What is ESSA? students, who are more often taught by inexperienced teachers, In 2015, Congress passed the or who are teaching subjects in Every Student Succeeds Act, the which they aren’t trained. replacement for No Child Left Additionally, with ESSA, more Behind. The law works to shine a schools will be identified for light on the performance gaps support who have large gaps in between student groups that student performance between persist in our schools. The state student groups. With education agency, the Office of identification comes targeted the Superintendent of Public funding and other supports to Instruction (OSPI), worked with help reduce and eventually hundreds of stakeholders to eliminate those gaps. create the ESSA Consolidated Plan, which was submitted to the How is Washington’s federal Department of Education on September 18, 2017. accountability system changing? What will change with ESSA? ESSA allowed OSPI to rewrite The key change is that struggling Washington’s federal schools will receive more support. accountability system. They In the past, schools that were created a new index that reduces struggling had limited ways to use the reliance on high-stakes state their resources for improvement. assessments as a measurement Now, schools have more flexibility for schools, while also holding to implement evidence-based schools accountable for student strategies designed to help growth, graduation rates, English improve performance Learner progress, and school and to support specific climate indicators. The new index groups of students that need will be available to parents and additional assistance to be families Spring of 2018. successful. What stays the same? of all students receive As the current system does, ESSA services under Title I, Part A requires students to take state of ESSA assessments in grades 3–8, and again in 10th grade. It also More Information requires states to use challenging academic content standards. OSPI’s ESSA website How does ESSA close gaps? Washington’s ESSA Plan outlines initiatives to attract and retain effective educators, especially for Contact Information students of color and low-income
What is ESSA? In 2015, Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, the replacement for No Child Left Behind. The law works to shine a light on the performance gaps between student groups that persist in our schools. The state education agency, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), worked with hundreds of stakeholders to create the ESSA Consolidated Plan, which was submitted to the federal Department of Education on September 18, 2017. What will change with ESSA? The key change is that struggling schools will receive more support. In the past, schools that were struggling had limited ways to use their resources for improvement. Now, schools have more flexibility to implement evidence-based strategies designed to help improve performance and to support specific groups of students that need additional assistance to be successful. What stays the same? As the current system does, ESSA requires students to take state assessments in grades 3–8, and again in 10th grade. It also requires states to use challenging academic content standards. How does ESSA close gaps? Washington’s ESSA Plan outlines initiatives to attract and retain effective educators, especially for students of color and low-income students, who are more often taught by inexperienced teachers, or who are teaching subjects in which they aren’t trained. Additionally, with ESSA, more schools will be identified for support who have large gaps in student performance between student groups. With identification comes targeted funding and other supports to help reduce and eventually eliminate those gaps. How is Washington’s accountability system changing? ESSA allowed OSPI to rewrite Washington’s federal accountability system. They created a new index that reduces the reliance on high-stakes state assessments as a measurement for schools, while also holding schools accountable for student growth, graduation rates, English Learner progress, and school climate indicators. The new index will be available to parents and families Spring of 2018. of all students receive services under Title I, Part A of ESSA More Information OSPI’s ESSA website Contact Information