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My name is Valerie Montez, I am currently employed as a 2nd Grade Reading teacher.  Upon completion of a Master of Education in Educational Administration, I hope to work as an Instructional Coach in Reading and eventually move into administration.

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Option 2 National Education Association (step 2)

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Option 2 National Education Association (step 2)

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Topic 1: Every Student Succeeds Act
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed in 2015 by President Obama. The Act works to involve parents, educators, and the community in the decision making process.  The ESSA ensures every student has the tools they need to be successful.

Topic 2: Budget Cuts
NEA discusses proposed budget cuts frequently. It was discussed in 2017 when President Trump proposed his budget cut for the 2018 fiscal year, and again in 2018. Cuts to the budget in education could mean larger class sizes and less extracurricular programs.

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What is ESSA?

The Every Student Succeeds Act, also known as ESSA, is the new federal education law, signed by President Barack Obama in December 2015. For 14 long years, students and educators lived under the deeply flawed No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. ESSA returns decision-making to where it belongs: in the hands of local educators, parents, and communities.

Gone is No Child Left Behind's rigid system of focus on standardized testing and labeling public schools. This means there is more time for teaching and learning, and more flexibility for us to make choices that we know work for our students.

What can I do to make the most of this opportunity?

Make your voice heard. Start by filling out a checklist to see what opportunities your students have now, and what they need.

The checklist will be the first concrete step toward collaborating with local and state elected officials, parents, and other community members.

OK, I have the checklist. Now what?

This law is scheduled to go into effect during the 2017-2018 school year, so now is the time for you to make noise about anything that is missing from your school.

The status of the implementation plans will vary from state to state. Check out our state map to see news from your state, and learn more about what is being planned.

My state doesn't appear to be doing as much as other states!

Because the implementation of this law is happening right at the state and local level, there is a lot of variation in what states and local communities are doing. When in doubt, we recommend contacting your state and local NEA affiliate and asking them how you can help. Here are questions you should be asking:

Is my state affiliate represented on the state's ESSA team?

Is my local affiliate represented on the district's ESSA team?

Then let your state and local affiliate know what you think about how to strengthen public schools. You can also join others working on ESSA implementation by joining NEA edCommunities. Sign up and then search for the "ESSA Implementation Group."

The opportunities of ESSA will only become real if educators, families, and community members work together to lead implementation.

How is this new law really different from No Child Left Behind?

The new law reduces the amount of federally mandated testing and ensures that educators are part of decisions about teaching and learning. One of the other bright spots of the new education law is that it requires at least one "opportunity dashboard" indicator of school quality or success in state's accountability systems.

But it's up to states and locals to decide what that measure will be. And your state could decide to look at more than one thing. That's why your voice is critical right now.

What are some examples of "opportunity dashboard" indicators?

This is where the checklist comes in. Some examples of these indicators could be:

Access to advanced courses like honors, AP, or IB classes;

School climate and safety;

Access to regular physical education classes;

Or most importantly: any other state-chosen indicator that allows for meaningful evaluation of school performance, and is valid, reliable, comparable, and statewide.

States have a lot of discretion over these indicators, and they also have the flexibility to determine the weights assigned to each. Want to know more? Find a detailed look at the opportunity dashboard indicator.

I need help talking to others about this.

We're glad you asked! NEA members developed ESSA Issue Cards / Conversation starters to engage others about these issues. Download them here.

I have questions about the details of the law.

We developed a number of practice guides to help you understand the major elements of ESSA. They provide an overview and look at assessments and accountability. Read the practice guides here.

In This Section...

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What is ESSA? The Every Student Succeeds Act, also known as ESSA, is the new federal education law, signed by President Barack Obama in December 2015. For 14 long years, students and educators lived under the deeply flawed No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. ESSA returns decision-making to where it belongs: in the hands of...

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Option 2 National School Boards Association (step 2)

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Option 2 National School Boards Association (step 2)

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Topic 1: School Safety
NSBA discusses trends in school safety and how schools are working to keep students safe.  Past incidents are being examined to see what can be done to prevent future incidents.

Topic 2: Common Core Standards
Common Core standards are not federal standards and were not federally funded. These standards were developed to replace state standards, and to provide higher rigor to ensure students are college and career -ready. Texas is one out of four states that has not adopted Common Core standards. Assessments set to Common Core standards were released during the 2015-2016 school year. Five assessments were federally funded, two for general education, two for special education, and one for English language learners.

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We are the leading advocate for public education

Working with and through our state associations, NSBA advocates for equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership. We believe education is a civil right necessary to the dignity and freedom of the American people, and all children should have equal access to an education that maximizes his or her individual potential.

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Working with and through our state associations, NSBA advocates for equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership. We believe education is a civil right necessary to the dignity and freedom of the American people, and all children should have equal access to an education that maximizes his or her individual potential.

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Option 4 The Educator's Guide to Texas School Law (step 2)

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Option 4 The Educator's Guide to Texas School Law (step 2)

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One section of interest to me in this book was the attendance policy.  This section goes through the steps that were taken to desegregate schools.  It is unconstitutional to assign students to certain schools based on their race to maintain a school's racial integration.  School safety is also discussed under this section.  Schools may hire a marshal for every four hundred students.  Schools are gun free zones.  A marshal has to keep their firearm locked up.  Curriculum and attendance fall under this section.  Texas adopted the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standards. The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) is the assessment adopted by the state.  The attendance policy is also stated under this section.

Another section of interest is the student discipline section. Under this section falls student code of conduct, bullying, teacher-initiated removal suspension, disciplinary alternative education programs, expulsion, emergency actions, and other disciplinary issues. Discipline must fit the offense and must not infringe with a student's constitutional rights.

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Angelo State University - Library Online Resources

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Unauthorized use is prohibited; Usage may be subject to security testing and monitoring; Misuse is subject to criminal prosecution; No expectation of privacy except as otherwise provided by applicable privacy laws.

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The legal issue I am most interested in is the Every Student Succeeds Act. The ESSA interests me because it works to give educators, parents, and the community a voice in decision making in education.

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Researching The Every Student Succeeds Act (step 4)

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Researching The Every Student Succeeds Act (step 4)

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While researching through the Angelo State University Library, I found an article titled "The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)". This article discusses the differences between the No Child Left Behind Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act.

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Angelo State University - Library Online Resources

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Unauthorized use is prohibited; Usage may be subject to security testing and monitoring; Misuse is subject to criminal prosecution; No expectation of privacy except as otherwise provided by applicable privacy laws.

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Researching The Every Student Succeeds Act (step 4)

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Researching The Every Student Succeeds Act (step 4)

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Through online research I found an article in Education Week titled "The Every Student Succeeds Act: An ESSA Overview". This article briefly goes over key elements of ESSA.

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The new Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law Dec. 10, 2015, rolls back much of the federal government's big footprint in education policy, on everything from testing and teacher quality to low-performing schools. And it gives new leeway to states in calling the shots.

That's a big change from the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which ESSA replaced and updated.

The Every Student Succeeds Act takes full effect in the 2017-18 school year. Below are key elements of the law.

Accountability Plans

States still have to submit accountability plans to the Education Department. These new ESSA plans will start in the 2017-18 school year. The names of peer-reviewers have to be made public. A state can get a hearing if the department turns down its plan.

Accountability Goals

States can pick their own goals, both a big long-term goal, and smaller, interim goals. These goals must address: proficiency on tests, English-language proficiency, and graduation rates.

Goals have to set an expectation that all groups that are furthest behind close gaps in achievement and graduation rates.

Accountability Systems
Elementary and Middle Schools
States need to incorporate at least four indicators into their accountability systems. The menu includes three academic indicators: proficiency on state tests, English-language proficiency, plus some other academic factor that can be broken out by subgroup, which could be growth on state tests.

States are required to add at least one additional indicator of a very different kind. Possibilities include: student engagement, educator engagement, access to and completion of advanced coursework, postsecondary readiness, school climate/safety, or whatever else the state thinks makes sense.

States have to figure in participation rates on state tests. (Schools with less than 95 percent participation are supposed to have that included, somehow.) But participation rate is a stand-alone factor, not a separate indicator on its own.
High Schools
High schools will be judged by basically the same set of indicators, except that graduation rates will have to be part of the mix. They could take the place of a second academic indicator.
Weighing the Indicators
It will be up to the states to decide how much the individual indicators will count, although the academic factors (tests, graduation rates, etc.) will have to count "much" more as a group than the indicators that get at students' opportunity to learn and post-secondary readiness.

Low-Performing Schools

States have to identify and intervene in the bottom 5 percent of performers. These schools have to be identified at least once every three years.

States have to identify and intervene in high schools where the graduation rate is 67 percent or less.

States, with districts, have to identify schools where subgroups of students are struggling.

School Interventions

For the bottom 5 percent of schools and for high schools with high dropout rates:

Districts will work with teachers and school staff to come up with an evidence-based plan.

States will monitor the turnaround effort.

If schools continue to founder, after no more than four years the state will be required to step in with its own plan. A state could take over the school if it wanted, or fire the principal, or turn the school into a charter.

Districts could also allow for public school choice out of seriously low-performing schools, but they have to give priority to the students who need it most.

For schools where subgroup students are struggling:

Schools have to come up with an evidence-based plan to help the particular group of students who are falling behind, such as minority students or those in special education.

Districts must monitor these plans. If the school continues to fall short, the district would step in, though there's no specified timeline.

Importantly, there's also a provision calling for states and districts to come up with a "comprehensive improvement plan" in schools where subgroups are chronically underperforming, despite local interventions.

The School Improvement Grant program is consolidated into the bigger Title I pot, which helps districts educate students in poverty. States could set aside up to 7 percent of all their Title I funds for school improvement, up from 4 percent in current law.

Testing

States still have to test students in reading and math in grades 3 through 8 and once in high school, and break out the data for whole schools, plus different "subgroups" of students (English-learners, students in special education, racial minorities, those in poverty). ESSA maintains the federal requirement for 95 percent participation in tests.

States are prohibited from combining different sets of students into so-called "super subgroups" for accountability purposes.

Up to seven states can apply to try out local tests for a limited time, with the permission of the U.S. Department of Education.

Districts can use local, nationally recognized tests at the high school level, with state permission, such as the SAT or ACT.

States can create their own testing opt-out laws, and states decide what should happen in schools that miss targets.

Standards

States are required to adopt "challenging" academic standards. That could be the Common Core State Standards, but doesn't have to be.

The U.S. Secretary of Education is expressly prohibited from forcing or even encouraging states to pick a particular set of standards (including the common core).

Transition From the No Child Left Behind Act

Waivers from the NCLB law are null and void on Aug. 1, 2016, but states still have to continue supporting their lowest-performing schools ("priority schools") and schools with big achievement gaps ("focus schools") until their new ESSA plans kicked in.

In general, ESSA applies to any competitive federal grants given out after Oct. 1, 2016, so most grants are still under the NCLB version of the law for the rest of this school year.

English-Language Learners

Accountability for English-language learners moves from Title III (the English-language acquisition section of the ESEA) to Title I (where everyone else's accountability is). The idea is to make accountability for those students a priority.

States can include English-language learners' test scores after they have been in the country a year, as under current law.

During that first year, those students' test scores won't count toward a school's rating, but ELLs will need to take both of the assessments, and have the results publicly reported. In the second year, the state has to incorporate ELLs' results for both reading and math, using some measure of growth. And in their third year in the country, the proficiency scores of newly arrived ELLs will be treated just like any other students'.

Students in Special Education

Only 1 percent of students overall can be given alternative tests. (That's about 10 percent of students in special education.)

Programs
Block Grant
A new $1.6 billion block grant consolidates dozens of programs, including some involving physical education, Advanced Placement, school counseling, and education technology.

Districts that get more than $30,000 have to spend at least 20 percent of their funding on at least one activity that helps students become well-rounded, and another 20 percent on at least one activity that helps students be safe and healthy. And part of the money can be spent on technology.

Some programs live on as separate line items, including the 21st Century Community Learning Centers.
New or Existing
The ESSA enshrines the Preschool Development Grant program in law and focuses it on program coordination, quality, and broadening access to early-childhood education. But the program is housed at the Department of Health and Human Services, jointly administered by the Education Department.

A new, evidence-based research and innovation program is created, described by some as similar to the Obama administration's Investing in Innovation program.

Other highlights include a standalone program for parent engagement, along with reservations for arts education, gifted and talented education, and Ready to Learn television.

Weighted Student Funding

A pilot program will let 50 districts try out a weighted student-funding formula, combining state, local, and federal funds to better serve low-income students and those with special needs.

Teachers

States will no longer have to do teacher evaluation through student outcomes, as they did under NCLB waivers.

The NCLB law's "highly qualified teacher" requirement is officially a thing of the past.

The former Teacher Incentive Fund-now called the Teacher and School Leader Innovation Program-will provide grants to districts that want to try out performance pay and other teacher-quality improvement measures. ESSA also includes resources for helping train teachers on literacy and STEM.

Funding and Other Issues

The current Title I funding formula remains intact, but there are some changes to the Title II formula (which funds teacher quality) that will be a boon to rural states.

Maintenance of effort will remain in place, requiring states to keep up their own spending at a particular level in order to tap federal funds.

ESSA Resources

How to Cite This Article

Klein, A. (2016, March 31). The Every Student Succeeds Act: An ESSA Overview. Education Week. Retrieved Month Day, Year from http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/every-student-succeeds-act/

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The Every Student Succeeds Act: An ESSA Overview

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The new Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law Dec. 10, 2015, rolls back much of the federal government's big footprint in education policy, on everything from testing and teacher quality to low-performing schools. And it gives new leeway to states in calling the shots.

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What I learned about The Every Student Succeeds Act (step 5)

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What I learned about The Every Student Succeeds Act (step 5)

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The Every Student Succeeds Act has replaced the No Child Left Behind Act.  States are given more power in decision making when it comes to education and funding.  ESSA accountability plans went into place during the 2017-2018 school year.

According to ESSA "states can pick their own goals, both a big long-term goal, and smaller, interim goals. These goals must address: proficiency on tests, English-language proficiency, and graduation rates" (Klein, 2016).  The goal is to work to fill achievement gaps.

As an administrator, knowledge of these policies is important. I must be knowledgeable in the accountability plan set by my state. I must also know the goals my school is working towards so that I can work with my staff to devise a plan to achieve these goals.

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Klein, A. (2016, March 31). The every student succeeds act: An ESSA overview. Education Week. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/every-student-succeeds-act/index.html