蜜桃影视

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

According to Chris Domaleski at the , the disruption to ESSA school accountability systems from the coronavirus pandemic is likely to reach well beyond 2021. Given that many 鈥渟tate ESSA accountability systems rely on a bundle of multi-year data,鈥� returning to the status quo quickly is unlikely to happen. While there are data workarounds to be had, Domaleski warns that 鈥渢hese approaches will substantially change the meaning and interpretation鈥� of accountability results. Domaleski also states that challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic provide a rare opportunity to 鈥渋nvest in accountability innovations鈥� in order to bring about some 鈥渕uch-needed improvement鈥� in accountability systems that would not have happened otherwise.

鈥淭here are countless ideas for large or smaller scale improvements to accountability,鈥� writes Domaleski. 鈥淗owever, the intent of this post isn鈥檛 to argue for a particular vision for accountability. Rather, my intent is to advocate for a process for restoring accountability that unfolds in a manner that is friendly to improvement and innovation.鈥� As an example, he says that 鈥渞estoration of accountability after COVID-19 disruptions may proceed in phases,鈥� and perhaps 鈥渟tates can roll out 鈥榖eta鈥� systems and targeted pilots in 2021, as they seek to improve on the best aspects of their legacy models while investigating innovative new approaches.鈥�

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

Department of Education approves Virginia鈥檚 funding flexibility request

The U.S. Department of Education has granted to Virginia鈥檚 鈥渞equest for waivers from provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act and the General Education Provisions Act that govern how and when federal education funds must be spent by states and local school districts.鈥�

Without this approval, Virginia schools 鈥渨ould have had to return millions of dollars in federal funding 鈥� most of it supporting programs serving vulnerable students鈥� that they were unable to spend due to coronavirus-related school closures, according to Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane.

The additional flexibility will allow Virginia schools and the state education department to 鈥渟hift federal resources鈥� in order to 鈥渆xpand distance-learning opportunities for all students.鈥�

DeVos announces $65 million in public charter school grants

Earlier this month, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos 鈥�$65 million in new grant awards that will fund the creation and expansion of more than 100 high-quality public charter schools in underserved communities across the country.鈥�

The Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program (a.k.a. the Charter Schools Program, or CSP) is authorized under ESSA. Through this program, 鈥渕ore students will have the opportunity to move off waitlists into schools of their choice.鈥� According to DeVos, investing in high-quality charter schools will mean 鈥渕ore options and more flexibility to help [students] find their right fit and shape their future success.鈥� The vast majority of the funding 鈥� more than 95 percent 鈥� 鈥渨ill go towards public charter schools in Qualified Opportunity Zones.鈥�

Aurora Institute calls for K-12 education overhaul

The has released its 鈥渂road-based education policy agenda鈥� via two documents 鈥� one focusing on state policy actions and another outlining federal policy priorities to accelerate education innovation. The agenda includes 15 recommendations to help make the nation鈥檚 education system live up to its intended purpose, including a special recommendation to ensure continuity of learning 鈥� 鈥渕ade particularly relevant by the current COVID-19 school closures.鈥� The Institute cites ESSA as well as the Innovative Assessment Demonstration pilot program, Perkins V and a 鈥渟late of state policy and practice opportunities鈥� as providing lawmakers and education decision makers with 鈥渓evers to move our education system from what it is to what it could be.鈥�

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