Aligning National PTA and Illinois PTA Legislative Priorities: School Funding
The National PTA puts funding front and center in the 2017-18 Federal Public Policy Agenda Checklist with a call for a regular appropriations process replacing the current practice of sequestration “with a balanced approach to deficit reduction that does not further cut education funding and invests in key programs.” One current initiative is the Stop Cuts to Classrooms campaign.
read moreSurvey: Public Wants Course Correction on Schools, Says No to Vouchers
How wide is the disconnect between the public and the current administration on what should and shouldn’t be done to strengthen our schools? According to the 2017 Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK) Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, the gap is significant.
read moreVIDEO: Ensuring Every Student Succeeds: Opportunities and Challenges of ESSA
This keynote address provided a high-level overview of major reauthorizations since the passage of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It focused on the key priorities of the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), looking particularly at accountability systems, school improvement, teacher and leader quality, data collection and reporting, educational technology, and regulation.
read moreWEBINAR: League of Education Voters: Washington’s Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which goes into full effect in the 2018–19 school year, rolled back much of the federal government’s big footprint in education policy, on everything from testing and teacher quality to low-performing schools.
read moreNEW YORK: Parent Update from Commissioner Elia
In ELA this year, the percentage of students in grades 3-8 who scored at the proficient level (Levels 3 and 4) increased by 1.9 percentage points to 39.8, up from 37.9 in 2016. In math, the percentage of students who scored at the proficient level increased this year to 40.2, up 1.1 percentage point from 39.1 in 2016.
read moreHere’s What States Are Doing With Their ESSA Block Grant Money
For decades, district leaders have been clamoring for more say over how they spend their federal money. And when the Every Student Succeeds Act passed back in 2015, it looked like they had finally gotten their wish: a brand-new $1.6 billion block grant that could be used for computer science initiatives, suicide prevention, new band instruments, and almost anything else that could improve students’ well-being or provide them with a well-rounded education.
read moreNew Federal Rule Could Force States to Lower Graduation Rates
Education Week’s Catherine Gewertz writes that a “little-noticed change in the country’s main federal education law could force many states to lower their high school graduation rates, a politically explosive move no state would relish.” Indiana is “the first state to be caught in the crosshairs” of ESSA’s language, but others are sure to follow. The resulting debate “could throw a sharp spotlight on a topic that’s been lurking in the wings: the wildly varying levels of accomplishment signified by a high school diploma.”
read moreColorado asks Feds for More Time
Despite being asked to resubmit their plan by Thursday, Colorado education officials are “asking for more time to figure out how to meet federal requirements for giving students standardized tests while respecting the rights of parents who don’t want their children to take them.”
read moreNew Federal Limits under ESSA Impact Some Special Education Students in MA
The federal Every Student Succeeds Act, the successor to No Child Left Behind, includes a requirement that no more than 1 percent of public school students in any state take the alternative assessment instead of the state’s standardized exam. In Massachusetts, more than 1.6 percent of students currently take the alternative assessment, or MCAS-Alt, primarily due to severe cognitive disabilities.
read moreNew York Releases 3 ESSA Waiver Requests
The New York State Education Department is requesting comments on three proposed waivers of statutory requirements of Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), for possible submission to the United States Department of Education in conjunction with New York’s ESSA plan.
read moreNew Orleans education town hall: 5 key issues raised by parents
Parents and school officials filed into Alice Harte Elementary in Algiers Wednesday (Aug. 23) for the first of four town hall forums, designed to give residents the chance to get education questions answered by the Orleans Parish School Board. The Orleans Parish School Board is hosting four town halls to address community concerns.
read moreConfused About Where Your State’s ESSA Plan Stands? We’re Here to Help
With the flurry of news about states’ plans for the Every Student Succeeds Act, are you confused about where things actually stand? We’re here to help end your confusion.
read moreMaryland State Board Approves ESSA Plan, Submits to Gov. for Review
For now, Maryland is sticking with a five-star rating system to determine which schools will get passing grades. The Board of Education passed the education plan Tuesday with a 7-2 vote. This is all part of new federal requirements for the Every Student Succeeds Act. The state plan still needs approval from the U.S. Department of Education.
read moreWest Virginia Board of Education Actively Overseeing RESA Transition
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) has been taking steps to ensure a smooth transition for counties since HB2711 dissolves the Regional Education Service Agencies (RESA) on June 30, 2018.
read moreWASHINGTON: Accepting Public Comment on State’s Draft ESSA Plan
Washington is accepting public comment on the state’s ESSA plan through Sept. 5.
read moreThursday Webinar: Dual Language Learners
The final webinar in NCSL’s Early Care and Education series will focus on policy options and strategies to effectively serve preschool through third grade students who are still mastering their native language while also learning English.
read moreEducation Dive Examines ESSA’s Four Biggest Impacts
In a new post, Education Dive editor Roger Riddell writes on ESSA’s four biggest impacts. The law has shifted power back to districts and given states “more decision-making freedom” when it comes to standardized testing and “how they use their funding.”
read moreWY Dept. of Ed Submits State’s ESSA Plan to U.S. Dept. of Ed
Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow signed off on Wyoming’s Every Student Succeeds Act Plan, ESSA, Thursday, August 17. It will now be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education for approval.
read moreHow to explain the sprawling federal ESSA law to readers, editors, & friends
Alexander Russo writes on Phi Delta Kappan that “mainstream news coverage of ESSA so far has been skimpy & superficial, given how important the new federal education law is going to be in coming years.” However, “there’s still more than enough time for education reporters and editors to grab hold of the story.”
read moreIOWA: Last chance to review state’s education improvement plan
Last week, Iowa Dept. of Education Director Ryan Wise announced that the third draft of Iowa’s ESSA plan is available for public review and comment.
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