HOUSE RESEARCH
Short Subjects
Lisa Larson February 2016
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Congress recently passed a new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), that
changes requirements governing states’ academic standards, student testing, school accountability, and
teacher effectiveness. ESSA replaces the No Child Left Behind Act, which had been in effect since 2001.
The ESSA is a
reauthorization of a
federal law
designed to serve
educationally
disadvantaged
students
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reauthorizes the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was signed into law by President Lyndon
B. Johnson in 1965 to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education.
The ESEA required state and local education agencies and other entities receiving
federal financial assistance through Title I and other programs to help schools
better serve educationally disadvantaged students.
The ESSA has some of the same requirements as its predecessor, the 2001 No
Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), affecting student testing and reporting, among
other things. The ESSA also has different requirements affecting state academic
standards, state accountability measures, teacher effectiveness, school
improvement, a well-rounded education, and federal education funding. State
NCLB waivers expire on August 1, 2016, but states must continue to support low-
performing “priority” schools and “focus” schools with large achievement gaps
until state ESSA plans become effective in the 2017-2018 school year.
The ESSA aligns
content standards,
student
achievement, and
postsecondary
requirements
The ESSA requires states to adopt challenging content standards in reading, math,
and science, and three academic achievement levels aligned with state
requirements for credit-bearing postsecondary courses and career and technical
education. States may develop alternative academic achievement standards for 1
percent of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. States must
align English language proficiency standards with state content standards so
English learners can master academic coursework.
The ESSA requires
annual student
testing in specific
subjects
Like NCLB, the ESSA requires states to administer reading and math tests
annually in grades 3 through 8 and one time in high school. In addition, science
tests are required in each of three grades spans (3-5, 6-9, and 10-12). The tests
must be aligned with state academic standards. States must report student
performance data at the school level and by separate student subgroups, including
English proficiency, disability, race, and poverty.
The ESSA allows states some flexibility in testing. States can either administer a
single cumulative test at the end of year or combine the results of multiple tests
over the course of the year. In addition, the law requires at least 95 percent of
students to take the tests required for accountability, but allows states to determine
the consequences for opting out of the tests.
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legal, and information services to the entire House.
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The ESSA requires
states to develop an
accountability
system
The ESSA eliminates adequate yearly progress (AYP) and the requirement for 100
percent proficiency in reading and math under NCLB. The ESSA requires states to
develop an accountability system that includes: reading and math proficiency for
all public schools and students and each student subgroup; academic growth or
another statewide indicator allowing for “meaningful differentiation” for all
elementary and middle schools; high school graduation rates; and the progress of
English learners in achieving English proficiency. States must include at least one
indicator of school quality or student success and assign weight to each indicator,
giving more weight to academic factors, in order to identify underperforming
schools and students.
NCLB and the ESSA identify the same student subgroups for accountability and
reporting purposes. However, the ESSA also requires reports on homeless
students, students with military parents, and students in foster care and, for annual
state and district report cards, it requires civil rights data, data on teacher
qualifications and postsecondary enrollment rates, and other data.
The ESSA requires
states to identify
schools for support
and improvement
The ESSA requires states to use accountability data to identify schools for
“comprehensive support and improvement” once every three years. These schools
must include at least the lowest-performing 5 percent of all Title I schools (high-
poverty schools receiving federal Title I funds to help at-risk students), public high
schools where less than two-thirds of students graduate, and schools where one or
more student subgroups consistently underperform. Districts must collaboratively
develop a plan to improve school outcomes and may offer intra-district transfers.
Schools unable to meet state improvement criteria within four years receive
additional targeted support and intervention.
The ESSA requires
states to distribute
effective teachers
The ESSA eliminates the definition of “highly qualified teacher” under NCLB,
continues to require that teachers and paraprofessionals working in Title I-funded
programs meet state certification and licensure criteria, and allows parents of
students attending a Title I school to request information about their child’s
educators. States and districts must ensure that poor and minority students enrolled
in Title I schools are not served by ineffective teachers and must report the
methods and criteria used to measure teacher and principal effectiveness.
The ESSA redefines professional development, expands educators’ access to it,
and creates leadership academies and teacher residency programs. It does not
require teacher evaluations premised on student outcomes, but instead provides
competitive state and local grants for performance-based teacher and principal
compensation systems in high-need schools that must improve student
achievement.
The ESSA creates a
new block grant
program to improve
student learning
The ESSA includes a new block grant to improve conditions for student learning
and students’ use of technology. The program uses a formula to distribute state
grants and requires states to allocate at least 95 percent of grants to districts. Other
ESSA funding is available for early childhood education and after-school and other
activities to support safe and healthy schools and a well-rounded education.
For more information: Contact legislative analyst Lisa Larson at 651-296-8036.
