Everything You Need to Know about the ESSA

but Didn’t Know to AskEvery Student Succeeds Act 2015

Our Presenter

Leigh Dingerson

1957 – Efforts to integrate schools are met with protest and foot-dragging

1965 President Johnson signs the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, one of several civil-rights initiatives that included the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act

1954 Brown vs Board of Education

…more testing

…more schools closed

…more charters

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Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Big Changes:#1: Devolves much of the policy-making to the state and local level. #2: Keeps annual testing, but allows states to reduce total time spent on tests and test prep. Allows states to eliminate some of the high stakes.#3: Allows states to rewrite their accountability systems and to include additional indicators of school performance. #4: Increases funding for new charter schools and charter expansion.

?• How will states move forward?

• Where will most of the policy be determined?

• How much money will be available?

student engagement; educator engagement; student access to and completion of

advanced coursework; postsecondary readiness; school climate and safety; any other indicator the State chooses

that meets the requirements of this clause.

State Accountability PlansFor all public schools in the 24 State, not less than one indicator of school quality or student success… For purposes of subclause (I), the State may include measures of…

Critical elements ofsustainable community schoolsCurriculum that is engaging, culturally relevant andchallenging. It includes a broad selection of classes and after-school programs in the arts, languages, and ethnic studies, as well as AP and honors courses, services for English Language Learners, special education, GED preparation and job training.

High quality teaching, not high stakes testing, isemphasized. Appropriate assessments are used to help teachers meet the needs of students, and educators have a real voice in professional development.

Wrap-around supports such as health care, eye care and social and emotional services are offered to assist learning. They are available before, during and after school and are provided year-round to the full community. Providers are accountable and culturally competent.

Positive discipline practices such as restorative justice and social and emotional learning supports are stressed so students grow and contribute to the school community and beyond. Suspensions and harsh punishments are eliminated or greatly reduced.

Transformational parent and community engagement is promoted so the full community actively participates in planning and decision-making. This process recognizes the link between the success of the school and the development of the community as a whole.

(B) LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCY ACTION.—Upon receiving such information from the State, the local educational agency shall, for each school identified by the State and in partnership with stakeholders (including principals and other school leaders, teachers, and parents), locally develop and implement a comprehensive support and improvement plan for the school to improve student outcomes, that—

…(iii) is based on a school-level needs assessment; (iv) identifies resource inequities, which may include a review of local educational agency and school-level budgeting, to be addressed through implementation of such comprehensive support and improvement plan;

Alaska $11,635,421Arizona $51,714,752Arkansas $32,608,050California $519,460,426Colorado $121,215,721Connecticut $18,684,492DC Public Schools 59,385,220Delaware 10,568,514Florida 271,523,988Georgia $62,958,324Hawaii $16,358,554Idaho $26,331,041Illinois $21,391,748Indiana $62,660,597Iowa $4,240,000Kansas $28,271,032Louisiana $71,804,328Maryland $32,487,542Massachusetts $50,361,559Michigan $131,335,102Minnesota $107,873,721Missouri $11,663,077Nevada $14,857,907

New Hampshire $18,618,160New Jersey $43,162,694New Mexico $59,870,822New York $194,527,653North Carolina $33,746,130Ohio $199,954,969Oklahoma $4,779,600Oregon $60,799,171Pennsylvania $53,973,169Puerto Rico $11,140,544Rhode Island $11,294,998South Carolina $48,230,854Tennessee $35,619,507Texas $157,49,174Utah $35,419,927Virginia $2,063,158Wisconsin $173,492,343Total $2,883,533,989

Federal Charter Schools Program: 1995 – 2013Grants to SEAs for new charter schools

Source: US Department of Education

www.reclaimourschools.org

www.annenberginstitute.org