i_coessacomm_2016a_2016-08-04t09:09:09z1 Hearing Summary

Date: 08/04/2016

09:13 AM -- Requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act and Opportunities for States



Ms. Posey began her portion of the presentation. She explained that the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) can be broken down into three main policy buckets: accountability, including state plans and state indicator systems; assessments; and turning around low performing schools. She stressed the need for communications between Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and the state when determining which strategies to implement for low performing schools. She talked about the requirements for states under the new law, which include having challenging academic standards, statewide assessments with 95 percent participation, teacher equity plans, and setting goals for student performance. She discussed the programs that ESSA reauthorizes, including: programs for English Language Learners; migrant children; homeless children and youth through the McKinney-Vento Act; Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native students; teachers and school leaders; and preschoolers.



09:26 AM



Ms. Exstrom spoke about waivers under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, and how the passage of ESSA has and will lead to more flexibility for states. She discussed assessment and accountability legislation passed by states, and talked about the differences in standards, assessments, accountability, and turning around low performing schools before the passage of ESSA and after the passage of ESSA. She talked about states exploring new and creative ways to change their accountability systems in order to provide useful and robust data. Ms. Posey and Ms. Exstrom answered questions from the committee.