This Week’s ESSA News — Louisiana, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico Look to Try Out New Forms of Testing; Congress Steps Back In
This update provides information on the current status of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the ongoing development of education plans by state legislatures. It is a collaboration between ESSA Essentials, a new series by the Collaborative for Student Success, and their ESSA Advance newsletter. To receive the newsletter, you can sign up here. To catch up on previous ESSA updates, you can find them here.
According to Carolyn Phenicie’s report on , the Republican-controlled Congress, adhering to the GOP’s belief in reducing federal involvement in education, has taken a somewhat passive approach to the ESSA implementation. However, they are now stepping back into the fight as evidenced by their recent filing of a report in the $1.3 trillion government funding bill. This report serves as a reminder to states, through the federal Education Department, that their ESSA accountability plans must include the requirement for districts to allocate school improvement funds to organizations or individuals with practical expertise in evidence-based strategies and programs to improve teaching, learning, and schools.
The inclusion of this requirement in the funding bill is significant, according to Michele McLaughlin, the President of Knowledge Alliance. It sends a strong message that the legislators are serious about enforcing the evidence-based provisions of the law, rather than treating them as a mere suggestion.
In Education Week, Alyson Klein reports that Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Puerto Rico have submitted applications for ESSA’s Innovative Assessment Pilot. This pilot program allows states to test new forms of assessment in a few districts with the aim of eventually implementing them statewide. While more than a dozen states initially showed interest, many ultimately decided not to participate due to the challenging rules associated with the pilot. In an op-ed in The Hill, Louisiana State Superintendent John White explains his reasons for choosing to participate in the pilot.
In addition to these updates, there are other ESSA-related news items:
1. The Hunt Institute has released a "Policymaker’s Guide to Understanding Your State’s ESSA Plan and Reviews." This resource is designed to assist state-level policymakers and other stakeholders in delving into the specifics of their state’s ESSA plans and providing a space to record their thoughts, concerns, and ideas. The guide includes an interactive worksheet to help navigate key components of the state’s plan and reviews conducted by different organizations.
2. Stephen Parker, the head of the Education and Workforce Committee at the National Governors Association, has written an article titled "An Answer to ESSA Plan Shortcomings: State Solutions" for the Fordham Institute’s Flypaper blog. In this piece, Parker suggests a list of solutions for state leaders to address the shortcomings in their ESSA plans. He emphasizes the importance of engaging schools and communities in a conversation about achieving better educational outcomes for students through shared ownership and continuous improvement.
3. The debate over the California dashboard, a tool to track school and district performance, continues. Though the California State Board of Education recently approved a new version of the dashboard, concerns and criticisms regarding its effectiveness and transparency persist.
These are the latest developments in the ongoing implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act and the efforts by states to refine their education plans.
Yvette Santana shares her thoughts on California’s state education plan, expressing that while the state is making progress for students, there is still room for improvement. For more information, click on the provided link.
To stay informed, you can sign up for the ESSA Advance newsletter to receive updates directly in your inbox every Wednesday.
In related news, Congress is making use of a new funding bill to assert its involvement in the implementation of ESSA, encouraging the use of evidence-based interventions for struggling schools.
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