Federal Roundup
Schools Across the Nation Boost Outreach Efforts to High Schoolers At Risk of Not Graduating
May 11, 2021
Soaring numbers of high school students are failing classes or are considered “chronically absent” this school year, leading to a nationwide push by educators to track down and engage older students they fear might not reach graduation after a year disrupted by the pandemic. A...
Advocates Underscore a National Focus on Data in Education
May 10, 2021
“The data moment has arrived,” says Data Quality Campaign President and CEO Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger in a piece for the 74 Million. Citing the prioritization of data collection and use throughout a number of Executive Orders and strategies employed by President Joe Biden, Bell-Ellwanger says, “it’s...
Biden Unveils $1.8 Trillion ‘American Families Plan’
April 28, 2021
The Biden administration proposed this week what would be the most significant expansion of education programs in at least a generation with a $1.8 trillion package focused on families and children. The proposal calls for universal pre-K for 3- and 4- year-olds, two years of...
Feds Draw Fine Line on Testing This Spring
April 23, 2021
Education Week’s Andrew Ujifusa says “a disconnect has emerged between the federal government requiring states to offer their tests, and districts’ power to exempt students from taking them,” citing the nuanced path federal education officials have taken in responding to individual state requests for scaling...
Biden Administration Seeks to Restart Flow of Civil Rights Data
April 22, 2021
The Education Department has released updated guidance to states on the collection of critical civil rights and education data. The guidance provides recommendations on how local and state officials can gather information on matters like attendance, school discipline, and school safety even as schools continue...
Districts Navigate Loss of Spring Assessment Data on School Report Cards
December 31, 2020
District leaders in Illinois say that annual school report cards are unfortunately missing important data typically used to plan resource investments and improve instructional systems due to the cancellation of student assessments at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring. Jeff Dufour, a...
DeVos to State Education Leaders: Don’t Expect Waivers For Annual Testing
September 3, 2020
After months of uncertainty, education leaders, teachers, researchers, and advocates received an answer to whether state annual assessments would resume this school year following an abrupt cancellation this past spring due to the coronavirus. In a letter to all state superintendents – not just the...
Some Speculate About a Warren Department of Education
August 31, 2020
In a piece exploring the potential choice of former presidential contender Elizabeth Warren as the next Secretary of Education, New America’s Wesley Whistle ponders the implications that a Biden administration’s cabinet selections could have on a number of education issues. Notably, Warren’s Department of Education...
Second Federal Judge Halts DeVos’ Rule Giving Federal Coronavirus Aid to Private Schools
August 28, 2020
In the span of a week, two federal judges pressed pause on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ spring rule to allow a larger portion of federal stimulus dollars targeting public schools to be allocated to private institutions. After the passage of the CARES Act in March,...
U.S. Department of Education Seeks New Data on Pandemic’s Effect on Schools
August 5, 2020
In a recent notice, the U.S. Department of Education proposed collecting new data on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the ways in which states use federal aid and flexibility. Specifically, the department is interested in reviewing state data pertaining to federally granted waivers of...
Secretary DeVos Pushing for In-Person Student Learning Despite Rising Coronavirus Cases
August 1, 2020
As states continue to navigate the specifics of starting the school year amid a global pandemic, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has communicated an expectation to states, districts, and even educators that student learning will continue despite localized virus realities. In driving forward this message,...
Top Education Official Argues Value of Assessments
July 24, 2020
In an online event for the Education Writers Association, Department of Education Assistant Secretary Jim Blew told reporters that the DOE’s “instinct” is to not grant state waivers of federal testing requirements, as established by the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015. Blew stated, “There...
Local Control Rules: USDOE Can’t Cut Off Federal Funding of Schools
July 14, 2020
Earlier this month, the Trump Administration demanded that schools reopen full-time in the fall despite the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance to maintain social distancing. However, the federal government has little authority in the reopening of schools as decision-making, in large part, remains...
CARES Act Funds Must Benefit Private Schools Equitably Says USDOE
June 26, 2020
According to the Catholic News Agency, “Federal coronavirus aid to private schools is now enforceable by law.” This notice comes after “concerns that Catholic and other non-public schools were being excluded from sufficient epidemic relief funds to support protective equipment for students and teachers, cleaning,...
DOE Launches Grant Program to Help Districts Educate Disadvantaged Students
May 12, 2020
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced a new, $3 million grant program that “gives districts flexibility to combine federal, state and local funding streams to educate disadvantaged students.” The grants are authorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act and are aimed at supporting...
DeVos Announces New Grant Awards to Help “Rethink Education”
September 27, 2019
Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced “$123 million in new grant awards to 41 school districts, nonprofit organizations and state educational agencies across the United States as part of the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program.” EIR grants—which are authorized under the...
DOE Releases Parent Report Card Guide
September 24, 2019
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced the release of “important information on how local education leaders can make sure parents and caregivers have accurate and accessible information on how schools are performing in their state.” This new guide, entitled Opportunities and Responsibilities for State...
Secretary DeVos Talks ESSA at Alaska Forum
August 30, 2019
According to KUAC, last week, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was in Alaska, where she discussed ESSA (among other topics) with state education stakeholders. Hosted by the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, the round-table discussion focused on workforce development. At the event, participants “talked about the...
Feds Deploy Stats Agency to Improve Civil Rights Information
August 23, 2019
“Federal civil rights data on schools can be messy, incomplete, and at times difficult to believe. But the data are also critical to understanding how different groups of students experience and achieve in school,” writes Sarah D. Sparks. Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy...
Details on Georgia and North Carolina Innovative Assessment Pilots
July 20, 2019
As we’ve reported previously, Georgia and North Carolina have been approved by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in ESSA’s Innovative Assessment Pilot program. Details of these plans are as follows (according to AllOnGeorgia): Georgia “will pilot two different innovative assessments: one based on...
Feds Approve Two New Assessment Pilots
July 17, 2019
“The number of states that can try out new ways to test students under the Every Student Succeeds Act just doubled,” reports Andrew Ujifusa in Education Week. “U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Wednesday that she had approved Georgia and North Carolina to try...
Trump Admin “Falling Short” on ESSA Implementation
July 15, 2019
In Education Week, Megan Duff and Priscilla Wohlstetter provide an overview of a recent study conducted by them and their colleagues regarding the ESSA planning process, which concludes that the process has “veered off course.” How so? ESSA, contrary to NCLB, reverts much of the...
U.S. Department of Ed Approves Montana “Ineffective Teacher” Definition
July 9, 2019
Peter Christian reports for KGVO Radio that the U.S. Department of Education has given the official nod to the Montana State Office of Public Instruction’s definition of “ineffective teacher” under its ESSA plan. “We submitted an amendment to the Department of Education, as we said...
Federal Officials Allow New Mexico’s Removal of School Grades
July 8, 2019
The U.S. Department of Education has approved New Mexico’s changes to its school accountability plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Federal approval was necessary for state education officials to move forward with the planned changes. “Following the PED’s initial request from early March, a...
U.S. Department of Education Announces School Safety Grant Information
June 28, 2019
In this press release, the U.S. Department of Education states that, in “support of the recommendations from the Federal Commission on School Safety’s (FCSS) final report,” the Department formally announced that it is “accepting applications for three fiscal year 2019 grant competitions that support locally...
June 21, 2019
The U.S. Department of Education has finalized its “supplement not supplant” rules requiring districts to demonstrate they are using federal Title I money in addition to state and local funds, reports Linda Jacobson for Education Dive. “The guidance says districts must show the methods they use...
Legislators Introduce Teacher Shortage Bill
June 19, 2019
According to InsiderNJ, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representatives Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) have reintroduced a bill that seeks to address the nation’s increasingly problematic teacher shortage. The Supporting the Teaching Profession Through Revitalizing Investments in Valuable Educators (STRIVE) Act “would overhaul the student loan...
DeVos Smart for “Lenient Attitude” Toward ESSA Plans?
June 16, 2019
While states “frequently and successfully flexed their muscles” when negotiating the details of their Every Student Succeeds Act plans with the U.S. Department of Education, the question of “whether Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was smart to let them take that approach or often just...
“Blanket Approval” of ESSA Plans
June 13, 2019
“Even when state education agencies ignored or went against feedback from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) in their plans to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), their plans were still approved,” writes Linda Jacobson regarding the same Duff and Wohlstetter report. The new...
Dems Push Bill to Increase Dept of Education’s Budget
May 8, 2019
According to this Andrew Ujifusa blog post in Education Week, a bill in Congress to increase the U.S. Department of Education’s budget by more than $4 billion will soon be considered by the full House of Representatives after passage out of the House Appropriation Committee....
Brown v. Board Hearing, Integration, and ESSA
April 29, 2019
In The 74, Carolyn Phenicie reports on a recent House Education Committee hearing on the legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which ended up focusing “in large part on ongoing disputes over school choice and regulatory actions taken by the Trump administration.”...
Democrats to Unveil Education Spending Bill
April 28, 2019
In this Education Week piece, Andrew Ujifusa provides an overview of “what to watch for” as Democrats “consider as spending bill” that “funds the U.S. Department of Education for fiscal 2020.” One program to watch is the proposed “$1.2 billion program that supports school safety,...
Education Department Publishes Report Card Report for Public Comment
April 23, 2019
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education published a new report—Opportunities and Responsibilities for State and Local Report Cards Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act—and announced a public comment period ending on April 29....
DeVos Talks ESSA, Budget in Recent Public Appearances
April 16, 2019
“After weathering a political storm over the Trump administration’s proposed budget at the end of March, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos continued her run of public appearances into April,” writes Andrew Ujifusa for Education Week. “DeVos received widely varied reactions from state education leaders...
Top House Education Dem to CCSSO: ESSA Not a “Blank Check”
April 9, 2019
Virginia Democrat Rep. Bobby Scott told state school chiefs at the CCSSO Legislative Conference last week that “the Every Student Succeeds Act does give them more flexibility on setting policy and complying with federal law, it is not ‘a blank check,’” reports Alyson Klein for Education...
DeVos Takes Part in “Fireside Chat” with CCSSO
April 8, 2019
On Monday, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos participated in a “fireside chat” with state chiefs at the CCSSO State Education Leaders’ Conference. According to Politico’s Nicole Gaudiano, DeVos asked “K-12 education chiefs to “continue to raise the bar” as they implement the Every Student Succeeds...
Trump Administration Outlines K-12 Budget
March 20, 2019
Andrew Ujifusa reports for Education Week that for the third year in a row, the Trump Administration’s budget proposal for the Education Department includes major cuts. “As with last year’s budget request, Trump wants to eliminate $2.1 billion in federal funding for teacher training under...
Will New Mexico’s ESSA Changes Test DeVos?
March 5, 2019
“New Mexico is planning a major shakeup of its plan to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act,” writes Alyson Klein for Education Week. “And it’s not the only state that’s mulling changes. Among those with potential revisions in the works: Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina, and...
Education Department Cuts and the Impact on States
February 26, 2019
Alyson Klein takes a look at how the U.S. Department of Education has cut staff during the tenure of Secretary Betsy DeVos. This streamlining includes the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), which oversees K-12 policy (including ESSA implementation) and funding. OESE, which has...
House Dems Ready to “Scrutinize” Department of Education
February 19, 2019
Newly empowered majority Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are ready to provide vigorous oversight of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos department in the coming months, reports Erica L. Green for the New York Times. Among the issues targeted by Democrats will be...
Deciphering Washington State’s New Report Card
February 18, 2019
According to Neal Morton at the Seattle Times, late last year, Washington state “released new school report cards online for parents and guardians to see how well their children’s schools performed.” But the “website broke.” The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction then “stabilized...
$387 Million For Innovative Assessments Available Starting Monday
January 28, 2019
Starting Monday, states will be able to apply for $378 million in competitive funding from the U.S. Dept. of Education to put toward innovative assessments, Alyson Klein reports in Education Week. “As required by the Every Student Succeeds Act, the department is looking to give...
DeVos Delivers Remarks to National School Boards Association
January 28, 2019
Recently, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos gave a speech in front of the National School Boards Association. As part of her remarks, she noted that “there is no universal school safety plan that will work for every school across our country.” She notes that a “prescriptive...
Feds Release School Spending Guidance
January 25, 2019
Andrew Ujifusa reports for Education Week that federal education officials have “released proposed guidance to schools about a provision of the Every Student Succeeds Act that prohibits schools from cutting state and local money from education and simply filling the hole with federal funding.” This...
NCEE to Examine ESSA Pilot Programs
January 9, 2019
Sara Friedman reports for T.H.E. Journal that the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Evaluation is seeking proposals from vendors to undertake “evaluations for two programs authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act—the Innovative Assessment and Accountability Authority (IADA) and the Flexibility for...
New Interim Leader for Hispanic Education Initiative Appointed
January 9, 2019
Corey Mitchell reports for Education Week that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has “appointed Andrea Ramirez as interim Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.” Ramirez—who currently serves as Executive Director of the Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives...
States Allowed to Try More Than One Test as Part of Innovative Assessment Pilot?
January 2, 2019
According to Alyson Klein in Education Week, a December message from federal officials to the Georgia Department of Education, state officials who are thinking about applying for ESSA’s Innovative Assessment pilot program “don’t have to pick just one exam for your test drive—but you do have...
Chief Architect of ESSA, Sen. Lamar Alexander, to Retire
December 17, 2018
Alyson Klein and Andrew Ujifusa report for Education Week that “U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who has been Capitol Hill’s leading Republican on education issues for years” announced that he’s retiring in 2020. Sen. Alexander was a chief architect of the bi-partisan Every Student Succeeds Act...
Civil Rights Groups Seek Oversight of DeVos ESSA Implementation
December 13, 2018
Andrew Ujifusa writes for Education Week that a “leading coalition of civil rights groups wants federal lawmakers to focus on oversight of the U.S. Department of Education when the new Congress begins next year.” In a letter to Capitol Hill, the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights “asked Congress to...
Feds Looking Into ESSA’s “Dangerous School” Transfer Program
November 30, 2018
Alyson Klein reports for Education Week that a “little-known provision of the Every Student Succeeds Act allows students who attend a ‘persistently dangerous school,’ or who become the victim of a violent crime on school grounds, to transfer to a safer school.” Now, federal officials...
Dept. of Education Watchdog Will “Look Into” ESSA Oversight, Civil Rights Issues
November 29, 2018
Klein reports for Education Week that “The U.S. Department of Education’s internal watchdog—the Office of the Inspector General—will be looking at the agency’s process for dismissing civil rights complaints.” The OIG will also “examine the department’s oversight of state accountability systems developed under the Every Student...
House Democrats Getting Ready to “Take On” Secretary DeVos?
November 27, 2018
Michael Stratford reports for Politico that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is likely to “face new scrutiny” next year from committees that will soon be led by Democrats in the U.S. House. In particular, Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), who will become Chairman of the House education...
Feds Provide Guidance for Changing State ESSA Plans
November 20, 2018
Alyson Klein reports in Education Week that federal officials recently outlined the process for making changes to state ESSA plans. State chiefs who want to do so “must first consult with their governors, and give the education community an opportunity to comment.” After that, they must...
Feds Hold School Report Card “Design Challenge”
November 14, 2018
Alyson Klein reports for Education Week that one of ESSA’s challenges is that school report cards must now include a ton of new information. The question, then, is how states can ensure this information is comprehensible for the public? “Enter the U.S. Department of Education’s...
New Governors & the Impact on ESSA, Education
November 8, 2018
Klein reports in Education Week about the 17 new governors elected last week. She writes how, “thanks in part to the Every Student Succeeds Act and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ efforts to shrink the U.S. Department of Education, governors will have even more say...
Feds Publish ESSA Report Card “Parent Guide”
November 7, 2018
Alyson Klein reports in Education Week that the U.S. Department of Education has put out a new guide to help parents navigate the labyrinth of data that states must include in their new, ESSA-based report cards. “Parents deserve to know what is happening in their child’s school,”...
Feds Put Out ESSA-Mandated Rural Ed Report
November 7, 2018
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education published the Section 5005 Final Report on Rural Education—aka the “Rural Report” that is mandated by Section 5005 of ESSA. The report “outlines actions the Department will take to meaningfully increase the involvement of rural schools and school...
Education-Election Questions Answered
November 4, 2018
“Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard that the 2018 election” is today, Alyson Klein reports for Education Week. “So what are the big issues? Which state races should you be paying attention to? What about congressional races? And what will the...
Four More States Looking to Leverage Innovative Assessment Pilot Program
October 18, 2018
Alyson Klein reports in Education Week how in the wake of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ September decision to open ESSA’s Innovative Assessment Pilot to a second round of applications, four states—Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, and South Carolina—have “raised their hands” regarding their interest in participating. If approved, they would...
October 17, 2018
Rebecca Klein reports for HuffPost that a “coalition of advocacy and teacher groups” has sued the U.S. Dept. of Education in an attempt to get “information related to its decision to allow schools to purchase firearms using federal funds.” Controversy over this issue “started in August,...
Election 2018, the U.S. Senate, and ESSA
October 15, 2018
In Education Week, Alyson Klein takes a look at the close battle for control of the U.S. Senate in the 2018 election, how education is playing a part as an important election year issue, and provides a “quick guide to where candidates in tough races...
DeVos Sends ESSA Letter & Guidebook to Parents
October 8, 2018
Education Secretary DeVos recently “unveiled” an ESSA letter and guidebook that aims to help parents “understand the flexibility provided to States and school districts” under ESSA, according to Jessica Campisi in Education Dive. The guidebook will share how ESSA’s flexibility gives parents an opportunity to influence...
Feds Give Green Light to Florida ESSA Plan
September 26, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein declares, “It’s official.” After a long and at times contentious process, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has (finally) given Florida’s ESSA plan the thumbs up. That means all state plans (as well as those from Puerto Rico and DC) are now approved....
Guns and Equity Dominate Senate ESSA Hearing
September 25, 2018
On September 25, the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing to garner state perspectives on ESSA implementation. The hearing featured education chiefs from Nebraska (Matthew Blomstedt), Delaware (Susan Bunting), and South Carolina (Molly Spearman), as well as the president of Democrats for Education Reform Shavar...
Senate education committee to hear from states today
September 25, 2018
The Senate education committee will be holding a hearing today to listen to the state perspective on implementation of ESSA. The committee have invited education chiefs from Nebraska (Matthew Blomstedt), Delaware (Susan Bunting), and South Carolina (Molly Spearman), as well as the president of Democrats...
Preschool Grant Requirements Not as Strict
September 18, 2018
The new iteration of federal preschool grants created under ESSA “offer substantive differences from the legacy program created during the Obama administration,” Christina A. Samuels reports for Education Week. The grant application was released earlier this month, and “gives states the opportunity to apply for...
Civil Rights Orgs Voice Opposition to Using Federal Education Funds for Guns
September 17, 2018
On September 17, dozens of civil and human rights organizations wrote to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, stating that “any decision or recommendation by the Department allowing schools to use ESSA funds for weapons would be contrary to congressional intent and pose serious danger to children...
DeVos Reopens Innovative Assessment Pilot Application Process
September 17, 2018
Education Week’s Klein reports that the U.S. Dept. of Education “is inviting more state applications” for ESSA’s Innovative Assessment Pilot, “which allows states to try out new types of tests in a handful of districts before taking them statewide.” States need to inform federal officials of...
Educators to Congress—No Federal Cash to Arm Teachers
September 13, 2018
Alyson Klein reports for Education Week that more than a dozen educator groups have sent a letter to Congress to make it “crystal clear that states and districts can’t spend money from Title IV of the Every Student Succeeds Act on guns for school staff.”
September 9, 2018
Andrew Ujifusa reports for Education Week that, if Democrats win back control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November, “expect civil rights to grab the spotlight and for congressional subpoenas in the name of education oversight to become more popular,” particularly through the lens of...
Democrats Try to Block Gun Funding Via Spending Bill
September 7, 2018
Andrew Ujifusa reports in Education Week that “Democrats on Capitol Hill are using just about every tool they can think of to try to stop Every Student Succeeds Act money from being used by schools to purchase firearms.” On September 7, “two top Democrats on...
DeVos Says Department Has “No Plans” to Expand Upon or Restrict State Efforts to Arm Teachers
September 1, 2018
The Associated Press reports that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says she has “no intention of taking any action” regarding using ESSA to arm teachers. In a letter to top Education and the Workforce Committee Democrat Rep. Bobby Scott, DeVos wrote that “Congress did not authorize me or...
Democrats Not Loving Idea of Arming Teachers
August 28, 2018
Prior to DeVos’ statement, Mike Lillis reported in The Hill that Democrats in the House of Representatives “are pressing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to scrap any plans to promote the arming of teachers in the name of protecting students.” In a letter signed by nearly every member of the House Democratic...
August 22, 2018
Erica L. Green reports for the New York Times that the U.S. Department of Education has been “considering whether to allow states to use federal funding to purchase guns for educators.” Green reports that the federal agency is “eyeing” ESSA’s Student Support and Academic Enrichment...
Senator Kaine Introduces Bill to Help Fix Teacher, Principal Shortage
July 31, 2018
According to Andrew Ujifusa at Education Week, last week, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals (PREP) Act, which “aims to address both teacher and principal shortages by broadening the definition of a high-need district under the Every Student Succeeds Act to...
The Youth Mental Health Services Act and ESSA
July 27, 2018
U.S. Rep. Phil Roe writes in the Greeneville Sun that, in an effort to combat suicide among children and teens, he has introduced bipartisan legislation with Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) called the Youth Mental Services Act, which “takes an existing grant program authorized under the...
Louisiana First State to Win Approval for “Innovative Assessment” Pilot
July 27, 2018
According to Alyson Klein at Education Week, Louisiana is the first state to get approval from the U.S. Department of Education to participate in ESSA’s “Innovative Assessment” pilot, which “allows up to seven states to try out new kinds of tests in a handful of...
States “Line Up” for Fed Preschool Grants
July 19, 2018
Politico’s Mel Leonor reports for that a “federal grant program aimed at helping states boost their preschool offerings will make its debut next month—when states can begin vying for a piece of the $250 million pot.” Under ESSA, the Preschool Development Grants program “is meant...
California and Utah Are Approved
July 12, 2018
California and Utah are the latest states to gain federal approval on their state education plans.
July 5, 2018
The US Department of Education announced “Puerto Rico as the first state to pilot a new student-centered funding system under ESSA.” Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos stated, “Puerto Rico’s use of a student-centered funding system will help to ensure those with the greatest need receive...
Senate Confirms Brogan as Assistant Secretary at DOE
June 25, 2018
Alyson Klein reports for Education Week that the U.S. Senate voted recently to confirm the nomination of Frank Brogan as Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, taking over from Jason Botel, the Acting Assistant Secretary who “clashed with Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., over implementation...
“Redesigning Education” in New Mexico
June 25, 2018
Elizabeth Sanchez writes that, earlier this month, the New Mexico Public Education Department “partnered with Johns Hopkins University and schools across New Mexico” for a kick-off conference for the upcoming High School Redesign Network, which represents an “opportunity for high schools considered comprehensive support and...
DeVos Plan to End ELL Office Stoking Equity Concerns
June 18, 2018
Corey Mitchell reports for Education Week that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ plan to shut down “the long-standing federal office that supports English-learners,” comes amid “concerns from civil rights groups that the Education Department has already failed to ensure equity for English-learners—including approving state Every Student...
Special Ed Testing Waivers Worrying Advocates
June 13, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that Education Secretary DeVos “has allowed nearly half of states to get wiggle room” from an ESSA provision “aimed at making sure that only a small percentage of students are taking alternative tests reserved for children with the most significant...
ESSA’s “Big Flexible-Spending Pot”
June 5, 2018
Alyson Klein reports for Education Week that ESSA’s Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (a.k.a., Title IV) is “one of the most flexible federal programs around.” It also “just got a huge increase, from $400 million in the 2017-18 school year to $1.1 billion for...
Two More States Get Stamps of Approval
June 5, 2018
Nebraska and North Carolina are the two most recent states to have their ESSA plans approved by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Alyson Klein reports. That brings the total approved number of plans to 46, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The...
DeVos answers ESSA questions before Senate subcommittee
June 5, 2018
Secretary DeVos answered questions about ESSA plans and implementation during a June 5 appearance before a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Sen. Lamar Alexander asked her whether any of the state plans she approved violated ESSA and “DeVos told him that all plans followed...
DOE “considering” ESSA spending guidance
June 4, 2018
Alyson Klein also reports in Education Week that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ team is “working on guidance to help districts and states puzzle through changes to a key spending rule—known as ‘supplement-not-supplant’—in the Every Student Succeeds Act, multiple education advocates say.”
DeVos Questioned on the Hill: Do Some States’ Plans Violate ESSA?
May 22, 2018
This week, Secretary DeVos returned to Capitol Hill Tuesday to appear before the House Education and Workforce Committee and discuss her agency’s priorities. CNN’s Juana Summers reports that DeVos “was pressed by Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott — the committee’s top Democrat — over whether she had approved...
DeVos Approves Alaska and Iowa Plans
May 16, 2018
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced on May 16 that Alaska and Iowa gained approval for their state ESSA plans. “I am pleased to approve these plans which comply with the requirements of the law,” said Secretary DeVos. “I encourage states to use their...
Civil Rights Leaders Tell DeVos to Give Revised Florida Plan the Thumbs Down
May 12, 2018
Jeffrey Solochek reports that, in the context of Florida submitting its revised ESSA plan to the U.S. Department of Education in April, civil rights groups “want U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to do to the second version what she did to the first—reject it as...
DeVos Approves Three More State Plans
May 7, 2018
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has approved three more ESSA plans—Alabama, Colorado, and Kentucky. To date, the Department has approved 42 plans (plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), while still leaving some “big population centers, including Florida and California” waiting for approval.
Florida, California and the Quest for Federal Approval
May 1, 2018
Speaking of…Alyson Klein reports that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos “may have approved Every Student Succeeds Act plans” for dozens of states, but “two of the biggest—Florida and California—are still angling for their federal blessing,” even though “DeVos has singled out school-choice-friendly Florida as a model for...
Feds Talk Portfolio Assessments for Students with Disabilities
April 18, 2018
Christina Samuels reports for Education Week that the U.S. Department of Education “has started informing a small group of states that they will have to make changes to the way they test students with severe cognitive disabilities” due to “accountability changes” under ESSA. Students “with the...
DeVos Double Standard When it Comes to Local Leaders?
April 18, 2018
Anne Hyslop examines the disconnect between U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ sharp criticism of state ESSA plans when speaking to the Council of Chief State School Officers and her other comments on local control. With a “cacophony of opinions on the topic, “it’s easy to...
April 15, 2018
“U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos hasn’t testified before the House or Senate education committees since becoming secretary more than a year ago—and Democrats aren’t happy about that,” reports Alyson Klein. Democrats “say they want to question DeVos’ choice to approve ESSA plans that they and some...
April 10, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that civil rights groups, led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, wrote a letter to leaders on the House and Senate education committees, “asking them to tell DeVos to stop approving ‘unlawful’ plans.” The letter states, “We...
Louisiana, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico Apply for Innovative Assessment Pilot
April 3, 2018
Alyson Klein reports in Education Week that Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Puerto Rico have officially submitted applications for the ESSA’s Innovative Assessment Pilot, which “allows states to try out new forms of testing in a handful of districts, with the goal of eventually taking them...
Congress Taking Back a Little Education Oversight With ESSA Implementation?
March 28, 2018
Carolyn Phenicie reports that the Republican-controlled Congress, after a year of a “hands-off” approach, is “taking a small step back into the fight over implementing” ESSA. Included in “a report filed with the $1.3 trillion government funding bill passed last week is a reminder to states—through the federal Education...
Ed Tech Also “Fares Well” in Spending Bill
March 26, 2018
According to EdScoop’s Patience Wait, another financial winner in the recently passed budget bill is ESSA’s Education Innovation and Research grant program, which “will receive $120 million this year, up from $100 million last year, but lower than the $180 million it once received annually...
What the “Huge Hike” in ESSA Block Grant Funding Really Means
March 22, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that the massive spending bill signed into law on March 23 will provide more than a billion dollars to ESSA’s Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (a.k.a. Title IV of the law). This is an increase from $400 million in fiscal...
ESSA Oversight Fight Endangering Higher Ed Bill
March 16, 2018
According to Emily Wilkins at Bloomberg Government, concern regarding federal oversight of state ESSA accountability plans “is casting a shadow over Senate negotiations on reauthorizing a higher education law.” Behind the scenes, these “concerns have seeped into the work updating the Higher Education Act (Pub....
Dems want more money for mental health via ESSA
March 13, 2018
Andrew Ujifusa reports in Education Week that in an effort to create safer schools in the aftermath of last month’s school shooting in Florida, a number of Democratic senators “want Congress to give more money to an Every Student Succeeds Act program in order to fund more counselors, trauma-informed...
You can’t always get what you want…or what you need
March 9, 2018
Erica L. Green writes in the New York Times that, after Secretary DeVos’ speech to state chiefs last week, “policy experts and observers” have called the speech the “ultimate display of a frustrated federalist,” and an “example of a self-described education reformer wrestling with the limits of her influence...
House Dems “slam” DeVos on ESSA plans
March 7, 2018
In a recent letter to Secretary DeVos, members of the Congressional Tri-Caucus – made up of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus – wrote that the Secretary and her department are approving ESSA plans that “don’t comply with...
Alexander on board with school safety changes to ESSA
March 6, 2018
The Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee—Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander— wants to update ESSA “to allow schools to hire more counselors, make infrastructure improvements, and fund violence-prevention programs.” However, “some in Congress don’t think Alexander’s bill would truly break new ground or...
DeVos Delivers “Tough Love” to State Chiefs
March 5, 2018
The 74’s Carolyn Phenicie reports that Secretary DeVos recently delivered what she called “tough love” to state chiefs on ESSA for “their failure in her assessment to embrace the law’s flexibility and opportunities to address local challenges.” She said even “the best plan is short on the...
Dems Claim DeVos is “Flouting” ESSA
February 19, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that, even though the U.S. Department of Education has approved more than half of state ESSA plans, two Democratic “ESSA architects” say Education Secretary DeVos “is rubber-stamping plans that don’t comply with the law.” But DeVos very much begs to...
GOP Governors Emerge as Surprise Opponents to Federal ESSA Plan Approvals
February 11, 2018
Erica L. Green reports in the New York Times that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is running into a “surprising source of opposition” as she gives approval to state ESSA plans—governors. Of the 35 plans thus far approved, “six are from states where the governor refused...
CEP Study Explores How States Share Assessment Data
February 8, 2018
A new report from the Center on Education Policy (CEP) at George Washington University takes a look at state efforts to share assessment data with key stakeholders such as principals, teachers, and parents. The report, authored by Matthew Frizzell, Diane Stark Rentner, and Nancy Kober,...
Three States “Raise Hands” on Innovative Assessment Pilot
February 6, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that Arizona, Louisiana, and New Hampshire have informed the U.S. Department of Education of their interest in applying for ESSA’s Innovative Assessment Pilot, and more could follow before the April 2 application deadline. Under ESSA, the Education Secretary can give...
Funding Pilot Allows Resources to Follow Students
February 2, 2018
According to Education Week’s Alyson Klein, thanks to the U.S. Department of Education’s new “Weighted Student Funding Pilot” program, school districts now have the chance for local, state, and federal funding to “follow children, so that kids with greater need have more money attached to...
Grad Rates Don’t Necessarily = College and Career Readiness
January 24, 2018
MinnPost reports that, in light of the U.S. Department of Education’s recent approval of Minnesota’s ESSA plan, “establishing high graduation expectations seems essential to ensuring the state has a more equitable public education system.” But the gains so often celebrated on this issue are being...
More Education Department Approvals
January 19, 2018
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced on January 19 that six more states had secured approval of their ESSA plans: Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, and New Hampshire. “I am pleased to approve these plans which comply with the requirements of the law,” said...
DeVos Approves 11 State ESSA Plans
January 16, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that Secretary DeVos approved 11 more state ESSA plans this week. They include, “Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.”
MN, WV First of Second-Round States to Gain Approval
January 10, 2018
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos approved Minnesota and West Virginia’s ESSA plans, the “first two states that submitted plans in the fall to win federal approval.”
States and Vendors To Drag Feet On “Innovative” Testing Pilots?
January 4, 2018
EdWeek Market Brief reports that the U.S. Dept. of Education has given states an official heads-up to get ready to apply to pilot ‘innovative assessments’ under the Every Student Succeeds Act,” writes Senior Editor Sean Cavanagh. “But it seems likely that states will approach the...
Trump Admin Unconcerned with Enforcing ESSA Native-Language Testing Provision?
January 4, 2018
The Trump Administration, says Jessica Bakeman of WLRN (Miami’s National Public Radio station), “has reignited a political debate over language and education by doing virtually nothing at all.” ESSA encourages states to test English language learners in their native languages. But while some states have...
Ed Department Shares Feedback with 33 (of 34) States
December 27, 2017
Officials at the U.S. Department of Education sent feedback to another state regarding the ESSA plans they submitted this fall: Idaho. Previously, the Department requested feedback from Indiana and Rhode Island, Arkansas, California, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas, as well as from Hawaii, Kentucky, Nebraska, New...
December 12, 2017
Draft Plans Alaska: First Draft (5/28/17) Second Draft (8/17/17) Alabama: First Draft (7/21/17) Arizona: First Draft (9/7/16) Second Draft (11/9/16) Arkansas: First Draft (4/24/17) Second Draft (5/22/17) California: First Draft (5/10/17) Second Draft (8/8/17) Florida: First Draft (6/30/17) Georgia: First Draft (6/14/17) Hawaii: First Draft (12/28/16) Indiana: First Draft (07/15/17) Idaho: First Draft (11/1/16) ...
DeVos Says ESSA Plan Mix Laudable; Dems, Civil Rights Groups Not So Much
November 30, 2017
According to The 74’s Carolyn Phenicie, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos made clear during a recent appearance that she believes strongly in states having flexibility in education policy, and that states are responding positively to having such flexibility under ESSA. But not everybody agrees...
State Drops Minority Graduation Rate Accountability Provision
November 29, 2017
West Virginia has “cut a proposed accountability provision regarding minority students’ graduation rates” from its ESSA plan.” The State Department of Education removed the words “and any subgroup of students” from the end of the following statement: “we propose to identify for comprehensive support and...
Top Senate HELP Dem Says Ed Department Approving Plans That Don’t Conform to ESSA
November 28, 2017
Andrew Ujifusa reports in Education Week that during a recent Senate HELP Committee hearing, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) “took the opportunity in her opening remarks to say that not every state’s ESSA plan meets the law’s requirements for schools with struggling student subgroups.”
DeVos Announces all 34 Plans Ready for Review
October 17, 2017
Secretary Betsy DeVos announced that “all consolidated state plans submitted by 34 states and Puerto Rico under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for the fall deadline were found to be complete and ready for peer review.” DeVos commended “the chief state school officers, governors...
Addressing the Challenges of Military Families
October 16, 2017
Amelia Harper reports on a new District Administration brief, noting that school leaders “need to be aware of how the experiences of military families create special challenges in the way students connect to the world, the social and emotional challenges they face, and the educational...
Handful of State Leaders Appeal Directly to U.S. Dept. of Ed to Reject Plans
October 5, 2017
According to Education Week’s Daarel Burnette II, after “failing to convince their own education departments to amend their states’ accountability plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act, elected leaders in a handful of states have appealed directly to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to...
Senate Committee Discussed State Innovation under ESSA
October 3, 2017
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing on state innovation under ESSA. During the hearing, Chairman Lamar Alexander commented that “Tennessee, Louisiana, and New Mexico have taken the most advantage of the flexibility” offered under ESSA, in terms of “creating innovative...
DeVos Announces Upcoming Plans
September 26, 2017
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that Secretary DeVos told a gathering of secondary school principals on September 25 “that she wants to cut the federal red tape that she thinks is holding them back from serving students to the best extent possible,” and that “she’ll...
PA’s ESSA Plan Creates Political Divide
September 25, 2017
Pennsylvania’s ESSA plan has “created a political divide over a historically tough subject: what to do about chronically low performing schools.” While under No Child Left Behind, “there were strict mandates for how states should deal with consistently low-performing schools,” under ESSA, “states must still...
Dept. of Ed Approves Massachusetts’ ESSA Plan
September 21, 2017
The U.S. Dept. of Education approved Massachusetts’ ESSA plan. Secretary Betsy DeVos “praised the plan’s details on turning around low-performing schools and for emphasizing the share of high school students who complete accelerated courses.” She also said, “I continue to be heartened by the ways...
PA’s Governor Signs Off on State’s ESSA Plan
September 18, 2017
Governor Tom Wolf signed off on Pennsylvania’s ESSA plan and “submitted it to U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for her approval.” The plan establishes “ambitious yet attainable” goals of “raising student performance, increasing graduation rates and having English learners move toward achieving English language proficiency.”
Top Democrats in Congress Critiques DeVos’ Oversight of States’ New Plans
September 18, 2017
Top Democrats in Congress “say that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ oversight of states’ new plans for education has ‘failed to adequately address several shortcomings’ in plans that have been turned in so far, and urged the secretary to do better in the next...
AL Granted Extra Time to Submit ESSA Plan
September 14, 2017
Alabama has been granted extra time to submit their ESSA plan due to Hurricane Irma.
CA Receives Waiver from U.S. Dept. of Ed
September 13, 2017
EdSource reports that California received a waiver from the U.S. Dept. of Education from “administering outdated science tests, instead allowing it to give students pilot tests based on new science standards.” However, “the department granted the waiver only for the just completed school year,” and “made...
Education Week Takes a Look at 4 Takeaways from Approved ESSA Plans
September 12, 2017
Education Week’s Alyson Klein takes a look at the four takeaways from the first state plans to receive approvals from the U.S. Dept. of Education for their ESSA plans. These include: States didn’t make big revisions to areas flagged by the department; States fixed areas...
Dept. of Ed Approves AZ’s ESSA Plan
September 7, 2017
Arizona’s ESSA plan has been approved by the U.S. Department of Education. In its approval notice, the department “highlighted several aspects of Arizona’s state plan, including the ability of elementary and middle schools to earn additional points in its accountability system for accelerating student achievement.”...
Dept. of Ed Approves ND’s ESSA Plan
September 1, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved North Dakota’s ESSA plan. The department highlighted the state’s “Choice Ready” framework “that will measure how effectively schools are preparing students for success after high school,” and its use of a survey “incorporating student responses to measure the extent to...
Dept. of Ed Approves ESSA Plans for VT and ME
August 31, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved state ESSA plans for Vermont and Maine. The department highlighted Vermont’s “inclusion of physical fitness in its accountability system” and “tracking the percentage of high school students who go on to college, the workforce, military, or trade school 16 months...
Dept. of Ed Approves 4 State ESSA Plans
August 30, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved four state ESSA plans – the District of Columbia, Illinois, Oregon, and Tennessee. “As more and more state plans come under the department’s review, I am heartened to see how states have embraced the spirit of flexibility under ESSA to...
Former Rep. Kline Discusses Testing under ESSA
August 25, 2017
Former U.S. Rep. John Kline (R-MN) – past chairman of the House Education & Workforce Committee and one of the co-authors of ESSA – discusses the role of annual testing in the law he helped craft. ESSA continues requiring a single state achievement test system...
District Leaders Call for More Input on Federal Money
August 24, 2017
“For decades, district leaders have been clamoring for more say over how they spend their federal money,” reports Alyson Klein of Education Week. “And when ESSA passed back in 2015, it looked like they had finally gotten their wish: a brand-new $1.6 billion block grant...
U.S. Dept. of Ed Approved CT and LA’s ESSA Plans
August 15, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved ESSA plans from Connecticut and Louisiana.
U.S. Dept. of Ed Issues Feedback on CO’s ESSA Plan
August 14, 2017
The Dept. of Education issued feedback on Colorado’s ESSA plan. Federal officials directed the state agency to reconfigure “its student achievement goals and academic achievement indicator so that they are based on straight up proficiency rates, not scale scores,” and to provide more information on...
U.S. Dept. of Ed Releases Feedback on AZ, ND, and VT’s ESSA Plans
August 10, 2017
The Dept. of Education released feedback on Arizona, North Dakota, and Vermont’s ESSA plans. As reported by Education Week, Arizona “will need to change the way that science factors into its accountability system.” North Dakota “needs to do a better job of explaining how student...
U.S. Dept. of Ed Approves NV, NJ, and NM’s ESSA Plans
August 9, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved Nevada, New Jersey, and New Mexico’s ESSA plans. States must implement their plans for the 2017-2018 school year.
Dept. of Ed Releases Feedback on MI’s ESSA Plans
August 8, 2017
The Dept. of Education released feedback on Michigan’s ESSA plans. In a departure from the other feedback we’ve seen, Education Week’s Alyson Klein wrote, “The department told the state chief, Brian Whiston, the information it provided ‘was insufficient’ to ‘adequately review’ the section of the...
Dept. of Ed Responds to ND’s Proposed ESSA Plan
August 7, 2017
The Dept. of Education responded to North Dakota’s proposed ESSA plan. State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler noted that “Education Department officials have requested additional information on several parts of the state’s plan, and the department’s evaluation of the plan and notes from the expert peer reviewers...
Dept. of Ed Issues Feedback to DC and IL
August 4, 2017
The Dept. of Education issued feedback on Washington D.C.’s and Illinois’ ESSA plans. The department commented that D.C. “cannot use tests like the SAT and ACT in its academic achievement indicators,” and “did not clearly describe its measure for differentiating school performance.” Illinois also has...
State Plan Submissions – So Far
April 5, 2017
On April 3, states began to submit their ESSA implementation plans to the U.S. Dept. of Education. So far, here’s the coverage we’ve seen of those submissions: Connecticut: Dianna Wentzell, Commissioner of Education is looking forward to “the work ahead in ensuring all Connecticut...
Monday’s the Big Day: State Plan Submissions
March 29, 2017
In the past year, many experts and organizations have shared guidance on how states should think about creating their state plans and what key provisions they should be sure to include. In advance of the April 3 state plan submissions to the U.S. Dept. of...
Feds Draw Fine Line on Testing This Spring
April 23, 2021
Education Week’s Andrew Ujifusa says “a disconnect has emerged between the federal government requiring states to offer their tests, and districts’ power to exempt students from taking them,” citing the nuanced path federal education officials have taken in responding to individual state requests for scaling...
Biden Administration Seeks to Restart Flow of Civil Rights Data
April 22, 2021
The Education Department has released updated guidance to states on the collection of critical civil rights and education data. The guidance provides recommendations on how local and state officials can gather information on matters like attendance, school discipline, and school safety even as schools continue...
Department of Ed Reminds Schools of Requirements for Students with Disabilities
October 5, 2020
Responding to growing confusion around the provision of special education services after a chaotic back-to-school season, the federal Department of Education released several Q&A-styled documents to offer guidance to states and districts still determining their plans for special education. This follows the Department’s declination to...
DeVos to State Education Leaders: Don’t Expect Waivers For Annual Testing
September 3, 2020
After months of uncertainty, education leaders, teachers, researchers, and advocates received an answer to whether state annual assessments would resume this school year following an abrupt cancellation this past spring due to the coronavirus. In a letter to all state superintendents – not just the...
Some Speculate About a Warren Department of Education
August 31, 2020
In a piece exploring the potential choice of former presidential contender Elizabeth Warren as the next Secretary of Education, New America’s Wesley Whistle ponders the implications that a Biden administration’s cabinet selections could have on a number of education issues. Notably, Warren’s Department of Education...
Second Federal Judge Halts DeVos’ Rule Giving Federal Coronavirus Aid to Private Schools
August 28, 2020
In the span of a week, two federal judges pressed pause on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ spring rule to allow a larger portion of federal stimulus dollars targeting public schools to be allocated to private institutions. After the passage of the CARES Act in March,...
Secretary DeVos Pushing for In-Person Student Learning Despite Rising Coronavirus Cases
August 1, 2020
As states continue to navigate the specifics of starting the school year amid a global pandemic, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has communicated an expectation to states, districts, and even educators that student learning will continue despite localized virus realities. In driving forward this message,...
Top Education Official Argues Value of Assessments
July 24, 2020
In an online event for the Education Writers Association, Department of Education Assistant Secretary Jim Blew told reporters that the DOE’s “instinct” is to not grant state waivers of federal testing requirements, as established by the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015. Blew stated, “There...
Local Control Rules: USDOE Can’t Cut Off Federal Funding of Schools
July 14, 2020
Earlier this month, the Trump Administration demanded that schools reopen full-time in the fall despite the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance to maintain social distancing. However, the federal government has little authority in the reopening of schools as decision-making, in large part, remains...
CARES Act Funds Must Benefit Private Schools Equitably Says USDOE
June 26, 2020
According to the Catholic News Agency, “Federal coronavirus aid to private schools is now enforceable by law.” This notice comes after “concerns that Catholic and other non-public schools were being excluded from sufficient epidemic relief funds to support protective equipment for students and teachers, cleaning,...
DeVos to Propose a Rule on the Matter of COVID-19 Financial Aid for Private Schools
May 26, 2020
According to Education Week, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will soon be releasing a proposed rule to resolve the “dispute over how much coronavirus aid private school students should receive.” In a letter to a group representing state education leaders, DeVos announced the soon-to-be...
DOE Launches Grant Program to Help Districts Educate Disadvantaged Students
May 12, 2020
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced a new, $3 million grant program that “gives districts flexibility to combine federal, state and local funding streams to educate disadvantaged students.” The grants are authorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act and are aimed at supporting...
DOE Guidance on COVID-19 Relief for Private Schools Faces Growing Backlash
May 8, 2020
According to Education Week, guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Education “telling school districts to direct much more coronavirus aid than they expected to private school students has triggered intense opposition.” DOE has indicated that school districts must use COVID-19 relief funds “to provide ‘equitable services’...
DeVos Focuses on Special Ed Teachers in Voucher Push
April 29, 2020
“After years of frustration in her attempts to expand education choice, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is picking up steam,” writes Andrew Ujifusa for Education Week. “Fresh evidence that DeVos is continuing her push to prioritize choice with federal funds can be found in...
Secretary DeVos Proposes New Funding Priorities for Teachers’ Professional Development
April 15, 2020
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos introduced a proposal last week that would empower teachers “through stipends or vouchers, to select and access professional development courses and opportunities that are relevant to their personal needs or career goals instead of having one-size-fits all programming dictated...
Secretary DeVos Releases $3 Billion in Coronavirus Emergency Aid for K-12 Public Schools
April 14, 2020
Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced the release of “$3 billion in aid for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund,” which was included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Governors are now able to apply for aid to...
Secretary DeVos Announces $65 Million in New Grants for Public Charter Schools
April 10, 2020
Last Friday, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced “$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.” The Expanding Opportunity Through Quality Charter Schools Program—otherwise known...
Spring Testing Canceled, Postponed, or Suspended Nationwide
March 27, 2020
Tens of thousands of schools across the country have closed in response to the spread of coronavirus, throwing state assessments into disarray. After initially considering “targeted” waivers of federal testing requirements, the Department of Education “shifted to a broader approach that will let most states...
Current Law Restricts What Secretary DeVos Can—and Can’t Do—to Waive ESSA Requirements
March 24, 2020
While the coronavirus economic aid package gives U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos authority to waive some key federal education requirements under ESSA, current law “does include restrictions on the secretary’s waiver power,” including funding-related restrictions. Secretary DeVos “can’t waive requirements for allocating of federal...
Secretary DeVos to Waive ESSA Requirements
March 20, 2020
Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced that schools closed due to the coronavirus pandemic “can bypass standardized testing for the 2019-2020 school year.” After receiving a “proper” request, the Department “will grant a waiver to any state that is unable to assess...
In Light of COVID-19, DOE Considers One-Year Waivers of ESSA Assessment Requirements
March 12, 2020
The Department of Education (DOE) released guidance last week for schools closing in response to the spread of COVID-19. As more schools implement a minimum two-week closure, DOE says “it will consider providing states with one-year waivers of assessment requirements” mandated under ESSA. Specifically, DOE...
Secretary DeVos Unveils New Initiative to Address Sexual Assault in K-12 Public Schools
February 26, 2020
Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced “a new Title IX enforcement initiative, led by the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), to combat the troubling rise of sexual assault in K-12 public schools.” Strengthening schools’ ability to respond to sexual harassment and...
DeVos Describes Block Grant Proposal as “Very Compatible” with Every Student Succeeds Act
February 16, 2020
In an interview with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos by Cal Thomas, DeVos claims President Trump’s latest budget proposal includes “a significant step toward returning flexibility to the states through a proposal to block grant all of the elementary and secondary education funds … and...
DOE Announces New Rule Regarding Religious Liberty, School Prayer Guidance
January 16, 2020
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced several new steps “to protect religious liberty and ensure the Department is acting in accordance with the first amendment, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The proposed new rule would address “five...
ESSA & DeVos’ First 1,000 Days
November 13, 2019
In The 74, Carolyn Phenicie takes a look at the first thousand days of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ tenure, noting that among her detractors, her department’s “weak implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act” is among “her most egregious actions.” However, to her supporters, “weakening...
Education Department Criticizes States Again for Their ESSA Approach
October 9, 2019
School spending by the states is the latest issue to garner criticism from the U.S. Department of Education, as Andrew Ujifusa writes for Education Week. Information on school spending is mandated under ESSA and, so far, 17 states have reported it, with a lot more...
Education Department Releases Updates on Equitable Services for Private School Students
October 7, 2019
“U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos released updates…to clarify existing statutory obligations of local education agencies (LEAs) to provide equitable educational services to eligible private school students, their teachers, and their families” under changes made to Title I by ESSA. These updates are intended to...
DeVos Announces New Grant Awards to Help “Rethink Education”
September 27, 2019
Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced “$123 million in new grant awards to 41 school districts, nonprofit organizations and state educational agencies across the United States as part of the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program.” EIR grants—which are authorized under the...
DOE Releases Parent Report Card Guide
September 24, 2019
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education announced the release of “important information on how local education leaders can make sure parents and caregivers have accurate and accessible information on how schools are performing in their state.” This new guide, entitled Opportunities and Responsibilities for State...
Secretary DeVos Talks ESSA at Alaska Forum
August 30, 2019
According to KUAC, last week, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was in Alaska, where she discussed ESSA (among other topics) with state education stakeholders. Hosted by the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, the round-table discussion focused on workforce development. At the event, participants “talked about the...
Feds Deploy Stats Agency to Improve Civil Rights Information
August 23, 2019
“Federal civil rights data on schools can be messy, incomplete, and at times difficult to believe. But the data are also critical to understanding how different groups of students experience and achieve in school,” writes Sarah D. Sparks. Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy...
ESSA, Other Federal Programs Can Defray CTE Costs
August 8, 2019
In Education Dive, Shawna de la Rosa discusses how “three federal laws have an impact on CTE programs—the Every Student Succeeds Act, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.” She argues that schools that leverage these programs...
Details on Georgia and North Carolina Innovative Assessment Pilots
July 20, 2019
As we’ve reported previously, Georgia and North Carolina have been approved by the U.S. Department of Education to participate in ESSA’s Innovative Assessment Pilot program. Details of these plans are as follows (according to AllOnGeorgia): Georgia “will pilot two different innovative assessments: one based on...
Feds Approve Two New Assessment Pilots
July 17, 2019
“The number of states that can try out new ways to test students under the Every Student Succeeds Act just doubled,” reports Andrew Ujifusa in Education Week. “U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Wednesday that she had approved Georgia and North Carolina to try...
Trump Admin “Falling Short” on ESSA Implementation
July 15, 2019
In Education Week, Megan Duff and Priscilla Wohlstetter provide an overview of a recent study conducted by them and their colleagues regarding the ESSA planning process, which concludes that the process has “veered off course.” How so? ESSA, contrary to NCLB, reverts much of the...
U.S. Department of Ed Approves Montana “Ineffective Teacher” Definition
July 9, 2019
Peter Christian reports for KGVO Radio that the U.S. Department of Education has given the official nod to the Montana State Office of Public Instruction’s definition of “ineffective teacher” under its ESSA plan. “We submitted an amendment to the Department of Education, as we said...
Federal Officials Allow New Mexico’s Removal of School Grades
July 8, 2019
The U.S. Department of Education has approved New Mexico’s changes to its school accountability plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act. Federal approval was necessary for state education officials to move forward with the planned changes. “Following the PED’s initial request from early March, a...
U.S. Department of Education Announces School Safety Grant Information
June 28, 2019
In this press release, the U.S. Department of Education states that, in “support of the recommendations from the Federal Commission on School Safety’s (FCSS) final report,” the Department formally announced that it is “accepting applications for three fiscal year 2019 grant competitions that support locally...
June 21, 2019
The U.S. Department of Education has finalized its “supplement not supplant” rules requiring districts to demonstrate they are using federal Title I money in addition to state and local funds, reports Linda Jacobson for Education Dive. “The guidance says districts must show the methods they use...
DeVos Smart for “Lenient Attitude” Toward ESSA Plans?
June 16, 2019
While states “frequently and successfully flexed their muscles” when negotiating the details of their Every Student Succeeds Act plans with the U.S. Department of Education, the question of “whether Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was smart to let them take that approach or often just...
“Blanket Approval” of ESSA Plans
June 13, 2019
“Even when state education agencies ignored or went against feedback from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) in their plans to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), their plans were still approved,” writes Linda Jacobson regarding the same Duff and Wohlstetter report. The new...
Education Department Publishes Report Card Report for Public Comment
April 23, 2019
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education published a new report—Opportunities and Responsibilities for State and Local Report Cards Under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act—and announced a public comment period ending on April 29....
DeVos Talks ESSA, Budget in Recent Public Appearances
April 16, 2019
“After weathering a political storm over the Trump administration’s proposed budget at the end of March, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos continued her run of public appearances into April,” writes Andrew Ujifusa for Education Week. “DeVos received widely varied reactions from state education leaders...
DeVos Takes Part in “Fireside Chat” with CCSSO
April 8, 2019
On Monday, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos participated in a “fireside chat” with state chiefs at the CCSSO State Education Leaders’ Conference. According to Politico’s Nicole Gaudiano, DeVos asked “K-12 education chiefs to “continue to raise the bar” as they implement the Every Student Succeeds...
Trump Administration Outlines K-12 Budget
March 20, 2019
Andrew Ujifusa reports for Education Week that for the third year in a row, the Trump Administration’s budget proposal for the Education Department includes major cuts. “As with last year’s budget request, Trump wants to eliminate $2.1 billion in federal funding for teacher training under...
Will New Mexico’s ESSA Changes Test DeVos?
March 5, 2019
“New Mexico is planning a major shakeup of its plan to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act,” writes Alyson Klein for Education Week. “And it’s not the only state that’s mulling changes. Among those with potential revisions in the works: Indiana, Michigan, South Carolina, and...
Education Department Cuts and the Impact on States
February 26, 2019
Alyson Klein takes a look at how the U.S. Department of Education has cut staff during the tenure of Secretary Betsy DeVos. This streamlining includes the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), which oversees K-12 policy (including ESSA implementation) and funding. OESE, which has...
$387 Million For Innovative Assessments Available Starting Monday
January 28, 2019
Starting Monday, states will be able to apply for $378 million in competitive funding from the U.S. Dept. of Education to put toward innovative assessments, Alyson Klein reports in Education Week. “As required by the Every Student Succeeds Act, the department is looking to give...
DeVos Delivers Remarks to National School Boards Association
January 28, 2019
Recently, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos gave a speech in front of the National School Boards Association. As part of her remarks, she noted that “there is no universal school safety plan that will work for every school across our country.” She notes that a “prescriptive...
Feds Release School Spending Guidance
January 25, 2019
Andrew Ujifusa reports for Education Week that federal education officials have “released proposed guidance to schools about a provision of the Every Student Succeeds Act that prohibits schools from cutting state and local money from education and simply filling the hole with federal funding.” This...
NCEE to Examine ESSA Pilot Programs
January 9, 2019
Sara Friedman reports for T.H.E. Journal that the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Evaluation is seeking proposals from vendors to undertake “evaluations for two programs authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act—the Innovative Assessment and Accountability Authority (IADA) and the Flexibility for...
New Interim Leader for Hispanic Education Initiative Appointed
January 9, 2019
Corey Mitchell reports for Education Week that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has “appointed Andrea Ramirez as interim Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.” Ramirez—who currently serves as Executive Director of the Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives...
States Allowed to Try More Than One Test as Part of Innovative Assessment Pilot?
January 2, 2019
According to Alyson Klein in Education Week, a December message from federal officials to the Georgia Department of Education, state officials who are thinking about applying for ESSA’s Innovative Assessment pilot program “don’t have to pick just one exam for your test drive—but you do have...
Civil Rights Groups Seek Oversight of DeVos ESSA Implementation
December 13, 2018
Andrew Ujifusa writes for Education Week that a “leading coalition of civil rights groups wants federal lawmakers to focus on oversight of the U.S. Department of Education when the new Congress begins next year.” In a letter to Capitol Hill, the Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights “asked Congress to...
October 17, 2018
Rebecca Klein reports for HuffPost that a “coalition of advocacy and teacher groups” has sued the U.S. Dept. of Education in an attempt to get “information related to its decision to allow schools to purchase firearms using federal funds.” Controversy over this issue “started in August,...
Civil Rights Orgs Voice Opposition to Using Federal Education Funds for Guns
September 17, 2018
On September 17, dozens of civil and human rights organizations wrote to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, stating that “any decision or recommendation by the Department allowing schools to use ESSA funds for weapons would be contrary to congressional intent and pose serious danger to children...
DeVos Reopens Innovative Assessment Pilot Application Process
September 17, 2018
Education Week’s Klein reports that the U.S. Dept. of Education “is inviting more state applications” for ESSA’s Innovative Assessment Pilot, “which allows states to try out new types of tests in a handful of districts before taking them statewide.” States need to inform federal officials of...
DeVos Says Department Has “No Plans” to Expand Upon or Restrict State Efforts to Arm Teachers
September 1, 2018
The Associated Press reports that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says she has “no intention of taking any action” regarding using ESSA to arm teachers. In a letter to top Education and the Workforce Committee Democrat Rep. Bobby Scott, DeVos wrote that “Congress did not authorize me or...
August 22, 2018
Erica L. Green reports for the New York Times that the U.S. Department of Education has been “considering whether to allow states to use federal funding to purchase guns for educators.” Green reports that the federal agency is “eyeing” ESSA’s Student Support and Academic Enrichment...
Advocacy Groups Call on DeVos to Reject Florida ESSA Plan
August 14, 2018
Florida remains the only state that has yet to have its ESSA plan approved by the U.S. Department of Education, and UnidosUS and the Florida chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens want it to stay that way—at least for now. Corey Mitchell reports in Education...
Louisiana First State to Win Approval for “Innovative Assessment” Pilot
July 27, 2018
According to Alyson Klein at Education Week, Louisiana is the first state to get approval from the U.S. Department of Education to participate in ESSA’s “Innovative Assessment” pilot, which “allows up to seven states to try out new kinds of tests in a handful of...
States “Line Up” for Fed Preschool Grants
July 19, 2018
Politico’s Mel Leonor reports for that a “federal grant program aimed at helping states boost their preschool offerings will make its debut next month—when states can begin vying for a piece of the $250 million pot.” Under ESSA, the Preschool Development Grants program “is meant...
Florida is Last State Awaiting ESSA Plan Approval
July 17, 2018
The Tampa Bay Times’ Jeffrey Solochek asks: “What to do?” Despite the fact that the Trump Administration “has in many ways held up Florida’s education system as a model for the nation” and “hired many former Florida education officials to top jobs in its own education...
California and Utah Are Approved
July 12, 2018
California and Utah are the latest states to gain federal approval on their state education plans.
July 5, 2018
The US Department of Education announced “Puerto Rico as the first state to pilot a new student-centered funding system under ESSA.” Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos stated, “Puerto Rico’s use of a student-centered funding system will help to ensure those with the greatest need receive...
DeVos Plan to End ELL Office Stoking Equity Concerns
June 18, 2018
Corey Mitchell reports for Education Week that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ plan to shut down “the long-standing federal office that supports English-learners,” comes amid “concerns from civil rights groups that the Education Department has already failed to ensure equity for English-learners—including approving state Every Student...
Special Ed Testing Waivers Worrying Advocates
June 13, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that Education Secretary DeVos “has allowed nearly half of states to get wiggle room” from an ESSA provision “aimed at making sure that only a small percentage of students are taking alternative tests reserved for children with the most significant...
ESSA’s “Big Flexible-Spending Pot”
June 5, 2018
Alyson Klein reports for Education Week that ESSA’s Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (a.k.a., Title IV) is “one of the most flexible federal programs around.” It also “just got a huge increase, from $400 million in the 2017-18 school year to $1.1 billion for...
Two More States Get Stamps of Approval
June 5, 2018
Nebraska and North Carolina are the two most recent states to have their ESSA plans approved by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, Alyson Klein reports. That brings the total approved number of plans to 46, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The...
DOE “considering” ESSA spending guidance
June 4, 2018
Alyson Klein also reports in Education Week that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ team is “working on guidance to help districts and states puzzle through changes to a key spending rule—known as ‘supplement-not-supplant’—in the Every Student Succeeds Act, multiple education advocates say.”
Civil Rights Leaders Tell DeVos to Give Revised Florida Plan the Thumbs Down
May 12, 2018
Jeffrey Solochek reports that, in the context of Florida submitting its revised ESSA plan to the U.S. Department of Education in April, civil rights groups “want U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to do to the second version what she did to the first—reject it as...
DeVos Approves Three More State Plans
May 7, 2018
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has approved three more ESSA plans—Alabama, Colorado, and Kentucky. To date, the Department has approved 42 plans (plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico), while still leaving some “big population centers, including Florida and California” waiting for approval.
Florida, California and the Quest for Federal Approval
May 1, 2018
Speaking of…Alyson Klein reports that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos “may have approved Every Student Succeeds Act plans” for dozens of states, but “two of the biggest—Florida and California—are still angling for their federal blessing,” even though “DeVos has singled out school-choice-friendly Florida as a model for...
DeVos ❤️ School Choice, but No Love for Choice in State Plans
April 30, 2018
Alyson Klein asks, has U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos being “a big cheerleader for school choice,” and the fact that some states have been “adopting tax-credit scholarships, education savings accounts,” and more, “translated into a big bonanza for school choice” in state ESSA plans?...
Feds Remind States Not to Forget About Reading and Math Under ESSA
April 26, 2018
Klein also reports that a “top staffer overseeing implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act at the U.S. Department of Education has a message for states and districts as they embrace the law’s new school quality measures: Don’t forget about reading and math.”
Feds Talk Portfolio Assessments for Students with Disabilities
April 18, 2018
Christina Samuels reports for Education Week that the U.S. Department of Education “has started informing a small group of states that they will have to make changes to the way they test students with severe cognitive disabilities” due to “accountability changes” under ESSA. Students “with the...
DeVos Double Standard When it Comes to Local Leaders?
April 18, 2018
Anne Hyslop examines the disconnect between U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ sharp criticism of state ESSA plans when speaking to the Council of Chief State School Officers and her other comments on local control. With a “cacophony of opinions on the topic, “it’s easy to...
April 15, 2018
“U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos hasn’t testified before the House or Senate education committees since becoming secretary more than a year ago—and Democrats aren’t happy about that,” reports Alyson Klein. Democrats “say they want to question DeVos’ choice to approve ESSA plans that they and some...
Louisiana, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico Apply for Innovative Assessment Pilot
April 3, 2018
Alyson Klein reports in Education Week that Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Puerto Rico have officially submitted applications for the ESSA’s Innovative Assessment Pilot, which “allows states to try out new forms of testing in a handful of districts, with the goal of eventually taking them...
You can’t always get what you want…or what you need
March 9, 2018
Erica L. Green writes in the New York Times that, after Secretary DeVos’ speech to state chiefs last week, “policy experts and observers” have called the speech the “ultimate display of a frustrated federalist,” and an “example of a self-described education reformer wrestling with the limits of her influence...
DeVos Delivers “Tough Love” to State Chiefs
March 5, 2018
The 74’s Carolyn Phenicie reports that Secretary DeVos recently delivered what she called “tough love” to state chiefs on ESSA for “their failure in her assessment to embrace the law’s flexibility and opportunities to address local challenges.” She said even “the best plan is short on the...
Dems Claim DeVos is “Flouting” ESSA
February 19, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that, even though the U.S. Department of Education has approved more than half of state ESSA plans, two Democratic “ESSA architects” say Education Secretary DeVos “is rubber-stamping plans that don’t comply with the law.” But DeVos very much begs to...
GOP Governors Emerge as Surprise Opponents to Federal ESSA Plan Approvals
February 11, 2018
Erica L. Green reports in the New York Times that Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is running into a “surprising source of opposition” as she gives approval to state ESSA plans—governors. Of the 35 plans thus far approved, “six are from states where the governor refused...
Three States “Raise Hands” on Innovative Assessment Pilot
February 6, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that Arizona, Louisiana, and New Hampshire have informed the U.S. Department of Education of their interest in applying for ESSA’s Innovative Assessment Pilot, and more could follow before the April 2 application deadline. Under ESSA, the Education Secretary can give...
Funding Pilot Allows Resources to Follow Students
February 2, 2018
According to Education Week’s Alyson Klein, thanks to the U.S. Department of Education’s new “Weighted Student Funding Pilot” program, school districts now have the chance for local, state, and federal funding to “follow children, so that kids with greater need have more money attached to...
DeVos to Mayors: Don’t Look to DC For Solutions on Education
January 26, 2018
In a speech last week in front of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos “issued a challenge” to “align your local classrooms with the rapidly changing economies around them.”
More Education Department Approvals
January 19, 2018
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced on January 19 that six more states had secured approval of their ESSA plans: Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Montana, and New Hampshire. “I am pleased to approve these plans which comply with the requirements of the law,” said...
DeVos Approves 11 State ESSA Plans
January 16, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that Secretary DeVos approved 11 more state ESSA plans this week. They include, “Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.”
MN, WV First of Second-Round States to Gain Approval
January 10, 2018
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos approved Minnesota and West Virginia’s ESSA plans, the “first two states that submitted plans in the fall to win federal approval.”
States and Vendors To Drag Feet On “Innovative” Testing Pilots?
January 4, 2018
EdWeek Market Brief reports that the U.S. Dept. of Education has given states an official heads-up to get ready to apply to pilot ‘innovative assessments’ under the Every Student Succeeds Act,” writes Senior Editor Sean Cavanagh. “But it seems likely that states will approach the...
Trump Admin Unconcerned with Enforcing ESSA Native-Language Testing Provision?
January 4, 2018
The Trump Administration, says Jessica Bakeman of WLRN (Miami’s National Public Radio station), “has reignited a political debate over language and education by doing virtually nothing at all.” ESSA encourages states to test English language learners in their native languages. But while some states have...
Ed Department Shares Feedback with 33 (of 34) States
December 27, 2017
Officials at the U.S. Department of Education sent feedback to another state regarding the ESSA plans they submitted this fall: Idaho. Previously, the Department requested feedback from Indiana and Rhode Island, Arkansas, California, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Texas, as well as from Hawaii, Kentucky, Nebraska, New...
DeVos Says ESSA Plan Mix Laudable; Dems, Civil Rights Groups Not So Much
November 30, 2017
According to The 74’s Carolyn Phenicie, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos made clear during a recent appearance that she believes strongly in states having flexibility in education policy, and that states are responding positively to having such flexibility under ESSA. But not everybody agrees...
Botel Tells State Chiefs He Wants Innovation and Compliance
November 15, 2017
According to Education Week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Jason Botel told a gathering of state school chiefs recently “that he wants states to be innovative in working to close the nation’s yawning achievement gap, but also wants...
Civil Rights Groups to DeVos: Florida Plan is Terrible and Must Go
November 9, 2017
“Several civil rights and education advocacy groups have a simple message for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos,” reports Education Week’s Andrew Ujifusa. “Just say no to Florida’s Every Student Succeeds Act plan.” In a letter sent to Secretary DeVos, more than a dozen civil rights...
Special Ed Advocates Not Loving the Empire State
November 5, 2017
Education Week’s Alyson Klein writes that special education advocates “have a message for U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos: Don’t let New York wiggle out of the Every Student Succeeds Act’s testing requirements for students with significant cognitive disabilities.”
DeVos Announces all 34 Plans Ready for Review
October 17, 2017
Secretary Betsy DeVos announced that “all consolidated state plans submitted by 34 states and Puerto Rico under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for the fall deadline were found to be complete and ready for peer review.” DeVos commended “the chief state school officers, governors...
Handful of State Leaders Appeal Directly to U.S. Dept. of Ed to Reject Plans
October 5, 2017
According to Education Week’s Daarel Burnette II, after “failing to convince their own education departments to amend their states’ accountability plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act, elected leaders in a handful of states have appealed directly to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to...
DeVos Announces Upcoming Plans
September 26, 2017
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that Secretary DeVos told a gathering of secondary school principals on September 25 “that she wants to cut the federal red tape that she thinks is holding them back from serving students to the best extent possible,” and that “she’ll...
Dept. of Ed Approves Massachusetts’ ESSA Plan
September 21, 2017
The U.S. Dept. of Education approved Massachusetts’ ESSA plan. Secretary Betsy DeVos “praised the plan’s details on turning around low-performing schools and for emphasizing the share of high school students who complete accelerated courses.” She also said, “I continue to be heartened by the ways...
Top Democrats in Congress Critiques DeVos’ Oversight of States’ New Plans
September 18, 2017
Top Democrats in Congress “say that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ oversight of states’ new plans for education has ‘failed to adequately address several shortcomings’ in plans that have been turned in so far, and urged the secretary to do better in the next...
CA Receives Waiver from U.S. Dept. of Ed
September 13, 2017
EdSource reports that California received a waiver from the U.S. Dept. of Education from “administering outdated science tests, instead allowing it to give students pilot tests based on new science standards.” However, “the department granted the waiver only for the just completed school year,” and “made...
Dept. of Ed Approves AZ’s ESSA Plan
September 7, 2017
Arizona’s ESSA plan has been approved by the U.S. Department of Education. In its approval notice, the department “highlighted several aspects of Arizona’s state plan, including the ability of elementary and middle schools to earn additional points in its accountability system for accelerating student achievement.”...
Dept. of Ed Approves ESSA Plans for VT and ME
August 31, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved state ESSA plans for Vermont and Maine. The department highlighted Vermont’s “inclusion of physical fitness in its accountability system” and “tracking the percentage of high school students who go on to college, the workforce, military, or trade school 16 months...
Dept. of Ed Approves 4 State ESSA Plans
August 30, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved four state ESSA plans – the District of Columbia, Illinois, Oregon, and Tennessee. “As more and more state plans come under the department’s review, I am heartened to see how states have embraced the spirit of flexibility under ESSA to...
Former Rep. Kline Discusses Testing under ESSA
August 25, 2017
Former U.S. Rep. John Kline (R-MN) – past chairman of the House Education & Workforce Committee and one of the co-authors of ESSA – discusses the role of annual testing in the law he helped craft. ESSA continues requiring a single state achievement test system...
U.S. Dept. of Ed Approved CT and LA’s ESSA Plans
August 15, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved ESSA plans from Connecticut and Louisiana.
U.S. Dept. of Ed Issues Feedback on CO’s ESSA Plan
August 14, 2017
The Dept. of Education issued feedback on Colorado’s ESSA plan. Federal officials directed the state agency to reconfigure “its student achievement goals and academic achievement indicator so that they are based on straight up proficiency rates, not scale scores,” and to provide more information on...
U.S. Dept. of Ed Releases Feedback on AZ, ND, and VT’s ESSA Plans
August 10, 2017
The Dept. of Education released feedback on Arizona, North Dakota, and Vermont’s ESSA plans. As reported by Education Week, Arizona “will need to change the way that science factors into its accountability system.” North Dakota “needs to do a better job of explaining how student...
U.S. Dept. of Ed Approves NV, NJ, and NM’s ESSA Plans
August 9, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved Nevada, New Jersey, and New Mexico’s ESSA plans. States must implement their plans for the 2017-2018 school year.
Dept. of Ed Releases Feedback on MI’s ESSA Plans
August 8, 2017
The Dept. of Education released feedback on Michigan’s ESSA plans. In a departure from the other feedback we’ve seen, Education Week’s Alyson Klein wrote, “The department told the state chief, Brian Whiston, the information it provided ‘was insufficient’ to ‘adequately review’ the section of the...
Dept. of Ed Responds to ND’s Proposed ESSA Plan
August 7, 2017
The Dept. of Education responded to North Dakota’s proposed ESSA plan. State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler noted that “Education Department officials have requested additional information on several parts of the state’s plan, and the department’s evaluation of the plan and notes from the expert peer reviewers...
Dept. of Ed Issues Feedback to DC and IL
August 4, 2017
The Dept. of Education issued feedback on Washington D.C.’s and Illinois’ ESSA plans. The department commented that D.C. “cannot use tests like the SAT and ACT in its academic achievement indicators,” and “did not clearly describe its measure for differentiating school performance.” Illinois also has...
Delaware’s ESSA Plan Gets Approved
August 1, 2017
The Dept. of Education approved Delaware’s ESSA plan, making it the first state to have its plan approved.
U.S. Dept. Announces New Rules for ESSA Feedback
July 27, 2017
In response to complaint that the Dept. of Education is being “nit-picky, inconsistent, and going beyond the bounds of ESSA,” Elizabeth Hill, the department’s spokeswoman, announced that the “department will have two-hour phone conversations with states and go over any of the issues that peer...
New Feedback from U.S. Dept. of Ed
July 6, 2017
The Dept. of Education sent feedback to five more states on their draft ESSA plans. The department requested that “states fill in missing information or clarify parts of their plans to ensure they meet the letter of the law.” While some experts argue the department...
Dept. of Ed Releases Feedback to DE, NV, and NM
June 13, 2017
The Dept. of Education released interim feedback to Delaware, Nevada and New Mexico on their ESSA plans. Each state received a letter from Acting Assistant Secretary Jason Botel, as well as compiled feedback from the federal peer reviewers. States have 15 days to make changes...
Secretary DeVos Discusses Additional Education Funding and ESSA
June 6, 2017
Secretary DeVos testified before the Senate Appropriation Subcommittee to discuss additional education funding and ESSA. DeVos commented that she “might not agree with every approach that every state takes, but she was not going to invent new regulations,” when asked if she would reject any...
DeVos Discusses Title I Funding and School Choice
May 24, 2017
Secretary of Education Betsey DeVos testified before Congress on the Trump administration’s 2018 budget proposal. During the hearing, DeVos discussed Title I funding and school choice, and underscored her belief in local control. She stressed that she “believes states should continue to have flexibility in...
Plans from 16 States and DC Accepted by U.S. Dept. of Education
May 12, 2017
The Dept. of Education announced that 16 states and the District of Columbia have submitted ESSA plans that “federal officials deem complete.” Secretary DeVos noted that she is “committed to returning decision-making power back to states and setting the Department up to serve the support...
Last Day for States to Submit ESSA Plans to Their Governor
May 3, 2017
Today is the last day for states that submitted their ESSA plans to their governor for sign off to submit to the Dept. of Education for the 1st round peer review, under the Department’s extended timeline.
President Trump Issues Executive Order
April 28, 2017
President Trump issued an executive order directing Secretary DeVos to “review every policy and directive of the Department of Education and rescind any that she deems to overstep the role of the federal government.” According to Alyson Klein of Education Week, ESSA “already greatly reduces...
Dept. of Ed Has 120 Days to Review ESSA Plans
April 3, 2017
The Dept. of Education has 120 days to review states ESSA plans after submission.
Trump Repeals Dept. of Ed’s Teacher Prep and School Accountability Rules under ESSA
March 27, 2017
President Donald Trump repealed the Dept. of Education’s teacher preparation and school accountability rules under ESSA. Congressional Republicans argued “states should have more control over the classroom.” By signing the bills, President Trump has also prohibited future administrations from issuing the same rules.
DeVos Says it’s Up to States to Determine Testing Frequency for Students
March 24, 2017
At an event in Florida, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos argued that it is up to states to determine testing frequency for students. According to DeVos, “It’s really a matter for states and locales to determine how much testing is actually necessary for measuring...
DeVos Speaks to CCSSO at Annual Legislative Conference
March 20, 2017
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos spoke to the Council of Chief State School Officers at their annual legislative conference. DeVos stated, “Once your state has developed a plan to provide a quality education in an environment that is safe and nurturing for all children,...
DeVos Delivers Speech on New ESSA Accountability Regulations
March 14, 2017
During a speech to the Council of the Great City Schools, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos touted the new ESSA accountability regulations. According to The 74, DeVos argued the Dept. of Education under President Obama had “gone outside of its established authority” and “created roadblocks, wittingly or unwittingly, for parents and...
Dept. of Ed Releases Revised State Template
March 13, 2017
The Dept. of Education released a revised state template for consolidated plans under ESSA. The guide only outlines what is required by the law and is several pages shorter than the original outline issued by the previous administration.
DeVos Issues Letter to Chief State School Officers on ESSA
February 10, 2017
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos issued a letter to chief state school officers on ESSA implementation. The letter encouraged states to “continue to move forward” on draft plans and follow the timeline for final submission. DeVos states that she remains “committed to working alongside...
Dept. of Ed Withdraws Title 1 Spending Rule, According to Politico
January 18, 2017
As reported by Politico, the Dept. of Education withdrew the proposed Title I spending rule known as the “supplement, not supplant” regulation under ESSA. Department spokeswomen Dorie Nolt stated the Obama administration “simply ran out of time.”
Secretary King’s Memo Examines How States Can Close Opportunity Gaps
January 13, 2017
In an exit interview with Education Week, Dept. of Education Secretary John B. King, Jr. discussed ESSA and equity opportunities. King was encouraged by state chiefs focusing on the “relationship between ESSA and equity” and how states are “going to use ESSA to close opportunity...
U.S. Dept. of Ed Seeks Peer Reviewers of State Plans
January 9, 2017
The Dept. of Education is seeking highly-qualified individuals to serve as peer reviewers of State plans, as required under ESSA. Those interested in applying to serve as a peer reviewer must apply by January 27, 2017.
U.S. Dept. of Ed Releases Additional ESSA Guidelines for States
January 6, 2017
The Dept. of Education released additional ESSA guidelines for states. The dept. distributed three documents designed to help states on new plans and goals, state and local report cards, and graduation rates.
Secretary King’s Memo Examines Last 8 Years on Education and ESSA
January 5, 2017
Secretary King issued an exit memo about the Department’s efforts over the last eight years on education and ESSA. King wrote that ESSA was a “bipartisan achievement” and the successful implementation of the act is “critical to the advancement of the nation’s educational progress.” King also...
Dept. of Education Announces Grant Competition under Teacher and School Leader Program
December 18, 2016
The Dept. of Education announced the first grant competition under the Teacher and School Leader program under ESSA. These grants will allow school leaders to “identify opportunities to improve their schools” and “create professional development and support systems that are tailored to educators’ individual needs”...
Dept. of Education Releases Final Testing Regulations
December 7, 2016
The Dept. of Education released final regulations on testing programs under ESSA. Changes included regulations on the number of students eligible to take alternative exams and other pilot programs. The final rules also expanded flexibility and sought to “clarify the parameters” when testing Native American...
Dept. of Education Releases Final Accountability Regulations
November 28, 2016
The Dept. of Education released its final regulations on school accountability. The rule allocated more time for schools to implement their plans and determine which low-performing schools need extra support. The regulations suggest giving states until the 2018-19 school year to identify “low-performing schools,” and...
Dept. of Education Releases Title I and II Guidance
November 21, 2016
The Dept. of Education released guidance for “fiscal changes and equitable services requirements” under ESSA. The guidance outlined funding practices for Title I and Title II, and examined equitable services and transferability.
Final Deadline to Submit “Supplement, Not Supplant” Comments
November 7, 2016
The final deadline to submit public comments on the Dept. of Education’s draft “supplement, not supplant” rule was November 7. More than 3,400 comments had been submitted to the online platform.
Dept. of Education Awards School Improvement Grants
October 27, 2016
The Dept. of Education awarded $427 million in School Improvement Grants (SIG) to “help turn around America’s persistently lowest-achieving schools.” The program has invested over $7 billion since 2009 to improve public schools. In conjunction with the SIG program, ESSA requires states “identify and support...
Dept. of Education Releases Student Support Guidelines
October 21, 2016
The Dept. of Education released a new set of guidelines for grant programs designed to provide student support under ESSA. Options for program funding included “well rounded education opportunities, safe and healthy student programs, and effective uses of technology.” The guidelines also provided “innovated strategies”...
Sec. King Comments on Next Administration’s Role in ESSA Implementation
October 5, 2016
In a press briefing with the White House, Secretary King commented on the importance of ESSA and the next administration’s role in successfully implementing the plan. King urged the next administration to focus on the act “with careful attention to issues of equity.”
Dept. of Education Announces Magnet School Assistance Program Grants
September 26, 2016
The Dept. of Education announced $91 million in Magnet School Assistance Program grants under ESSA. The grants are designed to create “rigorous academic programs” that seek to “attract a diverse group of students.” ESSA allows for awards to include a “longer grant duration” and “increased...
Dept. of Education Releases Guidelines for English Learners
September 23, 2016
The Dept. of Education released a new set of guidelines on how states and school districts can work to improve English learner programs under ESSA. The report detailed that ELs are among the “fastest growing populations” in US schools and account for nearly “10% of...
Dept. of Education Releases ESSA Resource Site
September 22, 2016
The Dept. of Education compiled the history, available resources, proposed regulations, guidance and regulatory information, public notice, and negotiated rulemaking on ESSA on their website. The Dept. highlights that “The new law builds on key areas of progress in recent years, made possible by the...
Sec. King Addresses Concerns Over ESSA Language
September 19, 2016
In an interview with Education Week during his “Back to School” bus tour, Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. addresses concerns over vague language within ESSA. King acknowledges the different views over draft “supplement, not supplant” rules, but argues “no single member of Congress...
Dept. of Education Releases Statement on Access to Early Learning Programs
September 15, 2016
The U.S. Dept. of Education released a statement applauding the Obama Administration for creating greater access to early learning programs. Under ESSA, a new preschool program will, for the first time, “promote coordination in early learning among local communities; align preschool with early elementary school;...
Sec. King Addresses “Supplement, Not Supplant” Regulations
August 31, 2016
In a statement accompanying the proposed rules, Secretary King said there is “much more work to do,” but the regulations are a “concrete step forward to help level the playing field and ensure compliance with the law.” King’s statement indicates that the proposed regulations could...
Dept. of Education Releases “Supplement, Not Supplant” Regulations
August 31, 2016
The Dept. of Education released its much anticipated proposed regulations on ESSA Title I requirements regarding federal “supplement, not supplant” funding. The rule ensures that federal funds do not take the place of state and local funds in low-income schools and “that the nation’s highest...
OMB Certifies Proposed “Supplement, Not Supplant” Rule
August 15, 2016
The Office of Management and Budget agreed to the Obama administration’s proposed rule for the “supplement, not supplant” provision of ESSA. The provision seeks to have Title I dollars for “low income students” not just be used to “replace state investments.” The Dept. of Education...
Dept. of Education Announces Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows
August 15, 2016
The Dept. of Education announced seven teachers and three principals who will serve as its 2016 Teaching and Principal Ambassador Fellows. Two teachers and one principal will serve as full-time employees of the department, and all of the fellows will work with Secretary King “to...
Dept. of Education Issues Guidance on Homeless Students
August 11, 2016
ESSA amendments to the McKinney-Vento Act, which addresses the required needs of homeless students, will take effect October 1, 2016. ESSA seeks to offer homeless children “protections, services, aid, and support from their state and local education agencies.” The Dept. of Education also issued three...
Dept. of Education Announces New Competitive Grant on Testing
August 5, 2016
The Dept. of Education announced a new competitive grant that is compatible with ESSA for states that want to “ditch fill-in-the-bubble tests” with modern, “competency-based tests.” The application period for the $8.6 million grant is open until Sept. 22; winners will be announced in January....
Dept. of Education Closes Comment Period on Accountability Regulations
August 1, 2016
The Dept. of Education officially closed its 60 day comment period on proposed accountability rules.
Dept. of Education Issues Guidelines on How to Better Serve Homeless Students
July 27, 2016
The Dept. of Education issued federal guidelines today for states and school districts to better serve homeless students. According to ABC News, “the guidelines include prioritizing the identification of homeless students, including designating and training a ‘school liaison’ within each district to help provide students...
NGA Submits Recommendations on Dept. of Education’s Draft ESSA Accountability Rules
July 19, 2016
The National Governors Association submitted their recommendations in response to the Dept. of Education’s draft accountability rules for ESSA. The NGA notes that the federal government potentially “overreaches” its authority by restricting state’s flexibility. Along with technical language fixes, their recommendations include: Providing “technical assistance”...
Dept. of Education Blog Highlights Parent Power Bootcamp
July 17, 2016
The Dept. of Education published a blog post from National Black Child Development Institute President Tobeka Green, highlighting their first Parent Power Bootcamp. Partnering with the Dept. of Education, the event provided information to parents, teachers, administrators, and others about the impact ESSA will have...
Dept. of Education Receiving Comments on Proposed Accountability Regulations
July 13, 2016
The Dept. of Education has begun to receive comments on its proposed accountability regulations, which were requested as part of the 60 day public comment period. Read the comments here.
Dept. of Education Posts Draft Regulations for ESSA’s “Innovative Assessment” Pilot Program
July 6, 2016
The Dept. of Education posted draft regulations for ESSA’s “Innovative Assessment” pilot program, which grants states the flexibility to administer “Innovative Assessments” to a subsect of their schools in place of their exiting statewide assessments. Within five to seven years, seven states will be allowed to...
Secretary King Calls on State and Local School Administrators to Use ESSA to Maximize Diversity
July 1, 2016
Education Secretary John King delivered the keynote remarks at the 2016 Annual PTA Convention and Expo in Orlando, Florida. The Dept. of Education live streamed the event on their Facebook page. During his speech, Secretary King called on state and local school administrators to utilize...
Secretary King Urges Policymakers to Engage Stakeholders Around ESSA
June 30, 2016
Education Secretary King urged hundreds of policymakers to engage stakeholders on the implementation of ESSA during this year’s Education Commission of the States’ National Forum on Education Policy. He underscored the importance of engagement efforts between state education departments and stakeholder groups as the accountability...
Dept. of Education Sends Draft Rule for “Supplement, not Supplant” to OMB
June 25, 2016
The Dept. of Education sent a draft rule for “supplement, not supplant,” a key Title I spending provision, to the Office of Management and Budget. According to POLITICO Pro, “The provision aims to ensure that federal Title I dollars for poor students are truly supplemental...
Dept. of Education Releases Guidelines on ESSA Provisions for Foster Children
June 23, 2016
The Dept. of Education released new guidelines to states, school districts, and child welfare agencies on ESSA’s provisions for foster children. The Dept. noted that the guidance “doesn’t impose any new requirements beyond those in the law and regulations, provides clarity in the form of...
Dept. of Education Posts Examples of States Engaging Stakeholders Around ESSA
June 23, 2016
The Dept. of Education posted examples of states engaging local stakeholders in the implementation of ESSA. Several state outreach programs were listed, including: Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Riveria has created several working groups comprised of “a wide array of stakeholders including teachers, principals, community based...
June 16, 2016
Monty Neil, executive director of the National Center for Fair and Open Testing (FairTest), posted his organization’s opposition to the Dept. of Education’s draft regulations to ESSA. FairTest sent out an action alert arguing that the Dept. of Education’s draft regulations “over-emphasize testing, mandate punishments...
Secretary King Discusses ESSA Implementation in Education Week Interview
June 6, 2016
Sec. John King was featured in an interview with Education Week to discuss various aspects of the current implementation of ESSA. Key takeaways from the interview included: • Heavy emphasis will be placed on equality programs designed to benefit underperforming schools, like Title I funding...
Dept. of Education Outlines How New ESSA Regulations Shift Accountability to States
May 27, 2016
Education World covered the release of a summary document from the Dept. of Education outlining how new ESSA regulations will shift accountability to the states. The article also notes that starting May 31, the Dept. of Education will open their 60 day public comment period...
Dept. of Education Highlights ESSA’s Provisions to Promote Equality Among Districts
May 26, 2016
The Dept. of Education issued a press release highlighting ESSA’s provisions intended to promote equality among school districts. The release notes that the regulations “uphold ESSA’s critical civil rights protections and enhance equity for historically underserved students by including all students and each subgroup in...
OMB Concludes Review of Proposed ESSA Accountability Provisions
May 25, 2016
The Office of Management and Budget announced that it has concluded its review of the proposed accountability rule in the new ESSA provisions. The review is expected to become public soon. Read more here.
Washington Examiner Explores Dispute Between Secretary King and Senator Alexander
May 23, 2016
A Washington Examiner story explores the ongoing dispute between Sec. King and Chairman Alexander. According to the account, the Republicans believe “the [Dept. of Education] is trying to reassert federal control by exceeding its authority with a rule that would require state and local spending...
Senator Alexander Critiques Dept. of Education Approach to Drafting Implementation Guidelines
May 17, 2016
During The Atlantic’s annual Education Summit, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) discussed his recent dissatisfaction with the Dept. of Education’s approach toward drafting implementation guidelines for ESSA. Alexander stated that, “on the very first instance where the Dept. of Education had the chance to write a...
CRS Report Analyzes Legal Basis for “Supplement, not Supplant” Language
May 12, 2016
The Congressional Research Service released a report that analyzed the legal basis for the “supplement, not supplant” language that the Dept. of Education proposed during negotiated rulemaking earlier this year. CRS notes that the language could be challenged in court concluding that, “ED’s interpretation appears...
Secretary King Shares Updates on ESSA Progress at Forum
May 10, 2016
Education Secretary John King spoke at a stakeholder forum at the Dept. of Education with updates on the progress of ESSA and its implementation, and answered questions from the audience.
How Will Next U.S. Secretary of Education Interpret Fine Print of ESSA?
May 6, 2016
Heartland Institute Senior Fellow Robert Holland asks how a new education secretary under Trump or Clinton would interpret the fine print of ESSA in The Hill. Read more here.
Dept. of Education Sends Draft Guidelines to OMB for Review
May 2, 2016
The Dept. of Education has already sent draft guidelines to the Office of Management and Budget for review, Education Week reports. They also note, “once they’re out, everyone will get a chance to comment and the Dept of Ed. can make changes based on that...
States To Set Individual Definitions for Disabilities and English Language Learners
April 27, 2016
Education Week published a wrap up on Neg Reg activity from last week noting that states will be able to set individual definitions for severe cognitive disabilities and English language learners. Additionally, there was no consensus on “supplement, not supplant” language, meaning the Dept. of...
Dept. of Education Seeks Feedback on ESSA Communcations and Interpretation
April 25, 2016
The Dept. of Education announced that it is seeking feedback on how to help the “public understand the law, how the Dept. of Education is interpreting the law, and to provide clarification and examples of best practices.” They are accepting input until May 25. Read...
Language on Assessments Agreed To and Circulated
April 21, 2016
Final details on the language agreed to by the negotiated rulemaking committee was circulated. Read more here. The language includes: Required testing in grades 3-8, and in high school. Subjects include math, science, and reading, plus state-level approved standards. Reporting requirements that categorizes students by...
April 20, 2016
Politico reported that negotiators came to a consensus on handling assessments, but talks on Title I spending did not reach consensus. The department can now move forward and write draft regulations for supplement not supplant (SNS), as it sees fit. Dorie Nolt, spokeswoman for the...
Dept. of Education Will Have To Show Redrafted Rules to Congress Before Publishing
April 18, 2016
Politico noted that once the Dept. of Ed redrafts the rules – with recommendations from the Neg Reg included or not – they have to then show members of Congress the proposed rules and allow them to comment no less than two weeks before publishing...
If Committee Cannot Agree, Dept. of Education Will Write Its Own Rules on Assessments and SNS
April 18, 2016
Education Week reports that if the Neg Reg committee cannot come to an agreement after this week’s session, the Dept. of Education will then write its own rules on assessments and SNS. They also highlight several of the specifically contentious points holding up consensus including,...
Dept. of Education Revises Proposed Language on Assessments and SNS
April 15, 2016
Following criticism from Congress and the Neg Reg committee, the Dept. of Education’s revised its proposed language from the previous two rounds of negotiations on assessments and the SNS regulations. This was the version negotiated in the final rulemaking session this week. Read more here.
In Speech Secretary John King Discusses Potential Impacts of ESSA
April 14, 2016
Secretary John King gave a speech in Las Vegas last week where he discussed the impact of the proposed ESSA on students. King was quoted as saying “Music and art, world languages, physics, chemistry, and biology; social studies civics and geography, and government; physical education...
Senators Urge DOE to Expand Planned Analysis of Federal Education Spending
February 6, 2020
In a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, several members of the U.S. Senate urged the Department of Education to expand an analysis of federal K-12 education spending to “include dual and concurrent enrollment programs and early college high schools.” The group of lawmakers...
Senator Lamar Alexander Marks Four-Year Anniversary of Every Student Succeeds Act Becoming Law
December 16, 2019
On the fourth anniversary of the Every Student Succeeds Act becoming law, U.S. Senate Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander released a statement, saying (in part): “Under ESSA, every state plan for spending federal dollars has now been approved by the U.S. Department of Education. More...
ESSA Anniversary Event Highlights Challenges, Opportunities of Law
December 10, 2019
To mark the four-year anniversary of ESSA becoming law, the Collaborative for Student Success and Education Week convened a summit in Washington, D.C., on December 10, with the law’s congressional co-authors, policymakers, education experts, and other stakeholders to review the marquee federal education law’s implementation and identify...
Senate Education Bill Funding Bill Update
September 18, 2019
“The Senate’s bill to fund the U.S. Department of Education would keep overall spending virtually flat, although grants for charter schools would get a relatively small increase, as would programs intended to improve school safety,” reports Andrew Ujifusa for Education Week. Among the “winners” in the...
CRS on Why ESSA Spending Pilot Has Been “Snubbed”
August 14, 2019
ESSA’s brand “depends largely on the flexibility it provides states and districts,” writes Andrew Ujifusa in Education Week. But the law was also “designed to provide schools more freedom, in this case for funding systems,” which “has been almost totally ignored.” Now “the Congressional Research...
Legislators Introduce Teacher Shortage Bill
June 19, 2019
According to InsiderNJ, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representatives Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) have reintroduced a bill that seeks to address the nation’s increasingly problematic teacher shortage. The Supporting the Teaching Profession Through Revitalizing Investments in Valuable Educators (STRIVE) Act “would overhaul the student loan...
Dems Push Bill to Increase Dept of Education’s Budget
May 8, 2019
According to this Andrew Ujifusa blog post in Education Week, a bill in Congress to increase the U.S. Department of Education’s budget by more than $4 billion will soon be considered by the full House of Representatives after passage out of the House Appropriation Committee....
Brown v. Board Hearing, Integration, and ESSA
April 29, 2019
In The 74, Carolyn Phenicie reports on a recent House Education Committee hearing on the legacy of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, which ended up focusing “in large part on ongoing disputes over school choice and regulatory actions taken by the Trump administration.”...
Democrats to Unveil Education Spending Bill
April 28, 2019
In this Education Week piece, Andrew Ujifusa provides an overview of “what to watch for” as Democrats “consider as spending bill” that “funds the U.S. Department of Education for fiscal 2020.” One program to watch is the proposed “$1.2 billion program that supports school safety,...
Top House Education Dem to CCSSO: ESSA Not a “Blank Check”
April 9, 2019
Virginia Democrat Rep. Bobby Scott told state school chiefs at the CCSSO Legislative Conference last week that “the Every Student Succeeds Act does give them more flexibility on setting policy and complying with federal law, it is not ‘a blank check,’” reports Alyson Klein for Education...
House Dems Ready to “Scrutinize” Department of Education
February 19, 2019
Newly empowered majority Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are ready to provide vigorous oversight of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos department in the coming months, reports Erica L. Green for the New York Times. Among the issues targeted by Democrats will be...
Chief Architect of ESSA, Sen. Lamar Alexander, to Retire
December 17, 2018
Alyson Klein and Andrew Ujifusa report for Education Week that “U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who has been Capitol Hill’s leading Republican on education issues for years” announced that he’s retiring in 2020. Sen. Alexander was a chief architect of the bi-partisan Every Student Succeeds Act...
Election 2018, the U.S. Senate, and ESSA
October 15, 2018
In Education Week, Alyson Klein takes a look at the close battle for control of the U.S. Senate in the 2018 election, how education is playing a part as an important election year issue, and provides a “quick guide to where candidates in tough races...
September 9, 2018
Andrew Ujifusa reports for Education Week that, if Democrats win back control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November, “expect civil rights to grab the spotlight and for congressional subpoenas in the name of education oversight to become more popular,” particularly through the lens of...
Democrats Try to Block Gun Funding Via Spending Bill
September 7, 2018
Andrew Ujifusa reports in Education Week that “Democrats on Capitol Hill are using just about every tool they can think of to try to stop Every Student Succeeds Act money from being used by schools to purchase firearms.” On September 7, “two top Democrats on...
Democrats Not Loving Idea of Arming Teachers
August 28, 2018
Prior to DeVos’ statement, Mike Lillis reported in The Hill that Democrats in the House of Representatives “are pressing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to scrap any plans to promote the arming of teachers in the name of protecting students.” In a letter signed by nearly every member of the House Democratic...
Senator Kaine Introduces Bill to Help Fix Teacher, Principal Shortage
July 31, 2018
According to Andrew Ujifusa at Education Week, last week, Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals (PREP) Act, which “aims to address both teacher and principal shortages by broadening the definition of a high-need district under the Every Student Succeeds Act to...
The Youth Mental Health Services Act and ESSA
July 27, 2018
U.S. Rep. Phil Roe writes in the Greeneville Sun that, in an effort to combat suicide among children and teens, he has introduced bipartisan legislation with Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) called the Youth Mental Services Act, which “takes an existing grant program authorized under the...
Senate Confirms Brogan as Assistant Secretary at DOE
June 25, 2018
Alyson Klein reports for Education Week that the U.S. Senate voted recently to confirm the nomination of Frank Brogan as Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education, taking over from Jason Botel, the Acting Assistant Secretary who “clashed with Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., over implementation...
“Redesigning Education” in New Mexico
June 25, 2018
Elizabeth Sanchez writes that, earlier this month, the New Mexico Public Education Department “partnered with Johns Hopkins University and schools across New Mexico” for a kick-off conference for the upcoming High School Redesign Network, which represents an “opportunity for high schools considered comprehensive support and...
DeVos answers ESSA questions before Senate subcommittee
June 5, 2018
Secretary DeVos answered questions about ESSA plans and implementation during a June 5 appearance before a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Sen. Lamar Alexander asked her whether any of the state plans she approved violated ESSA and “DeVos told him that all plans followed...
DeVos Questioned on the Hill: Do Some States’ Plans Violate ESSA?
May 22, 2018
This week, Secretary DeVos returned to Capitol Hill Tuesday to appear before the House Education and Workforce Committee and discuss her agency’s priorities. CNN’s Juana Summers reports that DeVos “was pressed by Virginia Rep. Bobby Scott — the committee’s top Democrat — over whether she had approved...
DeVos Approves Alaska and Iowa Plans
May 16, 2018
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced on May 16 that Alaska and Iowa gained approval for their state ESSA plans. “I am pleased to approve these plans which comply with the requirements of the law,” said Secretary DeVos. “I encourage states to use their...
April 10, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that civil rights groups, led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, wrote a letter to leaders on the House and Senate education committees, “asking them to tell DeVos to stop approving ‘unlawful’ plans.” The letter states, “We...
Congress Taking Back a Little Education Oversight With ESSA Implementation?
March 28, 2018
Carolyn Phenicie reports that the Republican-controlled Congress, after a year of a “hands-off” approach, is “taking a small step back into the fight over implementing” ESSA. Included in “a report filed with the $1.3 trillion government funding bill passed last week is a reminder to states—through the federal Education...
Ed Tech Also “Fares Well” in Spending Bill
March 26, 2018
According to EdScoop’s Patience Wait, another financial winner in the recently passed budget bill is ESSA’s Education Innovation and Research grant program, which “will receive $120 million this year, up from $100 million last year, but lower than the $180 million it once received annually...
What the “Huge Hike” in ESSA Block Grant Funding Really Means
March 22, 2018
Education Week’s Alyson Klein reports that the massive spending bill signed into law on March 23 will provide more than a billion dollars to ESSA’s Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (a.k.a. Title IV of the law). This is an increase from $400 million in fiscal...
ESSA Oversight Fight Endangering Higher Ed Bill
March 16, 2018
According to Emily Wilkins at Bloomberg Government, concern regarding federal oversight of state ESSA accountability plans “is casting a shadow over Senate negotiations on reauthorizing a higher education law.” Behind the scenes, these “concerns have seeped into the work updating the Higher Education Act (Pub....
Dems want more money for mental health via ESSA
March 13, 2018
Andrew Ujifusa reports in Education Week that in an effort to create safer schools in the aftermath of last month’s school shooting in Florida, a number of Democratic senators “want Congress to give more money to an Every Student Succeeds Act program in order to fund more counselors, trauma-informed...
House Dems “slam” DeVos on ESSA plans
March 7, 2018
In a recent letter to Secretary DeVos, members of the Congressional Tri-Caucus – made up of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus – wrote that the Secretary and her department are approving ESSA plans that “don’t comply with...
Alexander on board with school safety changes to ESSA
March 6, 2018
The Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee—Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander— wants to update ESSA “to allow schools to hire more counselors, make infrastructure improvements, and fund violence-prevention programs.” However, “some in Congress don’t think Alexander’s bill would truly break new ground or...
Top Senate HELP Dem Says Ed Department Approving Plans That Don’t Conform to ESSA
November 28, 2017
Andrew Ujifusa reports in Education Week that during a recent Senate HELP Committee hearing, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) “took the opportunity in her opening remarks to say that not every state’s ESSA plan meets the law’s requirements for schools with struggling student subgroups.”
Alexander Furious Over Dept. of Ed State Plan Reviews
November 25, 2017
Politico reports that Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Republican Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, was “furious” that a top aide to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was “circumventing” ESSA, contending the federal agency was “out of bounds” in challenging state officials on issues such as...
Déjà Vu All Over Again at Senate Confirmation Hearing
November 15, 2017
The 74 reports that the “familiar battles that have surrounded Education Secretary Betsy DeVos since her own contentious confirmation,”—from school choice, to ESSA, to Title IX—were front and center again at a recent Senate confirmation hearing for two top Education Department nominees.
Civil Rights Groups to DeVos: Florida Plan is Terrible and Must Go
November 9, 2017
“Several civil rights and education advocacy groups have a simple message for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos,” reports Education Week’s Andrew Ujifusa. “Just say no to Florida’s Every Student Succeeds Act plan.” In a letter sent to Secretary DeVos, more than a dozen civil rights...
Special Ed Advocates Not Loving the Empire State
November 5, 2017
Education Week’s Alyson Klein writes that special education advocates “have a message for U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos: Don’t let New York wiggle out of the Every Student Succeeds Act’s testing requirements for students with significant cognitive disabilities.”
Senate Committee Discussed State Innovation under ESSA
October 3, 2017
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing on state innovation under ESSA. During the hearing, Chairman Lamar Alexander commented that “Tennessee, Louisiana, and New Mexico have taken the most advantage of the flexibility” offered under ESSA, in terms of “creating innovative...
September 27, 2017
The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will hold a hearing to discuss state innovation under the Every Student Succeeds Act.
The Hill Responds to Dept. of Ed’s New Approach to Review State Plans
July 28, 2017
Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA, and Rep. Bobby Scott, D-VA, expressed concern about the U.S. Dept. of Education’s new approach to reviewing state ESSA plans. The two argue in a letter that, “The decision will result in inconsistent treatment of state agencies, leading to flawed implementation...
Lawmakers Express Concern about Consistency of Feedback from Dept. of Ed
July 18, 2017
During a House Education and Workforce Committee Hearing “lawmakers from both sides of the aisle Tuesday expressed concern about the consistency of feedback from the U.S. Department of Education to states about ESSA plans.” Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) stated that the committee “will be watching to...
Rep. Bobby Scott Challenges Local Leaders to Support High Standards & Invest in Public Schools
May 19, 2017
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Education Committee, commented on the importance of ESSA, stating, “Let me be clear, ESSA matters. Getting ESSA right matters.” He continued, arguing that “the choices you’re making—how to use the law’s flexibilities while respecting equity requirements—those...
Sen. Lamar Alexander Discusses ESSA Opportunities
May 6, 2017
Senate Education Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) discussed the opportunities ESSA brings for charter schools. According to Alexander, the bill included “improvements to ensure that those federal funds are used as effectively as possible to increase the number of high-quality charter schools.”
Sen. Michael Bennet Discusses ESSA’s Accountability Standards
April 14, 2017
In an interview with Chalkbeat, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) discussed ESSA’s accountability standards. Bennet advised stakeholders to “make sure their state is a state that leads all other states in terms of the rigor and expectations we have for our kids.” Bennet also commented that...
Nineteen Democrats Send Letter to Secretary DeVos Asking for More Information
April 6, 2017
Nineteen House and Senate Democrats sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos asking for a “full explanation of how requirements for stakeholder voices will be met under a new ESSA template for state-submitted plans.” The letter also encouraged states to submit plans...
March 10, 2017
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) sent a letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, questioning what the department will do after the removal of accountability regulations. The two members were “concerned about the potential chaos that will result” after the repeal of the ESSA regulations. Murray...
U.S. Senate Vote to Overturn Accountability Regulations under ESSA
March 9, 2017
The U.S. Senate voted 50-49 to overturn accountability regulations under ESSA. The measure was introduced by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and co-sponsored by nine other senators including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). In a public statement, Alexander argued the rollback was “not a trivial matter” and “goes to the...
Rep. Bradley Byrne Discusses ESSA
March 9, 2017
In an opinion piece on AL.com, Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL) discussed ESSA as an “example of how Washington should work.” He explained Congress needs to work with the Dept. of Education to “ensure the law is working” and “the burden is being lifted off our local public schools.” Byrne pledged that his...
Sen. Lamar Alexander Voices Opinion on Efforts to Roll Back Regulations under ESSA
March 4, 2017
Senate Education Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) authored an opinion piece on his efforts to roll back regulations under ESSA. Sen. Alexander argued that the removal of regulations is “not a trivial matter” but an effort to “restore to states, classroom teachers and parents decisions about what to do about their children...
Sen. Lisa Murkowski Highlights Importance of ESSA to Alaska State Legislature
February 22, 2017
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski delivered her annual address to the Alaska State Legislature and highlighted the importance of ESSA. Murkowski explained how the new law incorporates state legislator input, providing “the opportunity to be involved” and the “opportunity to bring the people that you represent to the table, to help meet...
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally Discusses ESSA Implementation with Voters
February 17, 2017
U.S. Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) discussed ESSA implementation with voters at a town hall event. When asked about her commitment to public education, McSally said she is “committed to the appropriate federal role in public education,” and explained that the “House will vote this week...
February 10, 2017
In response to a letter submitted by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to chief state school officers on ESSA, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) called DeVos’ note a “good step towards ensuring that states have clarity and are able to follow the timeline they have...
NM Ed Secretary Discusses how Dept. of Ed can Help States Implement ESSA
February 8, 2017
In an interview with The 74, New Mexico Education Secretary Hanna Skandera discussed how the Dept. of Education can help states implement ESSA. Skandera said state leaders need to work together to “ensure states have the flexibility they need to be successful.” Along with flexibility,...
House of Reps. Vote to Overturn Accountability Regulations and Teacher Prep Programs Under ESSA
February 7, 2017
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to overturn accountability regulations and teacher-preparation programs under ESSA. As reported by Education Week, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) introduced the measures. Before the House vote, Rokita stated that he wanted to overturn these rules...
House Education Committee Chairwoman Issues Statement of Support
February 2, 2017
In response to efforts to block previous regulations under ESSA, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) issued a statement of support noting that, “the [Obama] administration insisted on using rules and regulations to unilaterally push its failed education agenda”...
House Republicans Seek to “Permanently Block” 2 ESSA Regulations, According to The 74
February 2, 2017
As reported by The 74, House Republicans have begun to “permanently block” two ESSA regulations. Under the use of the Congressional Review Act, a resolution introduced by Rep. Rokita (R-IN) would undo “accountability regulations finalized last fall governing how school performance is judged” and another,...
Sen. Lamar Alexander Calls for Stakeholders to Continue Draft ESSA Plans
January 30, 2017
While speaking to local education leaders, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) told them to “assume that the U.S. Dept. of Education will say yes” to the “plans they’re drafting to comply with ESSA.” Alexander called for stakeholders to continue to draft plans.
Sen. Mike Enzi Pleased with DeVos’ Remarks on ESSA
January 19, 2017
Sen. Mike Ezni (WY–R) was “pleased with” Education Secretary-nominee Betsy DeVos’ remarks on ESSA. During the confirmation hearing, Enzi had engaged with DeVos on federal policy impacting rural schools. DeVos stated rural schools “require different approaches and different options.”
Rep. Kline Calls ESSA “Proudest Accomplishment”
November 30, 2016
In an interview with Roll Call, retiring Rep. John Kline (R-MN) called ESSA his “proudest accomplishment in Congress.” Kline commented replacing NCLB with “a better law (ESSA)” was a “huge accomplishment.”
Sen. Udall Comments on ESSA Implementation
November 26, 2016
When discussing the impact of the Trump administration on ESSA, Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) commented that Trump “would meet fierce opposition from Democrats and Republicans alike if he tried to meddle with the law.”
Sen. Alexander Comments on ESSA Implementation
November 11, 2016
During an in interview with a Tennessee radio station, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) commented that President-elect Trump will “ensure ESSA is implemented as written.” Alexander also tweeted that the current “administration’s rules/regulations on the law would be overturned.”
Rep. Emmer Affirms Support for ESSA, Career and Technical Education
November 4, 2016
Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN-6) authored a MinnPost opinion piece, discussing his support of ESSA and highlighting his efforts in the field of career and technical education, through “innovative alternatives” and “affordable options to create ‘job-ready’ grads.” He also underscored the importance of local engagement, arguing,...
Letter from 10 U.S. Senators to President Obama Alleges Federal Overreach
November 3, 2016
As reported by the Washington Post and noted by Education Week, a bipartisan group of 10 U.S. Senators are calling on President Obama to “rein in the Education Department” arguing that the agency is “trying to overreach into matters that Congress intended to be decided...
Sen. Murray Visits ESSA-Funded Computer Science Program
November 1, 2016
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) visited a local high school to get a “firsthand look” at a community-supported computer science program that is receiving support under ESSA. Murray said she was “pleased to see so many young women in the class.”
Rep. Grijalva Moderates ESSA Discussion with Libia Gil
October 27, 2016
Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) moderated a discussion with U.S. Assistant Deputy Education Secretary Libia Gil during her ESSA listening tour. Grijalva commented “all of us need to be a little wary” about what Arizona’s plan will look like as the state continues to develop the...
Dept. of Education Releases Early Learning Guidelines
October 20, 2016
The Dept. of Education released guidelines on how states can “invest in early learning” under ESSA. The goal of the guidelines is to “improve the health, social-emotional, and cognitive outcomes for all children” and to keep students on track to “graduate from high school, college...
Sen. Tester Expresses Concern Over Testing Under ESSA
October 19, 2016
In a local education stakeholder discussion on state assessment plans, Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) was “hopeful federal officials will continue to have a local dialog as required by his amendment” under ESSA. Tester expressed concern over the large amounts of testing that students were facing...
Sen. Inhofe Opines on ESSA, Calls Law a “Major Step”
October 18, 2016
In a Tulsa World opinion piece, Sen. Jim Inofe (R-OK) wrote that Republicans in Congress “took a major step in reforming the education system” through ESSA to return “control of our children’s education back to local leaders.” He said ESSA includes “many priorities” from the...
Sen. Alexander Weighs In on Teacher Preparation Regulations
October 12, 2016
In a statement, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said the Dept. of Education’s regulation on teacher preparation programs under ESSA “appears to violate the Higher Education Act.” Under that law, states are “responsible for evaluating whether a college’s program gives teachers the skills they need for...
Dept. of Education Announces Recipients of Teacher Incentive Fund Grants
October 5, 2016
The Dept. of Education announced the recipients of the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grants – known as the Teacher and School Leader Innovation Program which was designed to allow districts to “develop innovative solutions for recruiting and retaining highly effective educators.” On Education Week’s K-12...
Dept. of Education Submits Accountability Regulations for OMB Review
October 5, 2016
The Dept. of Education submitted a final proposal to the White House’s Office of Management and Budget for writing a new accountability rule under ESSA. Once the proposal is reviewed, the department will publish the final regulation.
Rep. Pallone Discusses ESSA Flexibility
September 24, 2016
During an education summit hosted by the Asbury Park Press, Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ) discussed the flexibility that ESSA gives to states “to address local priorities while scaling back the emphasis on test-taking.” Pallone was concerned that NCLB was too focused on test scores rather...
Rep. Scott Receives Silent Warrior Award
September 22, 2016
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), one of the four principal authors of ESSA, received the Silent Warrior Award for his work focusing on the country’s students and working families. In his acceptance speech, Scott said he fought in Congress for all students to have equal opportunity in education
House Education Subcommittee Holds Hearing on ESSA Funding Rules
September 21, 2016
The U.S. House Education K-12 subcommittee held a hearing on the Dept. of Education’s proposed funding rules under ESSA. The subcommittee was led by Chairman Todd Rokita (R-IN), who criticized the proposed rules by stating that, “schools will be forced to make decisions based on...
Sen. Alexander Discusses Charter School Funding Under ESSA
September 19, 2016
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) spoke on a provision within the ESSA that allows states to provide federal funding to charter school initiatives. Alexander says charter schools “give teachers more freedom to teach, teach the way they want to teach, and give parents more freedom to...
Sen. Alexander Addresses Kentucky Education Committee
September 12, 2016
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) spoke at an Interim Joint Committee on Education in Kentucky on the role states play under ESSA. Alexander focused his comments on state control over federal control within the new legislation. As they draft their plans, he urged states to consult the...
Rep. Grijalva Applauds Dept. of Education’s “Supplement, Not Supplant” Regulations
September 2, 2016
Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) applauded the Dept. of Education’s proposed “supplement, not supplant” regulations. He stated, “ESSA has tremendous potential” but the bill’s success is “dependent on how well states implement it.” He argues that states need to “stop short-changing children’s futures,” and implementation of...
Rep. Kline Argues ESSA Rules Could “Unleash Havoc” on Schools
September 1, 2016
Rep. John Kline (R-MN), chairman of the House Education Committee, contends that the ESSA rules are a “multibillion-dollar regulatory tax” that could “unleash havoc on schools.” Rep. Kline says he is concerned over the “unlawful” measure and believes the rule does not follow the intention...
Senator Murray and Rep. Scott Praise Dept. of Education’s Proposed ESSA Funding Rules
September 1, 2016
In a joint statement, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) praised the Dept. of Education for the proposed ESSA funding rules. Sen. Murray and Sen. Scott argue that the new rule “honors Congressional intent” by “empowering local leaders with greater latitude in...
Senator Alexander Argues Proposed ESSA Rules Would “Unlawfully Regulate” State Spending
August 31, 2016
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), chairman of the Senate Education Committee, argues that the proposed rules would “unlawfully regulate” state spending and school allocation agreements among unions and districts. Alexander suggests that if the measure is adopted, he would “do everything within [his] power to overturn...
Senator Isakson Discusses Support of ESSA, Praises Local and State Control
August 29, 2016
Sen. Jonny Isakson (R-GA) discussed his support of ESSA during an interview with a local talk show. Isakson praised the push for local and state control, stating, “I am very pleased with ESSA” and that ESSA has “empowered our teachers to teach kids, not just...
Senator Murphy Tells Education Officials: “There Is a Lot More Latitude around How You Test Now”
August 26, 2016
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) led a discussion with education officials from Danbury Public Schools regarding the implementation of ESSA. “There is a lot more latitude around how you test now, you have to build in other measurements of what a good school is. You determine...
August 25, 2016
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) “lauded her favorite federal education act” during a visit to read to students at Blue Ridge Elementary School. Murray, who helped write the legislation, said that ESSA halts the practice of sending letters to parents informing them that “their children’s schools...
Rep. Carter Encourages Local Superintendents to Contact His Office With Their Concerns about ESSA
August 20, 2016
Rep. John Carter (R-TX) encouraged local superintendents who “are not happy with how education is going right now” to contact his office with their concerns about ESSA. His comments occurred during a wide-ranging interview with a Central Texas newspaper that touched on the Texas Education...
Rep. Cole: ESSA Seeks to “Improve and Maintain Education Standards”
August 12, 2016
Representative Tom Cole (R-OK), chairman of the Labor, Health, and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee, published commentary on ESSA and other education initiatives that Congress has sought to pass. He argues that “quality and effective” education is an issue that both sides can agree on and...
Rep. Bonamici Submits Letter to Dept. of Education Implementation Timeline Concerns
August 3, 2016
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) submitted a second letter to the Secretary of Education on her concerns regarding the implementation timeline. Bonamici was concerned about the lack of time and resources readily available for states and schools to successfully assess the results.
Reps Bonamici and Stefanik Submit Comments on ESSA Around Art Programs
August 3, 2016
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) submitted comments on the Dept. of Education’s proposed ESSA accountability rules. The members wished to include art programs in the department’s recommendations and required clarification on some language in the proposal that may be interpreted by states to exclude these...
August 1, 2016
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) also submitted comments and urged Secretary King, “not to get in the way of letting local and state school officials use measures beyond just standardized tests to evaluate the success of their schools.”
August 1, 2016
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) submitted comments on the Dept. of Education’s proposed accountability rules under ESSA. According to Politico Pro, Murray and Scott agree with certain provisions, like the “requirement that states come up with concrete evaluations or scores for...
Democratic Party Platform Pledges to Cease the “Test-and-Punish Version of Accountability”
July 25, 2016
The newly-released Democratic Party platform has reaffirmed the party’s previous repudiation of test-based accountability, reports Education Week. While the platform has traditionally rejected reliance on performance tests, this year’s platform specifically pledges to cease the “test-and-punish version of accountability” when holding states accountable to the...
Senator Kaine “Heavily Involved” with Career Technical Education Provisions in ESSA
July 22, 2016
As Education Week reports, Democratic Vice President nominee Senator Tim Kaine (VA-D) was heavily involved in the development of ESSA. Sen. Kaine introduced Career Technical Education provisions in the senate version of the bill, which later went on to list CTE as one of 17...
Senator Alexander Discusses Potential Impacts a Trump or Clinton Presidency Would Have on ESSA
July 18, 2016
Education Week spoke with Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) at the Republican National Convention about the potential impact a Trump or Clinton presidency would have on ESSA: When discussing accountability requirements under Trump, Sen. Alexander noted that the presumed Republican presidential nominee will “enforce the new...
July 6, 2016
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies passed legislation that would cut the U.S. Department of Education’s overall budget by $1.3 billion overall, or nearly 2 percent. The bill includes $1 billion for Student Support and Academic Enrichment...
July 5, 2016
Education Week has released a list of notable comments made by both House and Senate Education Committee members on ESSA. They concluded that “top Democrats have praised [Secretary] King generally” for the Dept. of Education’s approach to drafting ESSA’s accountability rules. Over the course of...
Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on ESSA Implementation
June 29, 2016
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions held a full committee hearing on ESSA titled “ESSA Implementation: Update from the U.S. Secretary of Education on Proposed Regulations.” During the hearing, King heard criticism from several senators: Chris Murphy (D-CT) argued that “the acccountability...
June 23, 2016
The House Education and the Workforce Committee held a full committee hearing focused on the accountability rules of ESSA. Testimony from Secretary of Education John King “rebutted accusations from members of the House education committee that separate proposals to regulate spending under ESSA from the...
June 23, 2016
To ensure funding for poor and underserved schools, the Congressional Asian Pacific, Black, and Hispanic Caucuses sent a letter to Secretary John King demanding that the Dept. Of Education “use its regulatory authority to guide and enforce the use of federal funds by local education...
House Education and Workforce Committee to Hold Hearing on Recent Efforts to Implement ESSA
June 22, 2016
The House Education and the Workforce Committee will be holding a full committee hearing on ESSA titled “Next Steps in K-12 Education: Examining Recent Efforts to Implement the Every Student Succeeds Act.” Testimony from Secretary of Education John King and four other panelists will begin...
Senator Kaine Talks about Career and Technical Education Provisions in ESSA
June 20, 2016
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), co-chair of the Senate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Caucus, noted the need for CTE curriculum during a commencement speech. “For too long, CTE has been stigmatized as a second-class educational field, but today’s CTE Presidential Scholars demonstrate the current...
Education Week Conducts Interviews with “ESSA Architects”
June 15, 2016
Over the past week, Education Week’s Alyson Klein conducted a series of interviews with Congressional leaders on education in a series titled, “ESSA Architects.” The interviewees include: Representative John Kline (R-MN-2) Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) Representative Robert C. Scott (D-VA-3)
Senator Murray and Rep. Scott Urge Support for Pre-K Development Grants under ESSA
June 13, 2016
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Robert C. Scott (D-VA-3) sent a joint letter to Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. and Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell, urging them to support Pre-K Development Grants under ESSA, and provide strong oversight for...
Senator Murray Talks ESSA with Students and Administrators
June 7, 2016
Senator Patty Murray (R-WA) visited students and administrators last week to discuss ESSA. Senator Murray called the next 12 months a “year of transition” while the Dept. of Education and the states define the standards for student success. Read more here.
Senator Grassley Voices Support for ESSA and Local Control
June 3, 2016
During a campaign stop last week, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) voiced his support for ESSA, claiming, “It’s an excellent piece of legislation. It’s probably the first time in 20 years that the federal government has had less regulation of local schools,” Grassley said. “It has...
Rep. Kline & Senator Alexander Threaten to Block Rules under the Congressional Review Act
May 26, 2016
In response to the Dept. of Education’s announcement of proposed ESSA accountability regulations, the Rep. John Kline and Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairmen of the House and Senate Education Committee, threatened to block the rules under the Congressional Review Act. Read more here.
Washington Examiner Explores Dispute Between Secretary King and Senator Alexander
May 23, 2016
A Washington Examiner story explores the ongoing dispute between Sec. King and Chairman Alexander. According to the account, the Republicans believe “the [Dept. of Education] is trying to reassert federal control by exceeding its authority with a rule that would require state and local spending...
Rep. Conyers Discusses ESSA’s Potential to Improve Student Performance
May 20, 2016
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI-13) wrote an article for Time Magazine on segregation in schools. In it, he voiced support for ESSA and its ability to provide schools with the resources they need to improve student performance. Read more here.
Senate HELP Committee Hears from Stakeholders on ESSA Implementation
May 18, 2016
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held an ESSA stakeholder hearing to discuss implementation of the law. Committee Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) questioned Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers and Dr. Nora Gordon from the McCourt School of...
May 11, 2016
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA-3) sent a letter to Education Secretary John King highlighting concerns that teachers may not have enough time to participate in the required planning and development programs within ESSA. Read more here.
In Op-ed, Senators Hatch and Warner Discuss Improving Professional Development Programs for Teachers
May 6, 2016
Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Mark Warner (D-VA) penned an op-ed in Time Magazine celebrating National Teacher Appreciation Week. The piece highlights how teachers will have increased access to professional development programs in all subjects under ESSA. Read more here.
Nine Senators Urge Dept. of Education to Fully Enforce “Supplement, not Supplant”
May 3, 2016
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) along with seven other senators, urged the Dept. of Education to use the authority that it was given by Congress to fully enforce the “supplement, not supplant” provision in ESSA. Read more here.
Rep. Kline and Rep. Scott Send Letter on Funding for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants
April 28, 2016
Representatives John Kline (R-MN-2), chairman of the House education committee, and Bobby Scott (D-VA-3), ranking member, sent a letter to lawmakers in charge of K-12 spending that requests full funding for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants when developing ESSA guidelines. Read more here.
Senator Alexander Discusses ESSA Next Steps in Nashville
April 25, 2016
Senator Lamar Alexander discussed ESSA and next steps for states in a forum for educators and policymakers in Nashville. He encouraged Tennessee to develop their own plan and fit it into the federal template, rather than wait for the Dept. of Education to come up...
Senator Lamar Alexander Discusses SNS and the Dept. of Education’s Scope
April 18, 2016
Senate HELP Chairman Lamar Alexander has been very vocal on SNS language citing that “the current provision language will require states to show how much they spend per student, which goes beyond the scope of the Dept. of Ed’s regulatory authority.” Read more here.
Senator Lamar Alexander Comments on Comparability Laws
April 13, 2016
Education Week reported comments from Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) who has shown serious concern regarding the Dept. of Ed’s adherence to comparability laws. Read more here.
Senator Patty Murray Highlights Next Steps for ESSA
April 5, 2016
U.S. Senator Patty Murray released a press release highlighting the “next steps on the Every Student Succeeds Act, ramping up efforts to implement the law.” The release features her delivered remarks at the CCSSO annual legislative conference. Read more here.