The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015. This bill replaces the current No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which has been in effect since 2002. According to the US Department of Education, “This bipartisan measure reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.”
Education Week provides a good overview of this new law. The Every Student Succeeds Act takes full effect in the 2017-18 school year. Education Week outlined the key elements of the law; here is an brief look:
- Accountability Plans - States are still accountable to the DOE and have to begin submitting plans beginning in 2017-2018.
- Accountability Goals - States can pick their own goals, but these must focus on testing proficiency, ELL, and graduation rates.
- Accountability Systems - Elementary and middle schools need to incorporate 3 academic indicators (such as state test results, ELL proficiency) and one, other such as school safety or student engagement. High schools are the same, but also include graduation rates.
- 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.
- School Interventions - For schools performing in the bottom 5 percent and high schools with high dropout rates, districts will intervene and states will monitor the turnaround effort.
- Testing - Testing is sticking around. States will still be required to test students in grades 3-8 in reading and math. ESSA maintains the federal requirement for 95 percent participation in tests.
- Standards - Common Core is not required, but is an option. States must adopt "challenging" academic standards.
- Transition from NCLB - States will still continue to support low-performing schools, but NCLB waivers will no longer be valid beginning Aug. 1, 2016.
- English Language Learners - Accountability for ELL students moves to Title 1. The idea is to make accountability for those students a priority.
- 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 - There is a new block grant program which combines many existing programs, including some involving physical education, Advanced Placement, school counseling, and education technology. Other programs are also under development.
- 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 - NCLB’s “highly qualified” teacher status is now under state control. States will have the ability to determine teacher competency on whether teachers meet “highly qualified” requirements or on student test scores. ESSA puts the states in control of teacher quality.
You can learn more about ESSA by reading the full Education Week report, which also includes highlight videos on key topics. You can also visit the U.S. Department of Education’s ESSA page, to learn more about the law and how it differs from No Child Left Behind.
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