麻豆精品

This update on the Every Student Succeeds Act and the education plans now being refined by state legislatures is produced in partnership with ESSA Essentials, a new series from the Collaborative for Student Success. It鈥檚 an offshoot of their聽聽newsletter, which you can聽! (See our recent ESSA updates聽from previous weeks right here.)

The U.S. Department of Education has now sent all states 鈥� with the exception of South Carolina 鈥� feedback on their ESSA accountability plans over recent weeks. Many states responded to this feedback and submitted updated plans to federal officials.

To date, 12 second-round states and Puerto Rico have gained approval of their plans. In addition to Minnesota and West Virginia, which got the green light last week, Secretary DeVos 11 plans on January 16, including Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

11 states got to celebrate yesterday. Why? approved their new education plans.

鈥� Politics K-12 (@PoliticsK12)

Though the details of the revised and approved plans have not yet been posted, here鈥檚 an in-depth look at what the department鈥檚 initial feedback asked some of these states to change:

1. Arkansas

According to , in December, the U.S. Department of Education asked Arkansas education officials to address several specific aspects of its ESSA plan, particularly regarding those 鈥渢hat deal with base-line achievement data and interim measures of student progress.鈥�

• Education Week provides , noting that according to the federal agency, the state didn鈥檛 鈥渉ave a separate indicator for English-language proficiency,鈥� which is an ESSA 鈥渘o-no.鈥�

• In addition, the Department said Arkansas had work to do on its plan鈥檚 academic achievement long-term goals.

• State officials were also asked to explain how they will ensure that disadvantaged students have equitable access to qualified teachers.

Other issues of concern included how the state鈥檚 plan weights indicators, improving the skills of educators, and addressing the needs of migratory children. to see the Department鈥檚 letter and its on the approval of Arkansas鈥檚 plan.

U.S. Department of Education asks Arkansas to address its plan for carrying out the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. What we know:

鈥� AR Democrat-Gazette (@ArkansasOnline)

2. Pennsylvania

PennLive.com that, in December, state Education Secretary Pedro Rivera received a letter from the U.S. Department of Education citing 鈥渟everal areas鈥� in the state鈥檚 ESSA plan where clarification or additional information was needed.

• Education Week that the Education Department asked their Pennsylvania counterparts to 鈥渕ake changes to how and when the performance of English-language learners will be included in its system.鈥�

• They also said the state鈥檚 plan was unclear about whether academic factors are weighted strongly enough as compared to non-academic factors.

• Pennsylvania officials were asked to explain how they would ensure that disadvantaged students have equitable access to qualified teachers.

The federal agency also said Pennsylvania needed to better explain the plan鈥檚 鈥渕ethod for identifying the bottom 5 percent of performers.鈥� to see the Department鈥檚 letter and its on the approval of Pennsylvania鈥檚 plan.

3. Wisconsin

At least 鈥渙n paper,鈥� Wisconsin presented 鈥渁 tough political challenge for U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos,鈥� because Republican Governor Scott Walker (a DeVos 鈥渁lly鈥�) refused to 鈥渟ign off on the proposal, calling it bureaucratic and unlikely to improve student achievement,鈥� Alyson Klein. At the same time, State Chief Tony Evers 鈥� the plan鈥檚 author 鈥� is in the running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, meaning he may be Walker鈥檚 opponent in the 2018 elections. Therefore, it鈥檚 important to the Department that it 鈥渄oesn’t appear to have been any tougher on Wisconsin than other states.鈥�

• Federal officials said that Wisconsin 鈥渘eeds to better explain how it will use test scores to calculate the 鈥榓cademic achievement鈥� piece鈥� of school ratings.

• Additionally, the state needs to identify low-performing schools every three years under ESSA. As originally formulated, the plan set a six-year review schedule.

• Wisconsin education officials also needed to explain how they would ensure that disadvantaged students have equitable access to qualified teachers.

Other issues of concern included long-term goals for English-language proficiency, graduation rate indicators, and supporting the needs of migratory children. Wisconsin鈥檚 plan by the U.S. Department of Education on January 16. to see the Department鈥檚 letter and its on Wisconsin鈥檚 plan approval.

Below, we take a detailed look at the federal feedback provided to all but one of the remaining second-round ESSA plan submission states: New Hampshire, California, Oklahoma, Texas, Indiana, Rhode Island, and Idaho.

4. New Hampshire

Education Week鈥檚 Alyson Klein that the U.S. Department of Education believes the Granite State鈥檚 ESSA accountability plan needs to be clarified, as well as provide more information on a number of issues, including:

• Its method of calculating graduation rates 鈥渇or the purposes of its long-term goals, and identifying schools in need of serious intervention,鈥�

• Its indicator weighting system 鈥渟o that the feds can make sure that academics are given more consideration than other factors鈥�; and

• How it will ensure that disadvantaged students have equitable access to qualified teachers.

Other issues of concern include supporting the needs of migratory children and improving the skills of educators. to see the Department鈥檚 letter.

5. California

According to the , in December, the U.S. Department of Education requested that聽California resubmit its ESSA plan, which state education officials said was light on details 鈥渂ecause anything promised amounts to a contract with the Trump administration.鈥�

• The Education Department鈥檚 letter stated that California 鈥渉as not sufficiently 鈥榩rovided long-term goals for all students鈥� and each group of students.鈥�

• The plan also lacked 鈥済oals for improving high school performance鈥� and 鈥渓eaves too much in the hands of districts when it comes to measuring certain aspects of progress.鈥�

• Federal officials also noted there are 鈥渉oles in how the state would identify and help underperforming schools.鈥�

https://twitter.com/LATeducation/status/946462654507257857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

More broadly, the Department found California hadn鈥檛 adequately described 鈥渉ow the plan would satisfy the law, which requires academic metrics to factor into school ratings more than other measures.鈥� to see the Department鈥檚 letter.

6. Oklahoma

The Oklahoman that the Education Department has requested 鈥渁dditional details and clarifications鈥� before giving Oklahoma鈥檚 ESSA plan final approval. In total, the Department asked for clarification or more information on dozens of aspects of Oklahoma鈥檚 plan.

• The Department wants to know how state education officials plan to 鈥渢rack student growth among various student subgroups.鈥�

• They also want to know 鈥渉ow struggling schools exit an improvement plan,鈥� as well as the process by which English language proficiency will be calculated for individual schools.

A spokesperson for the state Department of Education said this feedback 鈥渋s not unexpected,鈥� because a number of the federal agency鈥檚 questions 鈥渟temmed from data that had not been available at the time of the plan鈥檚 submission deadline.鈥� to see the Department鈥檚 letter.

7. Texas

According to , the U.S. Department of Education asked the Texas Education Agency to make substantial changes to its ESSA plan, which must receive approval from the federal agency if the state wants to receive significant federal funding.

• The Department questioned Texas鈥檚 method of measuring academic achievement, which 鈥渟hould be based on the number of students who show grade level proficiency on standardized tests, not the number of students the state considers to be 鈥榓pproaching grade level.鈥� 鈥�

• Additionally, federal officials said Texas鈥檚 plan includes too long a time period before the test scores of English language learners and refugees begin to 鈥渃ount.鈥�

• The Department also said the state must gauge academic success via math and reading scores alone; the state 鈥渨anted to include tests for science, social studies and writing鈥� as well.

Earlier this month, the Texas Education Agency to the U.S. Department of Education. to see the Department鈥檚 letter.

8. Indiana

Education Week the federal response to Indiana鈥檚 ESSA plan called for more information and improvements in several areas, from the state鈥檚 proposed academic achievement indicator to the exit criteria for comprehensive support and improvement of schools.

• Indiana鈥檚 plans to measure high school student growth 鈥渂y looking at the change in the percentage of students passing the state鈥檚 exam for qualifying for graduation between grades 10 and 12鈥� drew the ire of the federal agency, which is 鈥渟keptical that Indiana can use this exam as the annual state assessment required under ESSA.鈥�

• The state also wants to base its college- and career-readiness measurements on the total number of students graduating from high school, but the Department 鈥渟ays the state must use all students to judge performance on this indicator.鈥�

Additionally, federal officials say the state鈥檚 plan for schools to exit 鈥渢he pool of schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement鈥� if they achieve a C grade two years in a row insufficiently demonstrates that such schools have 鈥渕ade continued progress to improve student academic achievement and school success.” to see the Department鈥檚 letter.

9. Rhode Island

Education Week to Rhode Island鈥檚 ESSA plan, highlighting areas for improvement or clarification, such as the indicators for academic achievement, progress in achieving English language proficiency, and school quality and student success.

• The Department says Rhode Island鈥檚 plan to use both the PSAT and SAT in its measuring of achievement 鈥渁ppears to run afoul鈥� of ESSA.

• Federal officials also say the state鈥檚 plan is unclear on 鈥渉ow it will calculate the indicator for English-language proficiency,鈥� as well as how the indicator will impact school ratings.

• Additionally, Rhode Island鈥檚 plan to identify low-performing schools 鈥渕ay lead to less than five percent of Title I, Part A schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement,鈥� which would not live up to ESSA鈥檚 requirements.

The Education Department also wants more information on how Rhode Island will calculate teacher chronic absenteeism, which it intends to use as part of its School Quality or Student Success Indicator. to see the Department鈥檚 letter.

10. Idaho

Idaho Ed News that the U.S. Department of Education has asked the state to revise its ESSA plan with additional information and clarification to ensure it meets 鈥渁ll statutory and regulatory requirements.鈥�

• Federal officials want more information on the state鈥檚 proposed student satisfaction surveys, because state officials 鈥溾�� they will use.

• The Department also wants more details on Idaho鈥檚 plan to provide K-8 schools with the 鈥渇lexibility to pick whether to use proficiency or growth as a indicator,鈥� because the description of how the state will measure growth is inconsistent.

• The federal agency said the state plan鈥檚 n-size of 20 students for all students and 10 students for subgroups violates ESSA鈥檚 requirements.

.: Trump Ed. Dept. Critiques Idaho’s ESSA Plan

鈥� Education Week (@educationweek)

However, the 鈥渇eds did not flag Idaho for omitting a bottom-line, summative rating that some states included.鈥� to see the Department鈥檚 letter.

We鈥檒l have more updates on ESSA feedback (including, we hope, feedback for South Carolina), submissions of revised plans, and approvals next week.

Did you use this article in your work?

We鈥檇 love to hear how 麻豆精品鈥檚 reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers.