蜜桃影视

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

More than a dozen civil rights and education advocacy groups are asking Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to 鈥渏ust say no鈥� to Florida鈥檚 ESSA plan, Education Week鈥檚 Andrew Ujifusa. In a recent , the groups argued that the plan is 鈥渁 bad idea鈥� and 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 follow ESSA because it doesn鈥檛聽offer state tests in languages other than English.鈥� In addition, they note that the state鈥檚 proposal to exclude English-language proficiency in its accountability system is a major problem, and they claim the plan 鈥渄oesn’t appropriately identify schools with low performance for student subgroups.鈥�

Civil rights groups are also raising alarms in , reports the Wyandotte Daily, saying the state鈥檚 accountability plan fails to 鈥減romote achievement for thousands of students the law was meant to protect.鈥� State education officials disagree, however, claiming there are 鈥済ood reasons鈥� for their strategy, which they say is 鈥渄esigned to ensure that Kansas schools are evaluated fairly.鈥�

And New York City definitely doesn鈥檛 love one aspect of its state鈥檚 plan. Chalkbeat鈥檚 Monica Disare that because the state 鈥渨ants to allow some students with disabilities to take below-grade-level exams,鈥� the city is vocally opposing this provision, with municipal officials arguing that this approach would lower standards for these students.

Meanwhile, Jessica R. Towhey on Inside Sources that it may have been good for Ohio to delay submission of the state鈥檚 ESSA plan from April until September, because it gave state officials 鈥渧aluable time to continue working with the community.鈥� It also allows them to 鈥渞eview plans from states that did meet the April deadline [and] watch how federal officials reacted to the plans, and analyze independent peer reviews鈥� on , which Ohio Director of Accountability Chris Woolard said he found 鈥渢o be valuable.鈥�

We have plenty more ESSA news for you below.

1 Fordham rates the ratings, redux

In July, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute reviewed the first 17 state ESSA plans submitted to the U.S. Department of Education. This week, it鈥檚 back at it, releasing a 鈥渨ith an expanded analysis that adds the other thirty-four plans,鈥� which allows it to conclude 鈥渨ith some confidence that the country is finally turning the page on the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) era.鈥� Fordham鈥檚 ratings were based on each plan鈥檚 strength or weakness in three categories: 鈥淎ssigning annual ratings to schools that are clear and intuitive for parents, educators, and the public; encouraging schools to focus on all students, not just their low performers; and fairly measuring and judging all schools, including those with high rates of poverty.鈥� Seven states 鈥� Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Washington 鈥� received top marks from authors Brandon L. Wright and Michael J. Petrilli.

2 NCTQ looks (again) at educator equity

The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) completed its review of all state ESSA plans with an of educator equity in 34 recently submitted state plans. These new analyses highlight strengths and opportunities, demonstrating how most of these plans are not doing enough to prevent low-income students and students of color from being disproportionately taught by ineffective, out-of-field, or inexperienced teachers. NCTQ designed these analyses, along with the ESSA Educator Equity Best Practices Guide, to support state efforts to provide all students with strong teachers. Each state鈥檚 analysis highlights strengths, areas 鈥渨here a state鈥檚 work is laudable,鈥� and opportunities, areas 鈥渨here improvement is necessary to meet the spirit and letter of the ESSA鈥檚 educator equity requirements.鈥�

3 Peer reviewers weigh in

Speaking of reviews, the Collaborative for Student Success and Bellwether Education Partners recently brought together 45 peer reviewers to examine second-round state plans. Although the results won鈥檛 be public until later this year, we asked peer reviewers to share their thoughts on different aspects of state ESSA plans, with topics ranging from what they were looking for and what they wish they had seen in the plans, to what they鈥檙e hoping to see in the second round of accountability plans submitted in late summer and early fall. In the in this series, which appeared here on 蜜桃影视, the Collaborative asked five peer reviewers about which element of states鈥� ESSA plans parents should be watching most closely. Check back for more!

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