The Every Student Succeeds Act: Four Years Later, How Much ...

ESSA has bought new opportunities for schools and students, but the work to ensure the law makes good on its promise continues. SkipNavigation Weusecookiestoofferyouabetterbrowsingexperience,provideads,analyzesitetraffic,andpersonalizecontent.Ifyoucontinuetousethissite,youconsenttoouruseofcookies. Accept&Close Home AdvocatingforChange NewFromNEA NEANews TheEveryStudentSucceedsAct:FourYearsLater,HowMuchProgress? ESSAhasboughtnewopportunitiesforschoolsandstudents,buttheworktoensurethelawmakesgoodonitspromisecontinues. By: CindyLong Published:12/11/2019 Share It’sbeenfouryearssincethetestandpunisheraofNoChildLeftBehindwasreplacedwiththeEveryStudentSucceedsAct.Althoughthenewlawtransferreddecisionsaboutschoolimprovementandaccountabilitytostatesanddistricts,publicschoolsarestillintheprocessofimplementingthelawandensuringitmakesgoodonitspromisetoensureequityforallstudents. OnDecember10,exactlyfouryearsafterPresidentBarackObamasignedESSAintolaw,theCollaborativeForStudentSuccessheldanESSAAnniversarySummitonCapitolHillinWashington,D.C.NEAVicePresidentBeckyPringleparticipatedinapanel,ImprovingSchoolsandAdvancingEquity,alongwithSusieFeliz,VicePresident,PolicyandLegislativeAffairsNationalUrbanLeagueWashingtonBureau,LindsayJones,President&CEO,NationalCenterforLearningDisabilities,andMendellGrinter, BoardMember,CountryMusicAssociationFoundation. Thepanelistsagreedthatfouryearsisalongtimeforstudentsandparentswaitingforequityandimprovementintheirschools.Infouryears,astudentgraduateshighschool;infouryearselementarystudentsaregettingclosetomiddleschool.ButfindingthebestwaystoapplytheflexibilityandimplementnewpracticesfromnearlyadecadeoftheharshtestingregimeofNCLBisanarduousprocess. Tobesure,therearemanysuccessesandnewopportunities,butsomestateshaven’thadthecapacitytotakeadvantageoftheinnovationsbuiltintothelaw,Pringlepointedout. ReferencingEleanorRoosevelt’sspeech“HumanRightsintheSmallPlaces”,shesaidthechangesmuchtakeplace“insmallplaces,closetohome.”InthecaseofESSA,thatmeansinschools,aroundatable,withlocalstakeholderslikeparents,communitymembers,andofcourse,teachers. NEAVicePresidentBeckyPringle(center)atapaneldiscussionontheEveryStudentSucceedsAct. “Forfartoolongthisnationhasnotliveduptoitspromisetostudentswhoarecontinuallyunderserved…”Pringlesaid.“Artsintheschools…Nurses,counselors,librarians,accesstoAPcourses,alltakesmoney.Weknowstudentscan’tlearnifthey’rehungryoriftheydon’thaveeyeglassesiftheydon’tfeelrespectedandhonoredfortheculturestheybringtotheclassroom.Thoseopportunitiesmatterandfordecadeswespenttimeandmoneyontests,andnoteveninacomprehensiveway.” Pringlechallengedpolicymakersandadministratorstogointotheirstate’sbestschoolswithaclipboardandmakealistofallthethingsthoseschoolshavethatmakethemgreat.Thisincludesarts,APcourses,nurses,counselors,toptechnology,up-to-datetextbooksandmediacenters,adiverseteachingforce,awelcomingschoolclimatewithrestorativedisciplinepracticesthatdon’tfueltheschooltoprisonpipeline.Theyshouldthentakethatclipboardtolowperformingschoolsandseewhat’smissing.ThatiswherethepromiseandopportunityofESSAisfound. “Weworkedhardtogetthoseindicatorsofwhatmakesagreatschoolintothelaw,nowweneedtoseethembecomepartofstateanddistrictplansandimplementations,”shesaid. TosuccessfullyimplementthepromiseofESSA,Pringleadded,leteducatorstakethelead,givethemtheinformationtheyneedtotaketheirseatatthetableandbeleadersofchangeintheirschools. SuccessintheStates NEAmemberswerecriticalpartnersinthedevelopmentoftheirstateplans.InLouisiana,thestateoptedtoincludeopportunityindicatorsthatwerestillfocusedonassessments.Educatorsralliedtolimittestingtime,andtheyhelpedpassameasurethatlimitedtestingonallstandards-basedassessmentsforpublicschoolstudentsperschoolyeartonomorethan2percentoftheminimumnumberofinstructionalminutesperyear. PresidentObamasignstheEveryStudentSucceedsActintolawonDec.10,2015. InFairbanks,AK,NEAmembershavebeenhostingsite-basedconversationsaboutESSAopportunitiesandconductingequityauditswithothereducatorstoprovidethedistrictwithabetterpictureofwhatchangesneedtohappentoelevatethelearningenvironmentforallstudents.Insomeareas,membersaremovingschoolboardpoliciesaroundgettingaseatatthetable. EducatorsinMundelein,IL,actedascommunityliaisonsandwereabletoincreaseparentinvolvementintheirschoolstoensurethatallvoiceswereheard. Aroundthecountryattheschoollevel,educatorsarehostinglisteningsessionswithpeerstolearnmoreabouthowtheycanbestsupporttheirstudents.They’reattendingracialandsocialjusticetrainingsandtakingthoselessonsbacktotheirschoolsitessotheycanensurethatallstudents,regardlessofzipcode,haveeverysingleresourceneededtosucceed. InCamden,AR,educationsupportprofessionalspartneredwiththelocalfaith-basedcommunitytoidentifywhatthecommunitybelievedtheschoolstopareasofimprovementshouldbe. Butevenwiththosesuccesses,ESSAwillnotbringaboutsignificantchangeif“wedon’ttakeonracialjustice,”Pringlesaid. “Iwanttobereallyclearaboutthis.Thereisaninterlockingsystemincludingeverythingfromhousingtohealthcare,allofwhichimpactswhat’shappeninginourschools.Ifwedon’tfaceracialjusticeheadon,we’rejusttinkeringaroundtheedges.Andwewillnotensureallstudentsgetwhattheyneed.” References SeeMore SeeLess LearnMore 1 10ChallengesFacingPublicEducationToday 2 HowESSAHelpsAdvanceSocialandEmotionalLearning 3 8EducationTrendsandIdeasWorthLeavingBehindin2019 DoMore 1 OpportunityDashboardIndicatorsinESSA 2 TheOpportunityAudit 3 WhiteSupremacyCultureResources StayInformed We'llcometoyou We'reheretohelpyousucceedinyourcareer,advocateforpublicschoolstudents,andstayuptodateonthelatesteducationnews.Signuptostayinformed Greatpublicschoolsforeverystudent TheNationalEducationAssociation(NEA),thenation'slargest professionalemployeeorganization,iscommittedtoadvancingthecauseof publiceducation.NEA's3millionmembersworkateverylevelof education—frompre-schooltouniversitygraduateprograms.NEAhas affiliateorganizationsineverystateandinmorethan14,000communities acrosstheUnitedStates. Aboutus Partnerwithus Advertisewithus