House announced that states could request flexibility from specific NCLB mandates if they are transitioning to a system that is aligned with college- and career-ready standards for all students, developing differentiated accountability systems, and implementing reforms that support effective classroom instruction and school leadership. In the first round of requests, 11 states applied for and were granted waivers from provisions of NCLB.
For this second round, 26 states, plus the District of Columbia, are applying for waivers under NCLB: Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. States will be notified later this spring if they have been granted a waiver. A third round is planned later in 2012.
Previously, Dr. Sabrina Laine, a leading expert in teacher evaluation and a vice president at AIR, was selected to serve as a reviewer for the first round of NCLB waiver applications.
About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and workforce productivity. For more information, visit www.air.org.
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