New ESSA resources

February 8, 2018

Several new ESSA resources have been released over the past few weeks. Here’s a recap.

Chronicle of Social Change
New analysis looks at how states are doing in meeting the ESSA requirements regarding foster youth. According to the analysis at least 11 states are outright failing or are clearly struggling to meet the new transportation requirements. See https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/analysis/analysis-11-states-struggle-meet-federal-education-requirements-foster-youth/29482

(Also see this presentation to understand ESSA’s provisions regarding youth in foster care, many of whom are children with disabilities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpV2BE7kuzQ)

Achieve
-Two new briefs report on the wide range of ambitiousness and feasibility of states’ long-term goals under ESSA. “Thinking Long Term: State Graduation Rate Goals Under ESSA” is available at https://www.achieve.org/files/sites/default/files/ThinkingLongTermGraduationRateGoalsUnderESSA.pdf and “Thinking Long Term: State Academic Achievement Goals Under ESSA” is available at https://www.achieve.org/files/sites/default/files/ThinkingLongTerm-StateAcademicAchievementGoalsUnderESSA.pdf

– Another brief analyzes states’ use of indicators of whether students in 9th grade are on track to graduate in their state accountability plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The brief — “On Track or Falling Behind? How States Include Measures of 9th Grade Performance in their ESSA Plans” is available at https://www.achieve.org/files/sites/default/files/On-Track-Brief.pdf

Center on American Progress (CAP)
CAP has released two new briefs:
– “These States Are Leveraging Title II of ESSA to Modernize and Elevate the Teaching Profession” reports on how several states are using ESSA to improve teaching. Available at https://www.americanprogress.org/?p=445891
– “Do ESSA Plans Show Promise for Improving Schools?” looks at school governance as a successful tenet of school turnaround. Available at https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/news/2018/02/02/445825/essa-plans-show-promise-improving-schools/

National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest)
A FairTest review of the first 16 approved state plans under ESSA finds that jurisdictions are moving slowly toward adopting the improved school evaluation systems allowed by the new law. “State ESSA Plans: Uneven Progress Toward Better Assessment and Accountability” is available at http://fairtest.org/State-ESSA-Plans-Report-2018

American Youth Policy Forum and Civic Enterprises
New policy brief aims to address four key opportunities states have both within and outside of ESSA to better understand and ultimately improve alternative education. “Measuring Success: Accountability for Alternative Education” is available at http://www.aypf.org/resources/measuring-success/?documenttype=18&search=advanced

Engage for Equity: A Toolkit for School Communities on ESSA
The Dignity in Schools Campaign, Partners for Each and Every Child, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. have developed this Toolkit to serve as a call to action and to empower parents, families, care-givers, students, and other community members with the information and tools they need to be actively involved in making decisions that impact their schools. Available at http://partnersforeachandeverychild.org/project/engageforequity/

Candace Cortiella
The Advocacy Institute
ESSA Resources http://www.advocacyinstitute.org/ESSA/index.shtml