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Indiana would redirect $25 million in annual federal school improvement funding away from low-performing schools under a state proposal for more flexibility in how it spends federal funds.

State education officials that Indiana intends to ask the U.S. Department of Education for its federal Title dollars in a block grant with fewer requirements on how the state must spend the money. School districts also would have more flexibility to use their federal funds to support more kinds of programs. The money currently supports specific student groups like English learners and specific activities like professional development and out-of-school-time care.

On Thursday, the Indiana Department of Education shared about which grants would be affected and how the state intends to use the funds instead.

Among the changes would be a significant shift in School Improvement Grants, competitive grants that currently fund improvement plans at district and charter schools identified as low performing under the Every Student Succeeds Act.

The state is proposing to instead give these funds to any school that鈥檚 鈥渁ctively seeking to serve students that would have otherwise enrolled in the eligible school,鈥� including microschools, charter schools, and 鈥減artnerships with industry or postsecondary institutions.鈥� The new beneficiaries would not need to be considered low-performing.

The proposal says this new approach is not intended to 鈥渁bandon efforts to improve existing schools, but rather to complement them by ensuring students and families have timely access to better options when needed.鈥� The department would still consider investments in low-performing schools.

鈥淭his flexibility ensures students and families no longer depend solely on political will for innovative opportunities to materialize,鈥� the draft says.

The draft proposal also says that the current framework for the School Improvement Grants has failed to produce meaningful results, and that receiving the funds has often come with stigma.

鈥淓xpanding eligibility through an innovation grant model allows [local education agencies] and partners to seek support without this public designation,鈥� the proposal says.

Other changes to grants, school grading

Under the flexibility request, school districts would be able to use some of their federal funds as a block grant rather than adhering to the specific requirements of each Title fund.

The state would still calculate and distribute specific Title funds to schools but remove the requirements of each fund, allowing schools to use any of the dollars to fund any activities allowable under ESSA.

The change would reduce administrative reporting requirements associated with each program fund and allow schools a larger pool of money to support programs, according to the draft proposal.

Indiana is also seeking the flexibility to use a single performance system for schools rather than a separate one to meet federal requirements. That new system would be the A-F model that鈥檚

The department is accepting feedback on its proposal through Aug. 25. Officials intend to submit the waiver request in September, and if approved, the flexibility would go into effect in 2026-27.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

The bill, perhaps the centerpiece of Bush鈥檚 鈥渃ompassionate conservative鈥� agenda, had sprinted through the U.S. House and Senate before hitting the summer quagmire that so often ensnares federal legislation. Administration officials hoped that a presidential swing through Florida might reawaken Washington and speed its way to passage.

It was only minutes before the activities began when Bush learned that a plane had collided with one of the World Trade Center towers. Like many, Brogan initially assumed the reports referred to a light aircraft that had wandered off-course.

But as the room filled with the singsong cadence of kids reading aloud 鈥� the activity, centered on a called The Pet Goat, had been selected to draw attention to NCLB鈥檚 literacy provisions 鈥� the atmosphere changed noticeably. White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card approached Bush to whisper the news of the second crash. And over a seven-minute interval that would be picked apart for years, the president鈥檚 focus seemed to drift between the children in front of him and the horrors unfolding in Manhattan. Brogan called the moment 鈥渆xtraordinary.鈥�

鈥淗e didn’t change his expression, but the color in his face visibly changed, especially for people who were only a few feet from him. It was crystal-clear that whatever he just heard was very disturbing.”

As the activity wound down, the president excused himself to join a call with national security leaders. After stopping to deliver brief remarks from the school鈥檚 media center, including a moment of silence for the still-uncounted victims, Bush鈥檚 entourage headed immediately to Air Force One. The advocacy tour was over. A wartime presidency had begun.

The ties linking 9/11 with NCLB were the result of a historical accident. During the 20 years that passed since that day, the U.S. government undertook generational commitments to both rid the world of fundamentalist Islamic terrorism and provide an excellent education to every American child. Begun amid a swell of bipartisan approval, both missions fell far short of their goals as the afterglow of national unity first ebbed, then extinguished altogether. And while much of the vision of NCLB is preserved in federal law, controversial requirements around school accountability have been significantly loosened; some of the law’s original architects even attribute its demise, in substantial part, to a combination of hyperpartisanship and neglect that arose as the Bush administration turned its focus to the ever-expanding War on Terror.

“This is really what 9/11 meant: People moved on to other things,鈥� said Sandy Kress, an education advisor to President Bush who helped lead the White House鈥檚 efforts to lobby for NCLB. 鈥淎fghanistan and Al Qaeda, plus the return of normal politics, that was huge. The president certainly moved on, and so did the rest of the world.鈥�

Moving at 鈥榖reakneck speed 鈥� for Washington鈥�

Kress came to Washington after the 2000 election to transform the sweeping education proposals of then-Gov. Bush鈥檚 campaign into legislation. He spent years before that as a power player in Texas politics, serving as president of the Dallas school board before receiving appointments to a series of commissions empaneled throughout the 1990s to improve the state鈥檚 schools.

At that time, Washington鈥檚 role in K-12 schools offered barely a hint of what it would later become. The principal statute governing federal interventions in education, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, had been reauthorized in 1994 as the Improving America鈥檚 Schools Act, a fairly radical revision that required states to make 鈥渁dequate yearly progress鈥� toward proficiency for all their students. But reforms were still driven overwhelmingly by a set of ambitious governors: like Roy Roemer of Colorado, Jim Hunt of North Carolina and Bush of Texas.

By the time ESEA was due for another reauthorization, leaders in both parties were settling on a single model of reform. States would set high standards, deliver the instruction necessary to help students meet them, and institute regular assessments to keep an eye on their progress.

鈥淚 think people at the federal level realized they couldn’t get away any longer with simply saying, ‘America’s children aren’t learning enough, but just keep doing what you’re doing,’鈥� said Brogan, who was elected as Florida鈥檚 commissioner of schools in 1994 and would go on to lead the state university systems of both Florida and Pennsylvania before serving as assistant secretary of education under president Donald Trump. 鈥淲e had to come up with some new ideas…and at least spell out with clarity what kinds of things children were expected to master with each of the passing grade levels.”

That bipartisan convergence was reflected in placed on education reform by the campaigns of both Bush and Democrat Al Gore during the 2000 presidential election, argued Tom Loveless, former director of the Brookings Institution鈥檚 Brown Center on Education Policy. Bush, whose own package of reforms in Texas had won the admiration of even some Democrats in Congress 鈥� including California Rep. George Miller, an avowed liberal serving on the House Education and Workforce Committee 鈥� was only too happy to break with prevailing orthodoxy in order to build his brand as a different kind of Republican. That included moving away from the party鈥檚 oft-stated commitment to abolish the federal Department of Education.

鈥淏ush simply jettisoned that,鈥� Loveless said. 鈥淗e dropped it completely 鈥� it was in the ’96 platform, but it was not in the 2000 platform because the Bush people wouldn’t allow it in.”

“That whole sweet thing that was put together in the 鈥�80s and came together in various states and then saw this incredible peak in Washington in 2001 鈥� all of that largely fell apart because of 9/11, and the failure of everyone on all sides to hold it together in the wake of 9/11.”
鈥擲andy Kress, education advisor to former President George W. Bush.

Bush began setting a course for a major new education law almost as soon as the Supreme Court handed him the presidency, meeting at the White House in January with Miller, Sen. Ted Kennedy, and future Republican House Speaker John Boehner. , as the proposal soon became known, passed through both chambers even though it was loaded with tough language on equity and accountability. Under the new law, states would be required to test all students between grades 3-8, separate the data by class and ethnicity, and publish detailed school report cards based on the results. Billions of dollars in new federal funding would be allocated to support improvement efforts.

Margaret Spellings 鈥� a senior Bush advisor whom he would later appoint as U.S. secretary of education 鈥� said she didn鈥檛 fully appreciate at the time how quickly the initiative came together.

“I was a relative newcomer [to national politics], and little did I know that this was all happening at breakneck speed for Washington,鈥� she said. 鈥淧articularly when we fast-forward 20 years, it really is amazing that this mammoth piece of policy, the major elements of which stand to this day, got done that fast.”

But the process stalled in conference, a lengthy process intended to iron out the differences between House and Senate versions. As the summer dragged on, dozens of conferees worked through a torturous debate over how to define adequate yearly progress, then left Washington for August recess. The economy was in recession, and the president鈥檚 approval ratings were ticking downward. Eager to return permanently to Texas, Kress began to worry how long his sojourn in the capital would last.

“By the end of the summer, things were not so rosy,鈥� he recalled. 鈥淲e were thinking about trying to rev it up and get going again, and that’s how that Florida trip was planned.鈥�

Reinvigorating bipartisanship

At around 8:15 a.m. on September 11, Kress was in the president鈥檚 suite at Sarasota鈥檚 Colony Beach and Tennis resort, presenting him with talking points and a visual aid 鈥� a chart showing America鈥檚 education expenditures growing over time, plotted against stagnant national test scores 鈥� for what he hoped would be a news-making speech at Booker Elementary.

On campus, Kress skipped the classroom visit to brief reporters before the president took the stage. Instead, he watched with them as a television at the school鈥檚 media center broadcast live footage of United Airlines Flight 175 slamming into the World Trade Center鈥檚 South Tower. As the Secret Service moved hurriedly to coordinate the group鈥檚 departure, the stagecraft morphed from political salesmanship to an emergency speech.

鈥淣ow we’re getting instructions: ‘You are to come with me and stand right here, and the president’s going to give some remarks. First thing, take down the chart’ 鈥� I did that 鈥� ‘and then stand right here. And when the president says his last words, he will go, and you’ll be right on him, and you’re to get in the car.’ It was all solemn and lockstep.鈥�

From the Sarasota airport, Air Force One sped to Louisiana鈥檚 Barksdale Air Force Base (鈥淭he plane took off faster than I’d ever lifted off on a plane, and got higher than I’d ever been on a plane,鈥� Kress noted.) There it shed most of its passengers while Bush, still considered a potential target, delivered before departing to another location with his key political and security staffers. With virtually every airplane in the country grounded, Kress and his companions only arrived back in Washington that evening, in time to see the smoking wreckage of the Pentagon attack.

Along with his fears for the country, and intermittently his own safety, he couldn鈥檛 help worrying about the fate of the historic law he鈥檇 spent most of the year negotiating. Would the massive loss of life, to say nothing of the inevitable military action that would follow, leave room for a huge, expensive law overhauling K-12 schools?

As it turned out, he would later reflect, the collective outrage provoked by the attacks proved vastly more effective at pushing NCLB to the finish line than any messaging event could have. Congress would soon be occupied with authorizing the use of force in Afghanistan and drafting the USA Patriot Act, but both Democrats and Republicans also sought the chance to pass a major piece of domestic legislation and show that the nation鈥檚 business was still underway.

鈥�9/11 probably reinvigorates bipartisanship for a bit,鈥� said Andrew Rudalevige, a political scientist at Bowdoin College on the politics of NCLB. 鈥淎nd there was an idea that we have to show, as a country, that we can make progress on things other than terrorism and war: 鈥楾his is something we’ve already gotten most of the way through, and we should do it.鈥�”

Before the year was out, overwhelming majorities in both the House and Senate voted to accept the version of the bill that emerged from the conference committee. On January 8, 2002, Bush signed it, flanked by its congressional stewards, at an Ohio school located in Boehner鈥檚 district. The group then proceeded to Kennedy鈥檚 home state of Massachusetts for a celebration at the famed exam school Boston Latin. Only time constraints prevented them from flying to Miller鈥檚 California stomping grounds, Kress said.

In retrospect, No Child Left Behind was likely too far down the tracks to be derailed by events. But, as Spellings argued, the rush of purpose and unity following 9/11 put 鈥渁 rocket booster鈥� under it; moreover, national attention was significantly diverted from the last months of negotiations, which may have made final concessions go down smoother.

鈥淭hey were trying to hold that coalition together without offending the far left or far right,鈥� Loveless said 鈥� a towering task, given that teachers disliked the new testing requirements and conservatives resented losing out on a longed-for federal voucher program. 鈥淏ush really wanted a bipartisan bill, and I think the focus on foreign policy allowed them to do whatever they needed to do in conference and get the bill out.”

A short honeymoon

American flags were still flying from windows, and the renewed sense of national assurance only beginning to waver, when skepticism of NCLB began festering in school districts and state capitals.

Conflict arose almost immediately over new money. Under the law, total federal funding for K-12 schools between 2000 and 2003. But for schools now awakening to the threat of sanctions (including governance changes like the mass replacement of staff or restructuring as a charter school) if their students didn鈥檛 make consistent, measurable strides toward college readiness, it seemed unfair that escalating expectations on their staffs weren鈥檛 accompanied by continuing commitments of resources.

Their doubts spread soon enough to the public at large. In Brookings, Loveless noted that surveys from the law鈥檚 early years demonstrated little widespread understanding of its impact, including penalties for consistently underperforming schools. But as participants learned more of NCLB鈥檚 key provisions, they consistently came to like it less, he found.

“I think one thing NCLB was able to paper over was the fact that it did have punitive measures involved,鈥� Loveless argued. 鈥淲hen people were polled on the question, in 2001 or 2002, ‘What do you do with a failing school?,’ respondents overwhelmingly supported giving more resources to that school 鈥� not closing it or transferring teachers or anything like that.”

Combined with its 鈥渦topianism鈥� 鈥� the law put forward the aspiration that every student in the country would reach proficiency in math and reading by 2014, a starry-eyed notion that later became a punchline 鈥� NCLB鈥檚 main weakness lay in its fundamental challenge to Americans鈥� sunny perceptions of schools, Loveless said.

鈥淚t’s been a mainstay in polling: People are just happy with their local schools. And parents are even happier with the schools they send their own children to. So once it became evident that those schools were also endangered by sanctions and maybe weren’t quite what they were cracked up to be, [the law] lost some popularity.鈥�

Eventually the dissatisfaction spread to Washington, where even NCLB鈥檚 supporters were increasingly bogged down in the fervid debate over whether Bush鈥檚 鈥淕lobal War on Terror鈥� should extend to Iraq. Along with industry groups like the Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable, a diverse alliance of civil rights organizations including EdTrust, La Raza, and the Urban League had pushed hard to make testing and accountability a reality in every American school; but by 2004, NAACP chairman its mandates of fostering a 鈥渄rill-and-kill curriculum.鈥�

Consistent blows were landed by none other than Kennedy, a figure as vital to NCLB鈥檚 passage as any except the president. On the second anniversary of the happy ceremony held at Boston Latin, Kennedy鈥檚 office issued giving Bush a 鈥淒-minus鈥� for rolling out his signature education reform. In an unmistakable dig at Bush鈥檚 famous photo op of the previous year, the release called it 鈥渨ay too soon for the 鈥楳ission Accomplished鈥� banner on No Child Left Behind.鈥�

For the temporary boost it delivered to American pride and purpose, Kress said, September 11 ultimately sabotaged the 鈥渘ice, short-term story鈥� of NCLB鈥檚 enactment.

鈥淧assing a bill should be a very positive event in a movement, but if you think passing a bill is the culmination of a movement, then you don’t understand politics,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat whole sweet thing that was put together in the 鈥�80s and came together in various states and then saw this incredible peak in Washington in 2001 鈥� all of that largely fell apart because of 9/11, and the failure of everyone on all sides to hold it together in the wake of 9/11.”

Though NCLB鈥檚 authors intended for the law to be reauthorized by 2007, it remained in effect for another eight years as controversy built up over its demands on states and school districts. have credited the landmark legislation with lifting student achievement and closing achievement gaps , but it has also been blamed for through an over-reliance on testing.

Those concerns contributed to the push to replace NCLB with the Every Student Succeeds Act, which offered states more latitude to design their own systems for measuring school performance. In the years since its 2015 passage, committed reformers have complained that the new law is far too slack, allowing states to potentially ignore failing schools and that reveal which students are falling behind.

Spellings credited NCLB鈥檚 supporters in Congress, industry, and the civil rights world with ensuring that many of its key principles remained in place. But she also warned that a political retreat from testing and accountability was underway, 鈥渇lying under the banner of COVID and mental health and all other manner of bullshit.鈥�

“The secret sauce 鈥� and this is what’s under threat in the states 鈥� is annual assessments, disaggregated data, and transparency,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s at risk.”

Rudalevige鈥檚 research as a political scientist ultimately led him to study the growing powers of the 鈥渋mperial presidency.鈥� He agreed that it became increasingly challenging for politicians to mend or improve NCLB 鈥� still less reauthorize it 鈥� once debates over the War on Terror came to 鈥渄istract attention and dissolve whatever bipartisanship was still left.鈥�.

“Could you do it if you had full presidential attention? Maybe, but Bush didn’t have that, and he didn’t have the institutional resources to make it work without that. It wasn’t the kind of thing you could put on auto-pilot.”

Lead Image: President George W. Bush was reading with a group of Florida second-graders when his chief of staff, Andrew Card, delivered the news that a second plane had hit the World Trade Center. (Paul Richards and George W. Bush Presidential Library/Getty Images) Photo illustration by Meghan Gallagher/麻豆精品

A 53-page report released by the Education Department this month during the pandemic. The report focuses on English learners, students with disabilities, students of color, LGBTQ-identifying students, and female students. It reveals that many faced additional obstacles to academic and health access and opportunities over the last year and a half.

Calling the disparities a 鈥渃ause for great concern,鈥� the report includes guidance for school systems in preventing budget cuts that disproportionately impact student subgroups and builds on additional proposals by the Biden administration at equitably closing funding gaps between districts and identifying and addressing .

Four other key federal education updates this week:

1 Ed Department Details Limits, Flexibilities of Federal Relief Funds

Updated federal guidance passed since March 2020, a total amount that exceeds $200 billion. The guidance clarifies expected timelines and how states are expected to distribute funds to schools, while also specifying how the investments could be used to support specific student subgroups, including students with disabilities, preschoolers and high school seniors.

Though federal officials urge schools and states to guide the funding toward recovering lost instructional time, ensuring digital access, and making critical infrastructure investments, an shows that schools will have broad flexibility in how they spend the money. According to the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, most available district plans lack a focus on learning recovery and many are leading with one-time investments like reward payments for teachers, staffing, and filling expected budget gaps.

2 Let鈥檚 Celebrate Schools Reopening鈥擳hen Get To Work Making Them Stronger

鈥淎s in-person learning resumes, it鈥檚 worth taking stock of the potential impact that extended school closures have had on students,鈥� . 鈥淭here is real risk that for many of these students the impact of COVID-19 won鈥檛 be a temporary setback in their education, but a significant moment that will be immensely difficult to overcome,鈥� he adds.

To proactively meet the needs of these students on a systemic level, Cowen urges states and school leaders to consider four broad values and actions throughout pandemic recovery: transparency, collecting actionable data from student assessments and other sources, uplifting research-backed tactics, and embracing high quality instructional materials.

Cowen additionally calls out great examples of states leading in these areas, including a model public engagement strategy employed by Alaskan education officials, firm commitments to collecting assessment data in Arkansas and Indiana, a comprehensive recovery and literacy plan in Tennessee, and the adoption of higher quality learning materials in Nebraska and Delaware. He encourages other states and districts to follow these examples. 鈥淚t鈥檚 time to re-imagine, innovate, and plan so that all students leave high school prepared for college and career,鈥� Cowen concludes.

3 Teacher鈥檚 View: How the Science of Reading Helped Me Make the Most of Limited Time With My Students

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, literacy was swiftly emerging as a top education priority for much of the nation, as data showed only one-third of U.S. students reading proficient at grade level 鈥� largely due to fractured and disparate approaches to reading instruction and schools鈥� slow adoption of the 鈥渟cience of reading.鈥� Jessica Pasik, a reading specialist and professor of literacy in New York, says the stress of COVID-19 has only exacerbated these challenges.

In a new essay, Pasik details how tenants of the science of reading actually helped her engage students and take advantage of limited instructional time during a year of virtual learning. Some educators in Texas鈥� San Antonio ISD are similarly sharing that such an approach helped them structure learning much more effectively during the pandemic and to drive improvements in student progress. They are urging fellow teachers to shift from the 鈥渂alanced literacy鈥� approach that has been declining in favor in recent years. 鈥淧eople, I believe,鈥� one teacher stated, 鈥漺ill move into what鈥檚 best for our students.鈥�

4 Present Danger: Solving the Deepening Student Absenteeism Crisis

A new report from the team at FutureEd warns of a growing crisis of student absenteeism, . The report states that absenteeism may have been greater during the pandemic than previously thought. 鈥淣ot only are more students missing school, they鈥檙e missing many more days than in the past,鈥� the report warns.

Additionally, the report flags that absenteeism is rising fastest for the youngest learners, while trends for disadvantaged students were exacerbated by the pandemic in all districts reviewed. The report is echoed by coverage from Governing magazine, which similarly depicts significant increases in chronic absenteeism and states that by district and state leaders to identify missing students and reconnect them to school systems.

鈥淭he data moment has arrived,鈥� says Data Quality Campaign President and CEO Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger. Citing the prioritization of data collection and use throughout a number of Executive Orders and strategies employed by President Joe Biden, Bell-Ellwanger says, 鈥渋t鈥檚 a brand new day, and it鈥檚 time to pivot from tinkering around the margins on data to thinking big about how to begin to use new information and tools to solve the nation鈥檚 most complex and vexing problems鈥� 鈥� including education. She continues by highlighting ways states can or already have begun revamping their data systems using existing laws and funding streams, like those detailed in the Every Student Succeeds Act, Perkins V career and technical programs, and the spate of COVID relief bills pumping money into schools.

Bell-Ellwanger鈥檚 case for data builds on a , who took the conversation on data to parents and school leaders to highlight the forms of data that they want and need to improve outcomes for children. Across the board, parents and school leaders stated their desire for more robust Opportunity to Learn data, which according to CAP includes 鈥渟tudent access to high-quality curriculum, instruction, and programs; supportive school and classroom environments; highly effective educators; student supports; class sizes; and access to technology.鈥� The authors conclude by saying that, 鈥淲hen families are engaged in their child鈥檚 learning and have access to actionable, meaningful data, they can support learning at home and make the best educational decisions for their children.鈥�

Beyond school data, here are five of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states and policymakers are implementing (and innovating under) the Every Student Succeeds Act amid the ongoing pandemic:

1 Schools Across the Nation Boost Outreach Efforts to High Schoolers At Risk of Not Graduating

Soaring numbers of high school students are failing classes or are considered 鈥渃hronically absent鈥� this school year, leading to a after a year disrupted by the pandemic.

A National Dropout Prevention Center report predicted a doubling or tripling of the number of students who were at risk of falling behind academically and not graduating, though graduation data for the 2020-21 school year is not yet available. In some places, districts are easing graduation testing or credit requirements in attempts to bring a diploma within reach of students who have fallen behind, though experts caution against weakening standards and expectations for students and the impact that could have on future life earnings and success in career or college.

2 California to Adopt 鈥楽tudent Growth Model鈥� in Assessment, Accountability Systems

Members of the California State Board seemed finally ready to push the state鈥檚 data and accountability system to , an action that has been urged in the state by experts, advocates, and even federal education officials since 2015. Due to the cancellation of tests at the onset of the pandemic – and – the new student growth model is not expected to provide new data points until December of 2024, at the earliest.

3 Michigan Approves Alternative Route for Teaching Licensure to Boost Teacher Diversity

Michigan education officials have , citing the fact that less than 2% of educators in the state are Black men, though in many districts, the percentage of Black students may be as high as 90%. 鈥淚 do believe that it is significant that students have a representation in their classroom and people that they may visually be able to identify with,鈥� said Marcus Davenport, Superintendent of Beecher Community Schools. Approved for five years, the alternative route to licensure program is expected to place its first teaching candidates into classrooms by next year.

4 Colorado Governor Proposes Major Expansion of Early Childhood Programs, Funding

A bill being considered in Colorado would . Using funds from a new nicotine tax recently approved by voters, the expansion of pre-K in the state would aim to tackle flagging literacy rates, help address early achievement gaps between student groups, and create foundations for improved mental health and community resources for students at earlier ages. Expansion of pre-K programming in the Centennial State represents a major campaign promise for Gov. Jared Polis, who announced the proposed legislation alongside a number of prominent early childhood advocates.

5 Idaho Latest State to Partner with Free Math Tutoring Nonprofit from Khan Academy Founder

Idaho joined the list of states looking to and backed by former education secretary Arne Duncan. The free tutoring platform, Schoolhouse.world, has also entered into partnerships with Nevada, Rhode Island, Colorado, New Hampshire, Mississippi, and North Dakota. Currently focusing on high school math and SAT preparation, the platform hosts small group tutoring sessions for free through Zoom and plans to expand to more subject areas soon.

Beyond assessments and standards, here are five of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) the Every Student Succeeds Act and adjusting to the ongoing pandemic:

1 Florida鈥檚 Education Commissioner Waives High-Stakes Consequences of Spring Tests

As spring testing kicked off across the sunshine state this week, Florida education officials confirmed that typical 鈥渉igh-stakes鈥� consequences of the exams, like grade promotions and school accountability measures, .

Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said the move would alleviate the pressures of testing on students and families, and would ensure some data on student learning during the pandemic is collected to inform school recovery and instruction. The Tampa Bay Times, in an editorial piece applauding both the removal of high-stakes consequences and the administration of tests this spring, said the state鈥檚 schools should now use the data to 鈥渇ocus on addressing achievement gaps from a chaotic year.鈥�

2 Federal Government Approves District of Columbia Request to Cancel Spring Tests

D.C. is now the only state to have its , even as handfuls of other states saw their requests to cancel spring tests this school year denied.

Deputy Education Secretary Ian Rosenblum cited D.C. having among the highest rates of virtual learning during the pandemic as the primary reason the waiver request was approved. States like , , and – whose requests to cancel tests were denied – are now considering taking advantage of a number of flexibilities offered by federal officials, including the use of shortened tests, flexible testing windows, and, in some cases, the use of sampling to test smaller groups of students.

3 How Idaho鈥檚 Failure to Prioritize Access to Mental Health Services Hurt Students During COVID

Reporter Sami Edge dove into the in new coverage for IdahoEdNews. Edge says that though nearly 1 in 5 students suffer from mental health challenges 鈥� a number that likely skyrocketed during the pandemic 鈥� and that Idaho education officials and schools have not prioritized building a system that supports all students and their needs.

Edge points to mental health and social-emotional learning frameworks adopted in states like North Dakota and Nevada as examples of how states are grappling with an increased mental health focus in school. She continues that many of Idaho鈥檚 public schools say they currently lack the necessary time, resources, and support from the state to drastically improve access to care for students.

4 Inside States鈥� Sprint to Adapt Accountability Systems to the Pandemic

The Education Commission of the States , exploring how rapidly state accountability systems had to adapt to the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and the abrupt halt of data collection systems typically used to inform things like school report cards, evaluations, and improvement plans. The piece highlights national guidance offered to states on how to maximize limited data this school year, but notes that state paths are likely to be varied and numerous – and that changes made during the pandemic will likely continue to impact accountability systems for years after schools fully reopen.

5 Arts Council Urges Oklahomans to Re-Prioritize Arts Education After Pandemic

Darlene Parman, chair of the Oklahoma Arts Council, is urging students, teachers, and families to call for fully funded arts education from state lawmakers. She asserts that in a time of great disruption and uncertainty.

Parman additionally cites the increased focus on arts education since the passage of ESSA, which included the arts as a factor in a well-rounded education and includes grant programs to further encourage innovative arts programs in schools. Notably, Stillwater Public Schools, just north of Oklahoma City, was recently given national recognition by the NAMM Foundation as one of the .

https://twitter.com/ok4arts/status/1380582771018584066?s=20

The EdNote education policy blog has . The series comes more than five years after passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act, which required states to design data-driven accountability plans meant to help improve school quality and student outcomes.听

The first in the series explores the history and immediate implementation of the federal education law while highlighting the ways in which some states have continued to fine-tune and tweak their systems to reflect unique needs.

Also of note this week, Pennsylvania has , making it the final state to meet the federal requirement put in place by ESSA.听

As with all other states鈥� data, per-pupil expenditure information is .

In addition to ESSA鈥檚 anniversary and completing the school-level spending map, here are six of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) the Every Student Succeeds Act:

1 Michigan鈥檚 Accountability Waivers Approved 鈥� Though Chances Slim for More Wiggle Room on Testing

The Biden Education Department has . The move was in line with flexibilities offered by the department in national guidance released in February.听

Federal officials are still weighing an additional request from Michigan that the state be allowed to use the data from local, benchmark tests in place of the state鈥檚 annual standardized assessment 鈥� a move opposed by many civil rights and education organizations on the grounds that the data from local assessments is, by design, not comparable and fails to shed light on structural issues across school systems. , Dan Papineau, director of tax policy and regulatory affairs for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, said 鈥淲ithout Michigan-specific data, attainable only by M-STEP assessment results, we will not be able to compare across all districts, schools and students in the state to give parents a clear picture of whether their child is on track, what degree of learning remediation is necessary and where resources are most needed to be directed.

2 Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf Details $5 Billion in Federal Aid for Schools With Eyes on Reopening

Gov. Tom Wolf announced this week that Pennsylvania , distributed by the federal government鈥檚 Title-I funding formula. As with funding granted to other states, 90% will be expected to make it directly into the hands of schools, with more targeted to low-income and disadvantaged schools.听

Schools will have wide discretion in using the funding. Many of the schools are likely to target supports and resources at minimizing the harshest consequences of the pandemic, including learning loss, a rise in mental health needs, and infrastructure improvements.

3 Tennessee鈥檚 Education Commissioner Discusses Need for Data to Inform COVID-19 Recovery Efforts

Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn . Schwinn explained why data collection, in her department鈥檚 view, is so important to guide efforts to accelerate learning amid the pandemic.听

鈥淲hen we are able to measure student growth and learning through statewide assessments, we are able to best focus our efforts and student supports,鈥� she said.

4 Georgia Education Officials Open Survey on Proposed Math Standards Changes

Georgia education officials have .听

After a year-long delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Board of Education plans to vote on the proposed standards by late spring. The changes to the standards, says Superintendent Richard Woods, were meant to follow through on the administration鈥檚 promise to repeal Common Core-based standards, though many were involved in the creation of the former standards and applaud their use of multiple representations in mathematics instruction.

5Designing Better Formulas For Funding Schools 鈥� How a State Funding 鈥楧ecision Tree鈥� Can Help Policymakers

The Edunomics Lab has published a . The decision tree includes considerations for establishing or adjusting funding allocations, navigating accountability measures, effectively using data and tools, and more. It also offers additional resources and research on designing state funding systems.

6 Brookings Fellow Says Most Improvement Lies in How Testing Data is Used

Andre Perry of the Brookings Institution lays out a compelling argument in the national debate on testing in a new piece, suggesting that the . Perry additionally underscores the need for data to inform pandemic recovery, as well as dismantle inequitable systems.听

鈥淕athering information is essential if we really care about closing gaps in educational opportunity and achievement. Information shines light on structural problems,鈥� Perry wrote. Perry鈥檚 commentary comes as the Biden administration continues to while also approving wide testing flexibility requested by states like Colorado and Michigan.

That sounded good to education experts who had long advocated for the creation of that allow for periodic classroom tests and end-of-year state exams to be aligned to measure student outcomes and also provide data that could inform classroom strategies and improve instruction.

On paper, the IADA enabled states to start considering truly different approaches to assessment and accountability that were better connected to teaching, learning and schoolwide improvement plans. But in practice, it limited states鈥� options and imposed a significant burden on their fiscal and staffing resources. The result? Only a handful of states have pursued the kinds of innovations that the IADA called for, leaving the law鈥檚 potential largely unmet.

Today, as a new presidential administration gets underway and seeks to make its mark on education policy, the IADA is set to be examined by Congress and the U.S. Department of Education for reauthorization. Now is the time to take stock of where the law went wrong and reimagine it for the future.

First, because no federal funding was provided under the IADA, the cost of piloting innovative assessment systems was simply too high for many states facing chronic budgetary and staffing shortfalls 鈥� not to mention widespread pushback against new exams for already overtested students. States were required to maintain their existing assessment and accountability systems in parallel with any new systems they rolled out, requiring double testing of students and significant additional administrative burden for staff. In short, even if the desire to innovate was there, the funding that was needed to do so was often lacking.

Second, states have generally understood the IADA鈥檚 requirements around 鈥渃omparability” of assessment systems to mean that the results of any new tests should be largely identical to, or able to replace, the results of existing assessments. In other words, the IADA seems to favor variations on systems states are already using. This is a disincentive from piloting systems that might focus on new goals, such as making tests more efficient, measuring critical thinking or better measuring the complete range of learning targets for a grade.

Finally, the compressed timeline laid out by the IADA allowed only five years to move from piloting a new assessment system in a handful of districts to statewide implementation. This is a daunting mandate, considering the huge amount of time and effort involved in setting a vision, building a new statewide assessment aligned to that vision and getting districts ready to appropriately implement it so the rollout is a success. Even if states had the desire and will to try something new, the IADA timeline strongly favored preexisting efforts.

Still, there鈥檚 much to be learned from states that have already found ways to develop innovative systems for assessment and accountability. Louisiana, Nebraska and Kentucky, for example, have approached the challenge in different ways but with common themes: putting teaching and learning first, dedicating the time and energy to focus on what needs to change and starting from a robust theory of action that is grounded in the research about learning sciences.

To give states a true pathway to innovation and flexibility, the federal government will need to reimagine the IADA and provide the necessary supports to make it work. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Education should:

• Fund the IADA. Creating new systems of curriculum, instruction, assessment and accountability is expensive and time-consuming. Some states have been able to find philanthropic dollars to get them started, but this is hardly a long-term solution 鈥� especially when states need to continue supporting their old systems as they roll out the new ones. With proper funding, states will have the support they need to move forward.
• Give it time. The word 鈥渋nnovation鈥� may connote speed, but it takes years to get all the components of a system up and running. To help states succeed, the IADA should relax its requirements that states begin showing results right away, and should recognize the planning years as an integral part of the process. Pressuring states to move quickly only discourages them from innovating, unless they are already well along that path.
• Expand the standard of comparability. When states reasonably interpret the IADA鈥檚 requirements around comparability to essentially mean 鈥渢he same score or measurement as your existing assessment,鈥� systems that take a fundamentally different approach to teaching and learning are disincentivized. If this self-defeating problem is properly addressed in the next iteration of the IADA, states will have an easier path to pursuing true innovation.
• Keep the guardrails protecting equity, but challenge what 鈥渟ame鈥� means. The IADA contains provisions to ensure that concerns about equity are addressed. The IADA should keep these guardrails, but with the understanding that the comparability of assessment systems need not mean 鈥渢he same,鈥� as discussed above. States can innovate in meaningful ways without losing the important equity goals in the law. Assessments that look different should have data that looks different than that resulting from traditional multiple-choice end-of-year tests. States can partner with technical experts and research organizations to evaluate the quality of their new tests against the goals of their innovation, rather than simply against traditional measures based on what it means to have a quality multiple-choice test.

As the federal government looks toward changing and improving the IADA, states have their own role to play in paving the way for a more effective and sustainable version. Specifically, they should start with the end in mind: How do they want to see students鈥� learning reflected in their communities? States should discuss assessment and accountability not as isolated concepts, but as part of a broader conversation about how to define quality curriculum, teaching and learning, and how to set their vision around these definitions.

If successful, states will avoid the unproductive path of prioritizing models that simply collect data for collection sake while hoping that leads to systemic change. Instead, they will effect change by prioritizing support for students and student outcomes.

Although the IADA has not yet fulfilled its promise, its core premise 鈥� that innovation is the key to moving the needle on academic achievement 鈥� remains true and is more relevant than ever. Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were due for some hard conversations about assessment and accountability systems. The urgency of the current situation has accelerated the need for innovation and flexibility as schools, districts and states grapple with the impacts of the pandemic on their communities 鈥� while recognizing how acutely they need high-quality data that provides real recommendations for how to meet students鈥� needs today and into the future.

Abby Javurek is vice president, solution vision and impact, government affairs & partnerships at , a not-for-profit provider of assessment solutions.

From an overnight reliance on remote learning and a national focus on learning loss to an urgent accounting of school building infrastructure and access to mental health services, the in a piece marking one year since the onset of the pandemic.

Schools, districts, and lawmakers, says the Post team, will likely continue grappling with consequences stemming from pandemic disruption for some time to come, as sharp declines in enrollment or shifts to charter or private schools, sustained use of virtual learning systems, and ongoing conversations about the role of assessments and data in guiding education strategies continue to be front-and-center conversations in most states.

The relationship between state education agencies and the federal government, in particular, will require clarification as school officials decide just how much reopening will represent a return to normalcy versus a reimagining of how education should be delivered and improved upon in a post-pandemic nation.

As we balance reflections on the past year with an eye toward the road ahead in reopening schools and recovering learning, here are five of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) the Every Student Succeeds Act:

New Jersey Lawmakers Mull Extending Special Education Eligibility for Older Students

Under a proposal being considered by New Jersey lawmakers, beyond what is required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. By maintaining eligibility for students through the age of 22, as would be done by the bill, schools could address many of the unique needs and concerns of students who receive special education services, especially considering that many families say their students鈥� progress has stalled during a year of virtual instruction.

Though most officials say extended services are likely needed, some are questioning if schools would be able to identify and anticipate additional costs associated with the move, which some school leaders say could add hundreds of thousands of dollars to annual budgets.

Auditor: District of Columbia Failed to Collect School, Student Performance Data

According to the Office of the D.C. Auditor, , including data on student achievement, absenteeism, and enrollment and transfers, despite receiving $30 million in local and federal funding for reporting purposes.

https://twitter.com/sandramoscoso/status/1372118924007989249?s=20

Kathleen Patterson, the D.C. auditor, stated, 鈥淥ur ability to bring about racial equity through education policy and practice is thereby crippled,鈥� while District education officials took issue with the claims, saying significant progress has been made in collecting, analyzing, and reporting school data in the last five years.

Montana Releases Annual School Report Cards (With Caveats)

Montana has released federally required , while flagging that some key data points that typically rely on student test scores would be missing as assessments were cancelled at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the missing data, state officials said some new information was able to be provided, including school expenditures for nutrition and transportation programs and updated statistics from the Office of Civil Rights.

Virginia Educators and School Officials Brace for Consequences of Enrollment Drops

Continuing a trend seen across much of the nation, , particularly for students entering kindergarten.

As many parents chose to delay the start of their child鈥檚 kindergarten year to avoid an all-remote setting, schools are bracing for a drop off in students that could have significant implications for school budgets, class sizes, and staffing. Educators say the matter is complicated even further by the fact that most students will need extensive academic interventions when they return to school buildings, and uncertainty around enrollment will only make delivering needed supports more difficult.

New York鈥檚 Board of Regents Prepares Contingency if Plans to Cancel Tests Get Rejected

After announcing plans to continue pursuing a waiver of federally required statewide assessments despite Education Department guidance saying such requests would not be approved, the . In the event the Department rejects plans to cancel NY exams, the number of tests administered this school year would be sharply reduced to the four required by ESSA 鈥� ELA, Algebra I, and tests in Living and Earth Sciences.

In light of the to refrain from issuing a second year of waivers of federally required statewide student assessments this school year, states are rapidly advancing their conversations to focus on how best to collect, present, and use resulting data on student learning.

Andrew Ho, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, to not only gather data on learning to target instruction and resources, but to also identify students who became disconnected from school systems during the pandemic.

Ho鈥檚 proposed plan would enable states to identify students for whom the state had comparable learning data while conducting an 鈥渆quity check鈥� for students the 鈥渟tate has lost track of.鈥� Though some states are expressing disagreement with the department鈥檚 guidance, most are beginning or continuing conversations on how to safely administer assessments and use the data in the most effective ways possible in light of significant disruptions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Beyond issues of student learning and assessments, here are four of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) the Every Student Succeeds Act:

New York Officials Propose Decoupling Graduation Requirements from Regents Exams

Following the announcement that the Education Department would expect states to proceed with annual student assessments, New York education officials proposed .

Though students would still sit for tests to boost efforts to understand the pandemic鈥檚 impact on learning and to target instruction and supports, students would simply need to complete the related course instead of being required to pass the exams. The move reflects those beginning to occur in other states, where officials continue to grant schools flexibility from typical accountability requirements that are usually informed by student assessment data.

Experts Caution States Considering Holding District Budgets Harmless

A cautions states as an increasing number consider holding district education budgets harmless for shifts in student enrollment, which typically determine state funding allocations.

While authors Hannah Jarmolowski and Marguerite Roza say such actions can be a helpful band-aid approach to help curb the impacts of budget losses, 鈥渟tates will want to carefully consider the goals and consequences and duration of any hold harmless approach in their own particular context 鈥� and pencil out with their own data whether the net effect is likely to help students in the long run.鈥�

The brief includes a number of questions for states to explore as they consider hold harmless provisions, as well as an update on the status of such provisions across the nation.

How States Fund Mental Health Programming and Supports in Schools

A explores the most common funding sources that states use to provide mental health services and supports in schools.

In addition to dedicated federal funding provided through the Every Student Succeeds Act, which nearly every state draws on, the brief explores several grant programs and various state-level funding routes being used to support mental health programming for students.

California Releases School-By-School Spending Data

The Edunomics Lab is also reporting that , leaving Pennsylvania as the final state yet to meet the ESSA reporting requirement.

For easy access to each state鈥檚 per-pupil spending data, visits the .

New York and Michigan added their names to the list of states again , citing continued disruption imposed by the pandemic.

While the states join a few others in asking for the tests to be called off, officials in other states are voicing their hope to move forward with tests that they say can deliver data to help them through the worst of their pandemic-related challenges.

In and , for example, state officials moved to ease accountability measures typically dependent on test scores, but stated that administering the tests would be useful 鈥渢o determine how much impact the pandemic has had on learning in schools.鈥�

Beyond issues of testing, student data and accountability systems, here are five of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

1 Baltimore Schools to Offer Students Personalized Literacy Support Through New Online Program

Reading Plus, an online program that provides 鈥減ersonalized intervention and instruction for students鈥� in reading and literacy, 鈥� a district that serves nearly 80,000 students.

The program has achieved the highest level of evidence required by the Every Student Student Succeeds Act, having completed a 鈥渨ell-designed and well-implemented experimental study.鈥� The program claims to be able to help students increase reading proficiency by as much as 2.5 grades in a single academic year.

2 Florida Officials Extend English Proficiency Testing Window, Make Test Optional

In an effort to keep the flow of academic data flowing while accommodating the concerns parents have in sending their children to test in-person, .

The state鈥檚 public school chancellor, Jacob Oliva, urged parents to have students sit for the exams, citing the impact that the lack of data could have on schools鈥� abilities to meet the needs of more than 265,000 English Learners in the state. To grant additional flexibility, schools will have an additional two months to administer the exam this year.

3 Uber-Like Program Brought Into Spokane, Washington Public Schools to Meet Transportation Needs

HopSkipDrive, a Los Angeles-based transportation service originally started by a group of working mothers, .

鈥淭his is part of an ongoing effort of being innovative and efficient, and being good stewards,鈥� Superintendent Adam Swinyard said. The transportation service will particularly benefit students with special education needs, as those associated costs will be covered under ESSA.

4 Conservative Education Leaders Lay Out Vision for Assessments Through COVID-19

The pandemic poses a number of obvious and well-discussed challenges to testing but, , it also presents 鈥渆ven bigger opportunities.鈥�

In a new essay, Petrilli and Hess lay out five broad principles they believe , including ensuring that testing data become as actionable and agile as possible and to invest the time to fine-tune tests鈥� role in state and federal accountability systems.

5 New York Advocates Say Pandemic Presents Opportunity to Reprioritize Arts Education

Penny Swift, director of the NYC nonprofit Education Through Music, says that the 鈥� and says that the pandemic presents an opportunity to 鈥渞eprioritize funding for arts education as soon as possible.鈥�

Swift cites research establishing the academic and wellness benefits that quality arts opportunities can have for students, as well as how inequitable access to arts education can provide one depiction of how racial injustice manifests in the nation鈥檚 largest school district.

How could a recession affect long-term education funding? Two reports seek to provide further context for elected officials and policymakers about the dire stakes at hand as school districts brace for budget cuts.

The first report provides an analysis of state and local education funding following the Great Recession in 2008, while the second shows how varied the distribution of education dollars across states can be. ELC Executive Director David Sciarra says the reports provide timely insight for state and local leaders as they face difficult budget decisions and seek to deliver billions in federal COVID-19 relief funding as effectively as possible.

Beyond issues of education funding, here are four of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) the Every Student Succeeds Act:

1 As Enrollment Falls at Washington鈥檚 Public Schools, Charters See Surge of New Students

A CRPE shows a 3% decline in statewide enrollment at public schools in Washington amid the pandemic, through charter schools saw a sharp 35% increase. The report explores enrollment trends for schools in the state, which were the first in the nation to close in the spring, as well as specific data on trends in enrollment for students who receive specialized services, like special education or English learner supporters.

2 As Biden Taps Cardona For Education Department, How His Perspective as Former English Learner Could Drive Federal Priorities

If confirmed, President Joe Biden鈥檚 pick for education secretary, Connecticut Education Commissioner Miguel Cardona, would bring a perspective previously unseen in the role – that of a student whose first language was Spanish and who learned English primarily at school. As a former English learner, , Cardona will be tasked with ensuring that states have the resources – and the urging – needed to meet their promises, as defined by individual state plans required by the Every Student Succeeds Act, to identify and support the nation鈥檚 increasing number of English learners. Some of the actions Cardona鈥檚 department could take on behalf of English learners, Carey says, could include improving teacher preparation and training, developing new digital tools for students, and potentially helping to scale innovations that occur in successful districts and schools.

3 Wyoming Joins Other States in Pausing Accountability Requirements Amid COVID, Closures

Wyoming education officials officially amid the continued disruption of the pandemic. Wyoming joins a number of states making similar announcements while also indicating a desire or intent to administer statewide annual assessments, which typically inform state accountability structures, to gauge student learning and address student and school needs.

4 Idaho鈥檚 Graduation Rate Inches Upward Amid Pandemic; Gains Aren鈥檛 Felt by All Students

Despite a global pandemic that forced schools closed in the final months of the academic year, , marking the first time the rate surpassed 82%. Though officials celebrated the gains, educators and advocates in the state noted that graduation rates for English learners, Black students, and military-connected students all fell – and the statewide rate still falls below the target set in Idaho鈥檚 ESSA improvement plan.

A found troubling signs in its analysis of 10 state accountability plans required by the Every Student Succeeds Act 鈥� findings that suggest the flexibility built into the law may be undermining efforts to identify the lowest performing schools and students for increased support.

As reported by 麻豆精品鈥檚 Kevin Mahnken, the law鈥檚 Congressional authors intended to give states freedom in deciding how to target resources and interventions for schools, and the flexibility was 鈥渟upposed to be mixed with firm guardrails鈥� meant to protect disadvantaged schools and students. States like Florida were able to identify significant portions of its schools for some form of intervention, but many of the lowest performing schools in states like Michigan and Connecticut were entirely overlooked.

The report鈥檚 author, Anne Hyslop, said that under-identification of schools in state ESSA plans has major implications for students, citing Mississippi, where Black students are 17 times more likely to attend an F-rated school than white students.

Here are some of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

1 Tennessee Looks to Pair Federal Education Dollars and COVID Relief Funds for Statewide Literacy Initiative

Tennessee will use flexibility granted by ESSA to use federal education funds, as well as a portion of the state鈥檚 COVID-19 recovery funds, to for Tennessee students.

Noting that only around a third of third-graders in the state were reading at grade level prior to the pandemic and that school closures over th past year likely exacerbated the trend, Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said, 鈥淚 think that we have the opportunity to leverage one-time federal funding and federal grant funding to invest in our kids and, certainly, in our state.鈥� The initiative, titled Reading360, will provide a wide array of supports and services to teachers, students, and families, as well as over 13,000 microgrants for student literacy tutoring.

2 Illinois Districts Navigate Loss of Spring Assessment Data on School Report Cards

District leaders in Illinois say that typically used to plan resource investments and improve instructional systems due to the cancellation of student assessments at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring.

Jeff Dufour, a principal in the Joppa-Maple Grove School District, said that following the absence of current data, schools are digging deeper into what they had learned from last year鈥檚 data. 鈥淲ith us not having those assessments last spring, we came into this school year looking at the same things we were looking at the year before,鈥� said Dufour.

Dufour said he鈥檚 hopeful Illinois education officials will move forward with administration of standardized assessments this school year. 鈥淚 think the data will be valuable because you鈥檙e looking at a year void of not having exams and not making truly data-driven decisions,鈥� he said. The discussions in Illinois echo those in , where education leaders are taking disparate views on the feasibility of school report cards and student assessment more broadly.

3 Georgia State Grants Aim to Improve Rural Student Access to STEM/STEAM Programs

Georgia education officials that nearly $250,000 is being awarded to seven rural school districts to increase access to STEM and STEAM education programs.

鈥淭hrough this grant program and others,鈥� State Superintendent Richard Woods said, 鈥渨e鈥檙e working to ensure schools in rural Georgia have the resources to offer a well-rounded education to their students.鈥� The Georgia Department of Education was able to use a portion of its federally allocated funding to offer the grant, as outlined by ESSA.

4 Rep. Scott, Sen. Murray Talk About 鈥楳oral Responsibility鈥� to Track and Measure Student Learning During the Pandemic

In an interview with Education Week鈥檚 Andrew Ujifusa, Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., chairman of the House education committee, amid the pandemic: 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 know how far behind these students are, we won鈥檛 know how much work we have to do to catch up,鈥� Scott said. Scott also invoked ESSA, the federal law that requires states to administer assessments and use results to target improvements for low performing schools.

The congressman echoed , D-Wash., who in her own interview with Ujifusa a few weeks prior, said that measuring student learning represented a 鈥渕oral responsibility.鈥� When asked whether accountability measures should be waived during the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott said the matter could be discussed, but that schools should not be casual in their responsibility to assess student learning and identify where 鈥渨ork needs to be done.鈥�

A from the Center for Public Research and Leadership at Columbia University found that state school improvement networks frequently struggle to 鈥渟cale up鈥� successful policies or programs from the school to district or state levels.

As outlined by the Every Student Succeeds Act, networks of schools established by state accountability plans have the ability to define their own metrics of evaluation and success, which has resulted in researchers and policymakers being unable to compare results across districts. While the authors of the study commend school improvement networks for localizing problem solving processes, they recommend that school leaders further emphasize equity in their plans, prioritize collaboration with other districts, and develop and communicate clear protocols for evaluating the success of school interventions. Separate found that when schools from different improvement networks failed to coordinate their sampling and reporting practices, interventions were more likely to overlook the lowest performing students, further underlining the need for improved collaboration between districts.

Here are some of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

California Mental Health Commission Recommends Schools Become 鈥榃ellness Centers鈥�

A new set of recommendations from the California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission through new partnerships with local and regional nonprofit providers.

The commission sites a decade-long trend of increasing anxiety, depression, and suicide among youth, as well as a sharp increase in mental healths needs related to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and school closures. The recommendations follow similar suggestions by the State Board of Education and several state lawmakers, who, throughout the year, have been seeking to address California鈥檚 striking school counselor shortage.

Amid Pandemic, D.C. Posts Big Gains in Graduation Rate

New graduation data announced by Mayor Muriel Bowser this month showed , despite the abrupt closing of schools in the spring at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

The district saw graduation rates increase among nearly all student groups, including for Hispanic and Latinx students, Black students, and students with disabilities or who are English learners. The announcement marks only the second year in a decade that the district has achieved a graduation rate above 70%.

Special Education Advocates Hopeful for Renewed Federal Investment

As the first presidential candidate in decades to include full funding of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) as a campaign goal, President-elect Joe Biden has promised to make an effort to across the nation.

Advocates, who say that 14% students nationwide receive some degree of special education services, point to disruption of the pandemic, along with evidence that remote learning has been perhaps most challenging for students with disabilities, as reasons why the federal government ought to fulfill its legal obligation to fund up to 40% of special education costs at the school and district levels. In California, for example, the federal government currently only contributes roughly 8.4% of special education costs, with local district and state funding comprising the remainder.

Hawaii Education Officials Find Bright Spot in Otherwise Lean School Report Card

Hawaii is the latest state to release a amid a lack of assessment data in every state due to the cancellation of spring summative exams earlier this year.

Without the data from state tests, report cards have been unable to include specific data on academic proficiency, achievement gaps, academic growth and third- and eighth-grade literacy data. Hawaii Superintendent Dr. Christina Kishimoto acknowledged the gaps in information, yet still drew attention to bright spots found in increasing rates of inclusion of students with disabilities receiving special education services in a general education environment. 鈥淚nclusion provides equity of access to a quality education for our students with special needs, and results in improved attendance, achievement and post-secondary outcomes for school communities,鈥� Dr. Kishimoto said.

Five years after it was signed into law, the Every Student Succeeds Act is being challenged by the unanticipated disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, reports .

At greatest risk, he says, are the assessment and accountability systems required of individual states; systems that now from cancelled 2019-20 summative assessments and an uncertain future amid a transition in the White House.

On the other hand, Ujifusa points to what may be a reason for some pride by the law鈥檚 congressional authors 鈥� so far in the pandemic, ESSA has proved flexible and decentralized enough to encourage locally driven solutions to challenges, particularly in terms of curriculum and instruction. Because of the pandemic, many states and districts will likely now consistently consider additional education factors that were not originally central to ESSA, like home internet access and whether parents are able to work from home.

Here are some of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

New Parent Dashboard Provides New York Parents with Access to School, District Details

New York education officials are on a new that provides access to detailed information on schools and districts.

The dashboard was built to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 and includes data on student enrollment and ethnicity, average class size, school climate, assessment results prior to the 2020 school year, financial transparency data, graduation rates, and school and district contact information.

South Carolina鈥檚 Report Card, Like Other States, Lean on Information in 2020

South Carolina鈥檚 , like other states, is leaner on information than in typical years due to the cancellation of standardized testing in the spring, but state officials say 鈥渒ey information about graduation rates, bullying and student safety, teacher and administrator salaries and retention, and other financial and classroom details鈥� is still available.

Report cards can be accessed by visiting the .

Kentucky Thinktank Blasts State Education Department鈥檚 Release of Poor Quality School Spending Data

In a , the Bluegrass Institute harshly criticizes the quality of school spending data recently released by Kentucky education officials as a 2018-19 requirement of the Every Student Succeeds Act. The report states that Kentucky鈥檚 data is too general to be useful, as the amounts individual schools are allocated and spend are only broken down into two categories each, making it impossible for parents, educators, or community members to identify how much a school dedicates to teacher salaries or what portion of a school鈥檚 budget comes from local funding sources, for example.

Worse, the Bluegrass Institute also claims some data is simply incorrect, saying 鈥渢he apparent lack of interest in fixing erroneous figures is disturbing.鈥� The report recommends that Kentucky establish 鈥渁n external civilian/researcher oversight committee to advise the board and the Kentucky Department of Education on how to make the school-level financial reports more useful and accurate.鈥�

Nine West Virginia School Districts Flagged By State For Support

The West Virginia Department of Education has marked as needing assistance in the areas of finance, special education, and Pre-K readiness after an accountability report was completed ahead of a recent Board of Education meeting.

State education officials noted that the nine programs will be receiving direct support from offices within the department and that the accountability report was 鈥渘ot punitive鈥� but meant to help districts improve. Officials additionally noted that due to the cancellation of spring assessments amid the pandemic, data was not available to provide a complete picture of school performance.

The Career and Legacy of Senator Lamar Alexander

In this , the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s Chester E Finn, Jr. captures the life and service of three-term, retiring Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. Detailing his time as the Chairman of the Senate鈥檚 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, or HELP, Committee, Finn states that no one has had more 鈥渇ar reaching influence on American K-12 education鈥� than Sen. Alexander, who was a chief architect of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 and the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act in 2018.

Business Roundtable, an association of chief executive officers of America鈥檚 leading companies, recently for members of the business community, who the council says 鈥渃an be part of the solution [to the opportunity gap] by investing further in programs that create equal access for people of color to high-quality education and training, both within educational institutions and at workplaces.鈥�

The recommendations include urging members to call for robust funding for public schools, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery, quality systems of assessment to measure student progress and school performance, disaggregated and easily accessible education data from states and districts as required by the Every Student Succeeds Act, and business partnerships with nonprofit or community-serving organizations.

Here are some of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

1 West Virginia and Other States Were Already Improving Mental Health Systems Before Covid. 4 Ways Schools Can Continue Improving Supports Even Amid a Pandemic

Amid a steep rise in mental health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, many educators, parents, and advocates are calling on states to find new ways to address students鈥� needs and build long-term, responsive health resources in schools. takes a look at four ways states and schools were already improving mental health systems prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, including by amending their state ESSA plans to include mental health considerations in attendance policies and data tracking, amending state legislation to require specific ratios of health providers to students, and providing basic levels of training to teachers and school staff.

2 How Districts Can Begin Preparing for Looming Budget Cuts

Long term financial considerations are quickly becoming a top concern for district and school leaders as federal stimulus discussions falter and local budget projections increasingly show massive shortfalls in communities across the nation. In reviewing lessons learned from the 2008 Great Recession and the resulting impact on education budgets, Stephanie Spangler and Rebecca Gifford Goldberg of Bellwether Education Partners that they recommend be used by districts and schools to brace for budget limitations now to identify the most effective and least harmful ways to adapt.

The levers focus on reducing ongoing spending and making adjustments to long term investments, but also provide intentional ways for leaders to identify and maintain commitments to long term goals. The authors conclude, 鈥淲ith care, districts can make plans that keep students鈥� short-term needs and long-term outcomes front and center.鈥�

3 Inequities in Career and Technical Education Programs Revealed by New Analysis

An in middle and high schools by the Hechinger Report and Associated Press found deep inequities in the populations of students steered into various programs. Across 40 states, Black and Latino students were significantly less likely to enroll in CTE programs in the areas of science, technology, and engineering, while being disproportionately more likely to enroll in hospitality and human services programs.

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The analysis details estimated incomes for careers in the various fields, noting that students of color largely were enrolled in programs with lower anticipated lifetime earnings.

While school leaders increasingly report progress being made in diversifying CTE programs – a goal made slightly easier by new, equity-focused reporting requirements included in the 2018 reauthorization of the Carl D Perkins Career and Technical Education Act – researchers stress that diversity in career fields, particularly in teaching and counseling, must be improved to combat implicit bias, stereotyping, and to provide role models for students of color from similar backgrounds and communities.

4 Missing or Inconsistent Arts Education Revealing Importance to Overall Student Achievement

Nothing in education has been untouched by the coronavirus pandemic, says a  calling attention to the effects of limited or completely cancelled arts classes on student achievement, morale, and wellness. Jamie Kasper, director of the Arts Education Partnership, cited over 300 studies demonstrating that 鈥淐hildren raised in arts-rich environments, regardless of socioeconomic status, amount to human development squared. Arts accelerated all development: language, cognitive, reading.鈥�

Delivering quality arts experiences to students virtually or in a socially-distanced way amid the pandemic has been difficult to say the least, says Richard Scaletta, superintendent of the General McLane School District in northwestern Pennsylvania. Under ESSA, the arts are considered a key part of a 鈥渨ell-rounded鈥� education, and multiple levers are built into the law to incentivize the inclusion of arts education at the local level.

A new study from the Civil Rights Project at UCLA describes how middle and high school students in 28 U.S. school districts lost more than a year of learning due to suspension, reports Linda Jacobson. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, states and districts are supposed to include student policing data in state report cards and data reported to the federal government. Daniel Losen, Director聽of the Civil Rights Project, says no state has complied and that large districts are failing to report even the numbers of school-related arrests of students.

Here are some of the week鈥檚 top developments for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

1 Wyoming: After-School Programs to Supplement School Day

A would allow community education programs, like those commonly offered by the Boys and Girls Club, to operate during school hours to both supplement learning opportunities but also provide increased childcare options amid school closures.

The waiver would specifically address requirements under ESSA that after-school programs receiving federal grant funding not operate during typical school hours.

2 Department of Education Reminds Schools of Requirements for Students with Disabilities

Responding to growing confusion around the provision of special education services after a chaotic back-to-school season, the federal Department of Education to offer guidance to states and districts still determining their plans for special education.

This follows the Department鈥檚 declination to grant waivers of state assessments and data reporting requirements, as established by both ESSA and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA.

3 Indiana Report Cards, Already Affected By Test Transition, Now Rocked By COVID Closures

Indiana鈥檚 state school report cards will, like those of most other states navigating the cancellation of spring testing due to Covid-19, . However, Indiana now faces two years of incomplete or missing data, as state officials had been granted protection from a decrease in school scores following their transition from the state鈥檚 ISTEP exam to the new ILEARN assessment last year.

A new accountability framework built around the new exam is expected to be discussed and voted on later this year, though it remains unclear how shifts in accountability systems amid the COVID-19 pandemic could inform any new plan.

4 Kentucky DOE Releases Limited School Report Cards

The Kentucky Department of Education recently, though noting that due to the cancellation of spring assessments amid Covid-19 school closures, this year鈥檚 report cards feature little of the accountability and performance data typically required. State officials noted that 鈥淪tar ratings, federal classification and significant achievement gaps will not be calculated.鈥�

5 Parent Details How Accountability Measures Have Helped Students With Disabilities

Writer and mom to a student who happens to have Down鈥檚 Syndrome, Vicki Vila discusses how have helped and motivated schools to ensure a proper learning environment for students who receive special education services at a greater rate than ever before.

Vila applauds high expectations and standards for students, as well as quality data collection methods and assessment systems, saying 鈥淪chools should not fear what data might show; they should welcome it as a chance to make improvements.鈥�

A partnership between the Education Commission of the States and the National Endowment of the Arts has resulted in a designed to help school systems, education leaders, advocates and researchers capitalize on publicly reported state education data to improve access to quality arts education.

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the arts are considered a component of a 鈥渨ell-rounded鈥� education. The federal law also defines the various types of data that states are required to make public.

In the midst of national conversations about systemic racism and the prolonged effects of a global pandemic, the toolkit aims to help policymakers and communities navigate 鈥渄ata [that] can also expose structural inequities that deny students of color and students from low-income households鈥� access to the fortifying power of the arts in their schools.鈥�

Here are the week鈥檚 other top headlines for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

The federal government gives Native American students an inadequate education 鈥� and gets away with it

According to coverage by AZ Central and ProPublica鈥檚 Alden Woods, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Specifically, Woods says, the BIE is the 鈥渙nly education system in the country that hasn鈥檛 implemented a plan to hold schools accountable for student performance.鈥�

The claims against the BIE system also include failure to adopt standards for student learning and to provide an annual 鈥渞eport card鈥� detailing student performance data gleaned from standardized assessments, which are also required by ESSA.

Indiana state board takes action to improve literacy聽

The State Board of Education (IREAD-3) for fourth-grade students for the upcoming fall 2020 term.

The goal of the IREAD-3 is to help local education officials make data-driven decisions surrounding the literacy of their students. Additionally, the board approved that the 鈥淚STEP+ 10 be administered to 2020-2021 juniors鈥� during the spring assessment window, as outlined by the state鈥檚 accountability plan required by ESSA.

Government seeks data about pandemic鈥檚 effects on school funding and accountability

In a recent notice, the U.S. Department of Education .

Specifically, the department is interested in reviewing state data pertaining to federally granted waivers of ESSA requirements, most notably waivers of standardized testing mandates, as well as data on how states and districts used federal funds to help in 鈥減andemic recovery.鈥�

Education Week reporter Andrew Ujifusa said, 鈥淚f the proposed data collection becomes a reality, we could eventually learn a lot more about how states and schools handled key policy questions during the pandemic.鈥�

During a recent appearance at the Education Writers Association national seminar, Department of Education Assistant Secretary Jim Blew told reporters that the DOE鈥檚 鈥渋nstinct鈥� is to not grant state waivers of federal testing requirements, as established by the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015. The comment comes after a announced that they were intending to apply for another testing waiver for the 2020-21 school year.

As , Blew noted that 鈥渋t would be premature to grant waivers at this time 鈥� There are so many benefits to testing, and it allows for some transparency about how schools are performing and the issues we need to address, that our instinct would be to decline those waivers.鈥� Referencing a from the Council of Chief State School Officers detailing effective and informative use of data from both end-of-year summative and diagnostic assessments, Blew stated that from the 鈥渁ccountability side, we need to know where students are so we can address their needs.”

Here are the week鈥檚 other top headlines for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

New GAO report sounds alarm about deteriorating school infrastructure; two-thirds of schools lag on accessibility聽

A describes nearly two-thirds of American school buildings as lacking adequate access for students and staff with disabilities. Additionally, the report found that many districts have delayed projects that are critical for facilities to function, including roofing and heating.

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The findings echo increased conversations about the state of America鈥檚 education infrastructure, which have reached new levels of prominence amid school shootings in recent years and, of course, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Proposal: Congress should use the 鈥榙irect student services鈥� provision to provide extra federal aid to struggling students instead of schools

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute鈥檚 Michael Petrilli, in examining the developing conversation around additional K-12 stimulus funding for schools, that any federal investment should be distributed in a way that directly provides services to kids 鈥渕ost at risk of falling even further behind.鈥�

To do this, Petrilli outlines a few ways that Congress could guide funding to states, including using ESSA鈥檚 鈥渄irect student services鈥� provision, and urges education advocates to shift the frame of accountability conversations to 鈥渋dentifying and providing extra help to struggling students鈥� rather than struggling schools.

New data reveal how much districts are spending on every school in America

A 鈥渒ey tucked in the Every Student Succeeds Act鈥� has resulted in a massive 鈥渢rove鈥� of school-level spending data, Daarel Burnette for Education Week.

So far, 42 states and the District of Columbia have complied with the ESSA requirement to make public per-pupil expenditure data, which allows stakeholders across the education field to delve into the implications of spending on school improvement, effectiveness and academic success. The reporting requirement, only enforced this year, 鈥済ained widespread support from fiscally conservative Republicans and civil-rights-minded Democrats.鈥�

With the rapid response required amid the COVID-19 pandemic, education leaders are being forced to make important decisions to meet the immediate and academic needs of students at a moment鈥檚 notice. As local officials continue to consider each district鈥檚 plan for reopening schools, researchers and advocates are calling on superintendents to implement better attendance tracking systems for the upcoming school year.

While they that 鈥渋t wasn鈥檛 realistic to expect districts to develop and implement perfect attendance systems immediately after the pandemic hit,鈥� such data will be critical going forward in understanding widespread trends in access amid remote and hybrid learning scenarios.

Attendance data give school and district leaders an accurate depiction of which students have been left behind, as the coronavirus pandemic will likely exacerbate existing educational inequities.

Additionally, more accurate attendance data will inform resource allocation, targeted supports and funding, though the federal Department of Education waived the use of attendance in determining funding distributions for the short term, as is typically required by the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Here are the week鈥檚 other top headlines for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

Kansas to create annual report card for students in foster care

Data related to students in foster care are expected to become much more transparent in the Sunflower State. Early this month, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly that established 鈥渁n annual education report card for students in foster care.鈥�

The report card will track outcomes of youth in foster care and include indicators such as graduation rate, school suspension rates, standardized assessment scores and 鈥渄e-identified disaggregated race and ethnicity data,鈥� among additional items. ESSA requires that states disaggregate student data for students in foster care.

How to hold schools accountable 鈥� when districts are making the decisions

Chad Aldeman of Bellwether Education Partners and Anne Hyslop of the Alliance for Excellent Education question the focus of accountability measures during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. If districts were, in most places, the entities setting up food distributions, purchasing Chromebooks and making decisions about wireless internet access and online teaching protocols, why should accountability for student achievement fall squarely on the shoulders of individual schools?

The two authors take a look at how accountability is structured under ESSA, describe how one of the largest districts in the nation is an example of increased district centralization, and urge readers to ask whether districts should bear more scrutiny than prior to the arrival of COVID-19.

How to better use education data to navigate through the crisis

Two new reports from the Data Quality Campaign discuss the need for educational data as officials continue to make many complex decisions amid the COVID-19 pandemic and in recovery.

The focuses directly on the importance of transparency and provides clear ways that education officials can use state education report cards, required under ESSA, to share data with the public. The shares 鈥渟hort- and long-term action steps that state and district leaders should take to ensure that research supports recovery.鈥�

Trump administration may want schools back open, but ESSA reserves that authority for local leaders

Earlier this month, the Trump administration demanded that schools reopen full time in the fall despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention鈥檚 guidance to maintain social distancing. However, the federal government has authority in the reopening of schools, as decision-making, in large part, remains under state and local control as outlined by ESSA.

California, as an example, has released guidance for reopening schools in the fall but insists that plans 鈥渂e realized at the local level鈥� and that communities come to decisions that will best serve their students.

As initially reported in late June, Georgia has become the first state to announce its intent to seek a for the 2020-21 academic year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This comes after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos approved a one-year waiver that suspended 鈥渇ederally mandated testing for the 2019-20 year after schools around the country closed and learning was delivered remotely for several months.鈥�

The public feedback period came to a close last Friday. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, states are required to test students in grades 3-8 once a year and once in high school to meet accountability measures.

Here are the week鈥檚 other top headlines for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

Virginia announces new program to help retain newer teachers

To mitigate teacher shortages, the Virginia Department of Education and the James Madison University College of Education have a new partnership called the Virginia New Teacher Support Program, aimed at retaining novice teachers in the state.

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Under this program, first- and second-year teachers will be matched 鈥渨ith an instructional coach who will provide coaching on professional knowledge, instructional planning, instructional delivery, student assessment, and professionalism.鈥�

This program, which is being funded by a $200,000 grant from Title II ESSA Funds, is eligible to approximately 500 teachers in the 2020-21 school year and seeks to provide newer teachers with the support they need to remain in the classroom and 鈥渋ncrease their effectiveness.鈥�

Alabama state DOE announces goals for improvement

The Alabama State Department of Education has released a outlining measurable goals to improve student achievement, including: 鈥淎cademic Growth and Achievement; college, career, and workforce preparedness; safe and supportive learning environments; highly effective educators; and customer-friendly services.鈥� The new strategic plan, which was 15 months in the making, is meant to work in conjunction with the 鈥渟tate鈥檚 plan for improving Alabama鈥檚 education system under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in May 2018.鈥�

How will schools measure English learners鈥� 鈥楥OVID slide鈥� learning loss?

A new from the Migration Policy Institute 鈥渆xplores the policy and practical questions for states considering implementing native-language assessments,鈥� which may more effectively measure student knowledge and allow educators to identify gaps in English-language instruction. The brief comes at a time when many educators and advocates are expressing concern that the 鈥淐OVID slide鈥� may be 鈥渆specially troublesome鈥� for the more than 5 million students learning English in K-12 schools.

More often, English language learners face multiple challenges in accessing educational opportunities, including 鈥渓imited access to the internet and the language support services they often receive in school.鈥� ESSA urges states to 鈥渕ake every effort鈥� to develop their state assessments in students鈥� first languages, but the law 鈥渟tops short of requiring鈥� native-language assessments.

Five existing policies officials may lean on to face looming budget cuts

Celina Morgan-Standard, founder and CEO of the Technology for Education Consortium, and David DeSchryver, director of research at Whiteboard Advisors, to discuss some ways in which school leaders and policymakers might begin facing the very expensive reality of reopening schools following COVID-19.

Leaning on estimates from the superintendents鈥� associations, the Learning Policy Institute and the American Federation of Teachers that place the cost of reopening at more than $116.5 billion for all public schools, Morgan-Standard and DeSchryver explore EdTech initiatives, ways to help parents and families engage in learning, tools that allow for price transparency for educational products, and increasing expenditure transparency (one of the few ESSA requirements not recently waived by the federal Department of Education).

A is urging Congress to 鈥渨aive a provision in federal law that requires school districts to maintain consistent funding levels for special education from year to year.鈥�

The 鈥渕aintenance of effort鈥� provision, which is part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is being singled out as presenting 鈥減articular challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic.鈥� Now, , as schools rush to reorganize budgets and resources, many fear penalties for violating the provision, which does not have exceptions for pandemics. The letter asks Congress to 鈥渋nclude a waiver from the requirement in its next coronavirus relief package.鈥� And in the letter, education groups noted that the IDEA provision 鈥渋s more 鈥榮tringent鈥� than the requirements in the Every Student Succeeds Act鈥� and called on Congress to provide more flexibility for school districts.

“Unfortunately, the maintenance of effort requirements in IDEA do not have a pandemic exception,” the authors say in the letter, which was signed by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, the Association of School Business Officials International, Council of Administrators of Special Education, the National Association of State Directors of Special Education, the National Association of School Psychologists, and the National School Boards Association. “Specifically, the IDEA local maintenance of effort requirements do not allow districts to adjust their special education funding that they had previously, and in good faith, dedicated to special education efforts.”

Here are the week鈥檚 other top headlines for how states are implementing (and innovating under) the Every Student Succeeds Act:

Advocating for arts education as a priority in reopening schools

A group of more than 50 arts and education organizations recently , 鈥淎rts Education Is Essential,鈥� that underscores the role the arts have played 鈥� both during the ongoing health crisis as well as its importance in general for all students, 鈥渋ncluding those who are in traditionally underrepresented groups.鈥�

The joint statement asks policymakers and the general public to consider the critical role of arts education, reminding readers that it is 鈥減art of a well-rounded education as defined by ESSA and supported in state laws throughout the country.鈥�

Nationwide, 46 states require an arts credit in order to graduate from high school, while 43 require arts instruction in elementary and secondary schools.

Pennsylvania schools get access to $523 million in emergency funding through CARES Act

Up to $523 million in emergency education funding is for Pennsylvania鈥檚 public schools, charter schools and education agencies through the CARES Act. 鈥淎t least 90% of the money, or $471 million, is to be awarded to traditional public schools and charter schools. Each entity is to receive an amount proportional to federal Title I-A funds received in 2019 under the Every Student Succeeds Act.鈥�

The remaining 10 percent will be allocated to the state Education Department to address issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, such as remote learning. Funds can be used for a wide range of projects and services, including 鈥渇ood service, professional training, technology purchases, sanitizing and cleaning supplies, summer and after-school programs, and mental health supports,鈥� and all funds must be used by September 2022.

DeVos taking heat for coronavirus relief guidance

An impassioned criticizes Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for directing 鈥減ublic schools to share with private and religious schools more of the funding available to them through the CARES Act.鈥�

Under the secretary鈥檚 recently released guidance, education professors Abe Feuerstein and Sue Ellen Henry argue that these federal funds should be allocated according to the enrollment 鈥渙f all students 鈥� public and non-public 鈥� without regard to poverty, low achievement, or residence in a participating Title I [federal aid for low-income students] public school attendance area.鈥� According to the authors of the op-ed, this directive 鈥渇lies in the face of ESSA and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act.”

According to this , an increasing shortage of secondary school principals is 鈥渉ampering the country鈥檚 efforts to provide quality educational opportunities for students.鈥� Among the report鈥檚 main findings: 42% of surveyed principals 鈥渋ndicated they were considering leaving their position,鈥� with the 鈥減ercentage of principals planning to move to a different school鈥� being higher 鈥渇or those in high-poverty schools and rural communities.鈥�

Factors impacting the increasing turnover rate among school principals include working conditions, compensation, accountability systems and evaluation practices, as well as inadequate access to professional learning opportunities, among other variables.

One local-level recommendation from the report writers concerns using local and federal funds under the Every Student Succeeds Act 鈥� and other federal education mandates 鈥� to 鈥渁ddress such obstacles as the provision of timely, relevant content, and coverage, if needed, so that principals can participate in professional development.鈥�

Here are the week鈥檚 other top headlines for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

House Democrats introduce new coronavirus relief proposal; schools would get nearly $60 billion聽

Earlier this month, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation that 鈥渨ould provide nearly $60 billion to K-12 school districts to help them address the coronavirus pandemic,鈥� .

The total 鈥渇alls short of public demands from education advocacy groups鈥� but will likely not make it past the Republican-controlled Senate regardless. The Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act would 鈥渃reate a $90 billion 鈥榮tate fiscal stabilization fund鈥� for the U.S. Department of Education to distribute to K-12 as well as higher education.鈥� Roughly 65 percent of those funds would go to states and school districts, while 30 percent would go to public higher education.

The remaining funds would go to administrative costs and other expenses. Schools could use this money to 鈥渟upport a large variety of services under the Every Student Succeeds Act鈥� and 鈥渙ther federal mandates.鈥�

Texas district nationally recognized for music program for sixth straight year

For the sixth year in a row, in the Austin metro area recently received the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants Foundation.

鈥淭he recognition is awarded to districts demonstrating outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.鈥�

When making these decisions, the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas considers 鈥渇unding, graduation requirements, music class participants, instruction time, support for music programs鈥� as well as other factors. The Every Student Succeeds Act 鈥渞ecommends music and art as critical elements of a well-rounded education.鈥�

Education Department launches grant program to help educate disadvantaged students

On May 11, the U.S. Department of Education a new, $3 million grant program that 鈥済ives districts flexibility to combine federal, state and local funding streams to educate disadvantaged students.鈥�

These grants are authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act and aim to support 鈥渟tudent-centered funding pilot鈥� programs, representing the first time DOE has offered such a measure. According to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, 鈥淭his clear and quantifiable way to allocate education funding provides much-needed transparency, predictability, and autonomy at the local level, and helps to ensure the money follows students who need the most support.鈥� These grants would give districts more control over how funding is allocated to support 鈥渟tudents from low-income families, English learners, and any other educationally disadvantaged student group.鈥� Local agencies can apply for these new grants through July 10.

According to聽, guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Education that tells school districts to 鈥渄irect much more coronavirus aid than they expected to private school students鈥� has sparked opposition in the education community. The Department says that school districts must use COVID-19 relief funds 鈥渢o provide 鈥榚quitable services鈥� for all local private school students.鈥� However, public school advocates argue that this funding should 鈥渇ollow what the Every Student Succeeds Act says and be set aside to provide services only for certain disadvantaged and at-risk students, like technology licenses and parent engagement.鈥�

While the Department of Education鈥檚 guidance is not law 鈥� or even a set of regulations 鈥� the disagreement over how funds should be allocated does set the stage for a long, drawn-out and potentially legal fight between school districts and the federal agency. Also, last week saw a 鈥渄eclaration from the American Federation of Teachers and AASA, the School Administrators Association, that .鈥� Five other national groups , while separately, the national group that represents chief state school officers also recently that she 鈥渟hould rethink her guidance.鈥�

Here are the week鈥檚 other top headlines for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

Student evaluation will need to adapt to post-pandemic world

This editorial in the聽 outlines a problem educators nationwide are facing: how to most effectively measure student progress in a post-pandemic world. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, all states have sent requests to the U.S. Department of Education in an effort to receive waivers of standardized testing requirements established under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Now, educators are left wondering how to measure student progress, including how to compare students 鈥渨ith strong internet connections and stable home settings鈥� with their 鈥減eers whose families might be in crisis.鈥�

To address this, and a myriad of other concerns, 鈥渟chool districts and their leaders should start a deeper conversation now to evaluate individual student progress and needs.鈥�

Kansas receives federal grant to improve early childhood education

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and childhood leaders in the state that an $8.9 million grant from the Administration for Children and Families has been awarded 鈥渢o continue efforts to strengthen the early childhood system鈥� across the state. The funds are 鈥減rovided through the Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).鈥�

According to the governor, 鈥淭his grant is particularly welcome now, as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused an additional degree of stress on early childhood in Kansas. With it, we will continue to fight for the health and safety of children and families in our state.鈥�

This funding will help 鈥渟upport systems-alignment, infrastructure, and innovation at the local and state level,鈥� and parents can 鈥渆xpect to see investments in activities that build a sustainable infrastructure for the early childhood system.鈥�

Education groups pushing for new federal K-12 funding

Recently, dozens of groups that calls for聽鈥渁t least $250 billion in new federal aid for K-12 schools聽and higher education, as part of a broader push to shore up state and local government funding.鈥�

The request additionally encourages Congress to focus on providing relief for 鈥渟tudents from low-income households and special education as well as efforts to help students connect to the internet鈥� while supporting key programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The letter鈥檚 signatories included 鈥渕ore than 70 organizations,鈥� such as teachers unions, think tanks, civil rights groups and others.

鈥�After years of frustration in her attempts to expand education choice, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is picking up steam,鈥� in聽Education Week. 鈥淔resh evidence that DeVos is continuing her push to prioritize choice with federal funds can be found in the April 24 edition of the聽Federal Register,鈥� which included a U.S. Department of Education announcement of a new proposal to grant priority for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.

The priority 鈥渨ould affect聽State Personnel Development Grants that help train those working in special education,鈥� Ujifusa writes.

This announcement 鈥渓ines up with at least two other recent moves by the Education Department to embed at least the concept of money in different parts of the federal education budget,鈥� including an early-March proposal from DeVos to develop 鈥渧ouchers for teachers to use for professional development using Education Innovation and Research grant money in the Every Student Succeeds Act.鈥�

DeVos also recently announced $180 million in federal coronavirus grants that in part 鈥渨ould provide money to families to spend on a variety of public and private education services 鈥� a concept that resembles a voucher program.鈥� Ujifusa also reports that Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado, wrote to DeVos last month saying that her teacher PD plan that relied on Every Student Succeeds Act money 鈥渧iolated both the 鈥榮pirit and intent鈥� of the law.鈥�

Here are the week鈥檚 other top headlines for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

During pandemic, Indiana focusing more on connection than attendance

Attendance is 鈥渘ow one of the many facets of K-12 education that has been redefined because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced school buildings to close and most students to transition to online learning,鈥� .

The reality, says Kirkman, is that no school districts in the state 鈥渁re required to bother with strict attendance policies at all.鈥� Instead, 鈥渟chool leaders are emphasizing leniency and teacher-student interactions in their continuous learning plans as a way to track district achievement and attendance.鈥�

ESSA 鈥渞equires states to report chronic absence data as a measure of school quality,鈥� but the U.S. Department of Education has indicated it would 鈥渃onsider a one-year waiver to exclude this indicator鈥� from states鈥� systems.

Oklahoma ranks third in pre-K access

According to a new report from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), Oklahoma now in the country in regard to access to pre-K education for 4-year-olds.

Perhaps this shouldn鈥檛 be surprising: 鈥淥klahoma鈥檚 commitment to early education is evident in the state鈥檚 eight-year strategic plan, Oklahoma Edge,鈥� writes . 鈥淭he comprehensive education plan, required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), lists one of the state鈥檚 six primary goals as aligning early childhood education and learning foundations to ensure at least 75% of students are 鈥榬eady to read鈥� upon kindergarten entry.鈥�

Brookings examines NAEP civics results

In this , the Brookings Institution examines the recent release of the National Center of Education Statistics鈥� results from the 2018 NAEP civics assessment to answer whether public schools are living up to their 鈥渃ore mission鈥� to 鈥渆quip students with the tools to become engaged and informed鈥� citizens.

鈥淔ollowing on the heels of the underwhelming 2019 results in math and reading, the latest civics results from the Nation鈥檚 Report Card are also lackluster,鈥� write authors Michael Hansen, Diana Quintero and Alejandro Vazquez-Martinez. These results are noteworthy, they write, 鈥済iven that 2018 was the first civics test administered after the enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, which provided greater flexibility to states in the design of their accountability systems.鈥�

This change 鈥渆ssentially removed federal law鈥檚 laser focus on math and reading that characterized the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era, and one might have expected subjects beyond reading and math to flourish in this new learning environment.鈥�

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos recently the release of 鈥�$3 billion in aid for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund,鈥� which was included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Governors can now apply for aid to 鈥渉elp public schools address the coronavirus pandemic.鈥� The funds are 鈥渟eparate from the $13.5 billion in the CARES Act earmarked just for K-12,鈥� of which no less than 90 percent must 鈥済o out to districts based on the Title I funding formula for disadvantaged students鈥� under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Secretary DeVos noted that the grants for governors are 鈥渆xtraordinarily flexible,鈥� with individual governors being able to determine how much of the money goes to K-12 education and how much goes to higher education.

In other news out of the Education Department, DeVos also recently that would empower teachers 鈥渢hrough stipends or vouchers, to select and access professional development courses and opportunities that are relevant to their personal needs or career goals instead of having one-size-fits-all programming dictated to them by the state or local education agency.鈥� This switch in funding priorities would occur under the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program, which is authorized by ESSA. The Department of Education is now soliciting feedback from the public about this proposal.

Beyond the federal government, here are the week鈥檚 other top headlines for how states are implementing (and innovating under) ESSA:

Will Kentucky change its school rating system again?

Kentucky lawmakers recently that would reconfigure the state鈥檚 brand-new accountability rating system. If signed by the governor, the measure 鈥渨ould scrap the state鈥檚 one-year-old five-star rating system, and replace it with a color-coded speedometer,鈥� .

A spokesperson for the Kentucky Department of Education observed that there are concerns about the state changing its rating system too frequently, noting that it has 鈥渞esulted in a lack of consistency over the last several years,鈥� which can make it hard for parents to know how a school is performing.

Other changes were included in the bill to help put the state back in compliance with the Every Student Succeeds Act, including how it identifies schools with significant achievement gaps.

Attendance, absenteeism and coronavirus school closures

A recent piece in聽 highlights the various ways that states, districts and schools are monitoring and tracking attendance in light of widespread school closures in the face of the coronavirus. While 鈥渢he federal Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to report chronic absence data as a measure of school quality,鈥� a number of states have provided additional leniency and flexibility for schools during the pandemic.

Some 鈥� like Colorado and Oklahoma 鈥� 鈥渉ave suspended requirements that schools report attendance numbers to them, but encouraged attendance tracking for districts鈥� own purposes.鈥� At the same time, states such as Kentucky have 鈥減ushed schools to focus on project completion dates rather than instructional time.鈥� And many districts are simply not taking attendance altogether, choosing instead to focus on measuring online engagement.

New report looks at the future of assessments in a time of disruption

Recently, FutureEd released a examining the 鈥渂ipartisan backlash against standardized testing in recent years鈥� in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The report looks at a 鈥渘ew 50-state analysis of testing through 2019鈥� to 鈥渆xamine the striking scale of the pushback against testing and how the backlash is likely to play out in the dramatically different education landscape we suddenly find ourselves in.鈥� The authors conclude that 鈥渋f state testing systems do not evolve in significant ways Congress may abandon the statewide standardized testing requirements in the federal Every Student Succeeds Act when it next reauthorizes the law.鈥�