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.)

A recent paper from the offers some very useful guidance for determining whether states鈥� plans for complying with the Every Student Succeeds Act meet federal requirements around accountability for English learners.

ESSA 鈥渕andates that states provide greater information to the public regarding English proficiency progress and academic achievement for English learners,鈥� the paper says, and 鈥渆ncourages states to engage with a variety of community stakeholders during the development of these accountability plans.鈥�

Some :

鈥�Long-term goals for increasing the number of English learners who reach proficiency, or reducing the number who don鈥檛, should have specific timelines and apply to all students and each subgroup
鈥�At a minimum, there should be long-term goals for academic achievement in both reading and math
鈥�Subgroups may have different targets for short-term interim progress, but long-term goals must be the same across subgroups
鈥�Plans should describe how long-term goals for English proficiency are ambitious, specify the maximum number of years for students to reach English proficiency, and state which language proficiency assessment will be used
鈥�States should provide a rationale for their chosen interim goals

In other ESSA news, the Department of Education has approved Arizona鈥檚 plan, leaving only three states still awaiting approval: Colorado, Massachusetts, and Michigan.

The department highlighted Arizona鈥檚 decision to give elementary and middle schools credit (by way of additional points in its accountability system) for 鈥渁ccelerating student achievement鈥� and to allow high schools to earn similar additional points for 鈥減reparing students to be college and career ready.鈥�

Arizona recently received some criticism on a separate 鈥� but related 鈥� issue. Former representative John Kline, an ESSA co-author,聽聽in a commentary for聽Education Week聽whether a new Arizona law, which would let schools choose which test to give students from grade 3 up beginning in the 2019鈥�20 school year, is consistent with federal law.

Even more updates on key ESSA developments below:

What to think of California鈥檚 revised ESSA plan?

Bellwether Education Partners updated its interim review of California鈥檚 draft ESSA plan. Bellwether鈥檚 Chad Aldeman explained the 鈥渋nterim project was intended as a quick-turnaround, rapid-response analysis, and we did not use the full quality peer review process.鈥� Bellwether and the Collaborative for Student Success were contacted with feedback from California policymakers who are working on the plan 鈥渁bout a few mistakes that were made in haste.鈥� As a result, California鈥檚 review has been edited to correct these errors, and the state鈥檚 updated draft review 鈥� as well as a review of New York鈥檚 draft plan 鈥� is available on Bellwether鈥檚 .

One last chance for Alaska residents to comment on state鈥檚 education plan

The Alaska Journal for Commerce that Alaskans鈥� last chance to comment on the state鈥檚 ESSA plan ends Sept. 15, 鈥渁 month after Alaska鈥檚 education department published its draft plan for review.鈥� The main changes from the previous draft are to 鈥渞emove specific tables of points earned for each indicator.鈥� Performance levels 鈥渨ill be identified for each indicator and point attribution tables will be used to assign points along the continuum of school performance for each indicator in the system.鈥� The state will determine 鈥渂usiness rules鈥� and develop regulations to implement the accountability system through 鈥渁 public comment process and adoption by the State Board of Education and Early Development.鈥�

Arkansas readies its plan for submission

After more than a year of prep, Arkansas鈥檚 ESSA plan is 鈥渘early ready for its Sept. 18 submission to the U.S. Department of Education.鈥� 鈥渃alls for 80 percent of students to score at 鈥榬eady鈥� or 鈥榚xceeding鈥� ready levels on state exams鈥� within a dozen years. It also proposes three-year 鈥渃heckpoints鈥� against which schools will gauge their progress toward goals such as student achievement and graduation rates. On accountability, Arkansas鈥檚 proposed system will account for academic growth 鈥� schools 鈥渨ill get credit for students who show improvement but remain below the 鈥榬eady鈥� level on state tests and also for students who are above at 鈥榬eady鈥� level on state tests but continue to improve.鈥�

Schools will also be graded on progress made by English learners, and 鈥渉igh schools will be measured on their efforts to get to at least a 94 percent graduation rate or 97 percent for those who stick with high school for an extra fifth year.鈥� Schools will be eligible for 鈥渃redit for parts of their operation that have not always been recognized in past accountability plans,鈥� such as attendance, college entrance exam scores, and achievement in science, as well as community service and AP participation.

Lexington scholars weigh in on New Jersey鈥檚 ESSA plan

Lexington Institute scholars Doug Mesecar and Don Soifer that turning New Jersey鈥檚 ESSA plan into 鈥渋mproved student outcomes,鈥� as well as 鈥渘arrowing gaps in student achievement,鈥� depends on the state 鈥渆ffectively getting schools the support necessary to accomplish this crucial work, and also monitoring their progress effectively.鈥� The state鈥檚 plan also calls for teacher training and assistance to 鈥渟upport educators with effectively integrating instructional technology and timely information on individual student progress to target teaching strategies.鈥�

Mesecar and Soifer recognize that a 鈥渂ig improvement鈥� in New Jersey鈥檚 accountability structure is a 鈥渇ocus on student growth over time, rather than point-in-time measures of student proficiency.鈥� Going forward, New Jersey will be looking at 鈥渉ow all students taking the state assessment are progressing from year to year, regardless of the student鈥檚 starting point or if he or she has not yet achieved 鈥� or has far surpassed 鈥� grade level proficiency.鈥�

Take a look at what independent peer reviewers thought of .

Data is key for welcoming military-connected students

Military Families for High Standards Chairwoman Christi Ham that 鈥淕iven the average military-connected student moves six to nine times between kindergarten and graduating high school, many of the sons and daughters of U.S. service members get used to this role.鈥� However, moving so often has 鈥渓ed to questions about the academic challenges these 1.2 million military-connected students face.鈥� For the first time, Ham notes, under ESSA, 鈥渨e have the opportunity to get answers to these questions, if states are willing to take the steps necessary to find them.鈥�

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