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听听newsletter, which you can听! (See our recent ESSA updates听from previous weeks right here.)

In several cases, Education Week鈥檚 Alyson Klein, 鈥渟tates have said thanks-but-no-thanks鈥� and have resubmitted 鈥渞evised plans that may or may not be kosher under the new law.鈥� Given Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos鈥檚 repeated commitments to allow states as much leeway as possible when it comes to education policy, this 鈥渃ould put DeVos听and company in a tough political 鈥� and legal 鈥� spot.鈥� If they approve plans they鈥檝e already said are inadequate, what kind of message will that send?

On the other hand, if they reject plans, they 鈥� the wrath of states, policy wonks, and conservative lawmakers who already think they鈥檝e gone too far with the federal finger-wagging.鈥�

Further complicating things: Changes are now coming to the feedback process. Last week, we that the Department of Education will be changing how it鈥檚 providing feedback to states 鈥� first holding conference calls and allowing states to explain potential issues, then releasing it publicly.

Here are six other ESSA developments from the past week:

Florida is a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education regarding 鈥渟everal fundamental portions of ESSA听that dictate how schools handle some of the country鈥檚 most historically underperforming and disadvantaged students.鈥�

Florida to Seek Waiver From Key ESSA Provisions

鈥� Education Week (@educationweek)

The state government is 鈥渁sking, among other things, that it not be required to judge schools based on how well English learners perform on language proficiency exams.鈥� The state is also seeking to avoid compliance with a requirement that 鈥減roficiency exams [be given] in students鈥� native language鈥� since that violates Florida鈥檚 constitution, which declares English to be the state鈥檚 official language.

In Texas, Commissioner of Education Mike Morath that the public comment period for the state鈥檚 ESSA plan will begin July 31 and run through August 29. Although the state hasn鈥檛 yet shared its draft, it plans to do so by the end of July. 鈥淭he Every Student Succeeds Act represents the first major overhaul to federal education policy in almost two decades,鈥� said Commissioner Morath. 鈥淓SSA provides an opportunity to leverage new flexibilities that bring greater emphasis to our state鈥檚 own priorities while working to strengthen public education outcomes for our more than 5 million schoolchildren.鈥�

In Michigan, state officials have decided to scrap A鈥揊 rankings based on test scores and move to a under ESSA.

Michigan drops A-F grades for schools. Instead, it’s considering a … wait for it … dashboard.

鈥� Joy (@Joy_Resmovits)

Venessa Keesler, deputy superintendent for the Michigan Department of Education, praised the proposed plan, calling it the 鈥渃rown jewel鈥� that focuses on the 鈥渟uspension and expulsion data for all students 鈥� separated by subgroup 鈥� so parents can see if there are any discipline disparities.鈥�

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute released a , which analyzed and ranked the 17 first-round ESSA plans that have been submitted to the U.S. Department of Education. The conservative think tank focused on three areas: 鈥渃lear, intuitive school ratings; a focus on all students; and fairness to high-poverty schools.鈥� Each area was rated as weak, medium, or strong. As noted by 蜜桃影视鈥檚 Carolyn Phenicie, the reviewers were 鈥減leasantly surprised鈥� by 鈥渉ow many states are taking advantage of the Every Student Succeeds Act to depart from the drawbacks and rigidity of its federal K-12 law predecessor, No Child Left Behind.鈥�听

Former Delaware governor Jack Markell recently the importance of feedback, noting that it 鈥渃an be helpful to education advocates and policymakers in the 17 states that submitted plans, and it’s also a resource for the 34 states that have yet to submit state plans under the education law.鈥� Markell added that feedback can help states 鈥渁ddress vulnerabilities in their plans and build innovative policies that have the potential to truly help all kids succeed.鈥�

In a new , Partners for Each and Every Child and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) aim to help local education agency (LEA) and school leaders effectively engage stakeholders to implement ESSA at the local level.

New resource from Partners-for & shares tips for local education leaders on local engagement under

鈥� CCSSO (@CCSSO)

Their handbook discusses why LEAs should engage locally as well as how to make engagement more effective, providing tools to aid LEAs as they build engagement strategies.

In 鈥�,鈥� Education First concludes that, although states鈥� ESSA plans so far generally didn鈥檛 focus on STEM innovation, there were four main policies that continuously appeared in state ESSA plans. States are including state science assessment results, career/technical education, and Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate indicators in accountability systems, and compelling or incentivizing STEM elements in 21st Century Community Learning Center grants.听