Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) - Department of Education

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015, and represents good news for our nation's schools. Skiptomaincontent AboutUs ContactUs FAQs LanguageAssistance English español 中文:繁體版 Việt-ngữ 한국어 Tagalog Русский Togglenavigation U.S.DepartmentofEducation StudentLoans Grants Laws Data EveryStudentSucceedsAct(ESSA) EveryStudentSucceedsAct(ESSA) enEspañol Update:ESSAConsolidatedStatePlans Templates RevisedConsolidatedStatePlanTemplate CrosswalkofConsolidatedStatePlanRequirements Resources PressRelease FactSheet SecretaryDeVosLetterregardingupdatedconsolidatedStateplans(March13,2017) SecretaryDeVos’LettertoStatesregardingconsolidatedStateplans(February10,2017) ESSAtechnicalassistanceresources ANewEducationLaw RecentUpdates FinalRegulations:Assessments—TitleIPartsA&B FAQs:TransitioningtotheESSA KeyESSAresources,includingguidanceandregulatoryinformation ElementaryandSecondaryEducationAct,asamendedbytheEveryStudentSucceedsAct(PDF,1.2MB) Havequestions? SignupforemailupdatesaboutESSA TheEveryStudentSucceedsAct(ESSA)wassignedbyPresidentObamaonDecember10,2015,andrepresentsgoodnewsforournation’sschools.Thisbipartisanmeasure reauthorizesthe50-year-oldElementaryandSecondaryEducationAct(ESEA),thenation’snationaleducationlawandlongstandingcommitmenttoequalopportunityforall students. Thenewlawbuildsonkeyareasofprogressinrecentyears,madepossiblebytheeffortsofeducators,communities,parents,andstudentsacrossthecountry. Forexample,today,highschoolgraduationratesareatall-timehighs.Dropoutratesareathistoriclows.Andmorestudentsaregoingtocollegethaneverbefore. TheseachievementsprovideafirmfoundationforfurtherworktoexpandeducationalopportunityandimprovestudentoutcomesunderESSA. Thepreviousversionofthelaw,theNoChildLeftBehind(NCLB)Act,wasenactedin2002.NCLBrepresentedasignificantstepforwardforournation’schildrenin manyrespects,particularlyasitshinedalightonwherestudentsweremakingprogressandwheretheyneededadditionalsupport,regardlessofrace,income,zipcode, disability,homelanguage,orbackground.Thelawwasscheduledforrevisionin2007,and,overtime,NCLB’sprescriptiverequirementsbecameincreasinglyunworkable forschoolsandeducators.Recognizingthisfact,in2010,theObamaadministrationjoinedacallfromeducatorsandfamiliestocreateabetterlawthatfocusedonthe cleargoaloffullypreparingallstudentsforsuccessincollegeandcareers. Congresshasnowrespondedtothatcall. TheEveryStudentSucceedsActreflectsmanyoftheprioritiesofthisadministration. ESSAHighlights PresidentObamasignstheEveryStudentSucceedsActintolawonDecember10,2015. ESSAincludesprovisionsthatwillhelptoensuresuccessforstudentsandschools.Belowarejustafew.Thelaw: AdvancesequitybyupholdingcriticalprotectionsforAmerica'sdisadvantagedandhigh-needstudents. Requires—forthefirsttime—thatallstudentsinAmericabetaughttohighacademicstandardsthatwillpreparethemtosucceedincollegeandcareers. Ensuresthatvitalinformationisprovidedtoeducators,families,students,andcommunitiesthroughannualstatewideassessmentsthatmeasurestudents' progresstowardthosehighstandards. Helpstosupportandgrowlocalinnovations—includingevidence-basedandplace-basedinterventionsdevelopedbylocalleadersandeducators—consistentwith ourInvestinginInnovationandPromiseNeighborhoods Sustainsandexpandsthisadministration'shistoricinvestmentsinincreasingaccesstohigh-qualitypreschool. Maintainsanexpectationthattherewillbeaccountabilityandactiontoeffectpositivechangeinourlowest-performingschools,wheregroupsofstudents arenotmakingprogress,andwheregraduationratesarelowoverextendedperiodsoftime. HistoryofESEA TheElementaryandSecondaryEducationAct(ESEA)wassignedintolawin1965byPresidentLyndonBainesJohnson,whobelievedthat"fulleducationalopportunity" shouldbe"ourfirstnationalgoal."Fromitsinception,ESEAwasacivilrightslaw. ESEAofferednewgrantstodistrictsservinglow-incomestudents,federalgrantsfortextbooksandlibrarybooks,fundingforspecialeducationcenters,and scholarshipsforlow-incomecollegestudents.Additionally,thelawprovidedfederalgrantstostateeducationalagenciestoimprovethequalityofelementaryand secondaryeducation. NCLBandAccountability NCLBputinplacemeasuresthatexposedachievementgapsamongtraditionallyunderservedstudentsandtheirpeersandspurredanimportantnationaldialogueon educationimprovement.Thisfocusonaccountabilityhasbeencriticalinensuringaqualityeducationforallchildren,yetalsorevealedchallengesintheeffective implementationofthisgoal. Parents,educators,andelectedofficialsacrossthecountryrecognizedthatastrong,updatedlawwasnecessarytoexpandopportunitytoallstudents;support schools,teachers,andprincipals;andtostrengthenoureducationsystemandeconomy. In2012,theObamaadministrationbegangrantingflexibilitytostatesregardingspecificrequirementsofNCLBinexchangeforrigorousandcomprehensivestate- developedplansdesignedtocloseachievementgaps,increaseequity,improvethequalityofinstruction,andincreaseoutcomesforallstudents. What'sNext? Overthenextfewweeks,theU.S.DepartmentofEducationwillworkwithstatesanddistrictstobeginimplementingthenewlaw.VisitthispageforupdatesandsignupfornewsaboutESSA. Havequestions? SignupforemailupdatesaboutESSA. HowDoIFind...? InformationAbout...