HONOLULU » Hawaii’s Department of Education has filed its application with the federal government asking for flexibility from some requirements of the No Child Left Behind law.

The department said it filed the waiver application with the U.S. Department of Education Thursday.

Hawaii is among the states applying for waivers for the Bush-era law, which has drawn criticism that it’s a one-size-fits-all approach to defining student success. If approved, it would be in effect for the 2013-14 school year. Dozens of states have already been granted waivers by the Obama administration.

Hawaii education officials say public outreach on the application led to some modifications. Adding Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander as additional distinct ethnic subgroups is one of the modifications.