It looks like July 1 will come and go without the answer California’s CORE districts wanted on their request for a precedent-setting waiver under the No Child Left Behind Act.

But, it seems that these nine districts are proceeding as if they will get their flexibility.

Hilary McLean, a spokeswoman for the California Office to Reform Education (CORE), told me today: “The iterative approval process remains on track. We are providing answers to the few remaining questions that have been raised by [the U.S. Department of Education]. We are confident that we will have all issues ironed out in time to be approved in time for the school year that starts in fall 2013.”

The scenario no longer seems like an “if” scenario, but a “when.” So when these districts get their waiver, this upending of the federal-state-district relationship in school accountability will become one of the most interesting edu-stories to watch in the next school year.