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April 24, 2015

NY: Board of Regents Prepares Contingency if Plans to Cancel Tests Get Rejected

March 16, 2021

After announcing plans to continue pursuing a waiver of federally required statewide assessments despite Education Department guidance saying such requests would not be approved, the New York Board of Regents has stated a contingency plan. In the event the Department rejects plans to cancel NY...

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NY: Officials Propose Decoupling Graduation Requirements from Regents Exams

February 23, 2021

Following the announcement that the Education Department would expect states to proceed with annual student assessments, New York education officials proposed decoupling graduation requirements from the tests for a second year in a row. Though students would still sit for tests to boost efforts to...

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NY: Advocates Bring Attention to Benefits and Need for Arts Education During Pandemic

January 29, 2021

Penny Swift, director of the NYC nonprofit Education Through Music, says that the arts are integral to a “well-rounded education” – echoing the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 – and says that the pandemic presents an opportunity to “reprioritize funding for arts education as...

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New Parent Dashboard Provides New York Parents with Access to School, District Details

November 16, 2020

New York education officials are gathering feedback on a new parent data dashboard that provides access to detailed information on schools and districts. The dashboard was built to comply with the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 and includes data on student enrollment and ethnicity,...

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New Survey in This New York District Shows Concerns About Reopening

July 21, 2020

In a survey issued by the Rochester County School District, public responses demonstrated widespread uncertainty about plans to reopen schools for the upcoming school year. In a document reviewing district reopening considerations, the district says that any hybrid instructional models would be “grouped in a...

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Seven GLOW School Districts Recognized by NAMM for Music Education Efforts

April 10, 2020

Seven school districts in the quad-county region of New York known as the GLOW region—comprising Genesee, Livingston, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties—were recognized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation in its “Best Communities in Music Education school districts list.” The NAMM Foundation “recognizes...

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New York School District Waiting for ESSA Designation

February 19, 2020

The Greater Johnstown School District in New York is waiting on its ESSA designation, which is expected soon. Nicole Panton—the district’s director of curriculum and professional development— presented an overview of the educational accountability system to the Board of Education, saying “the Johnstown school system...

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New York State Encourages School Districts to Make AP Courses More Diverse

November 21, 2019

Education officials in New York State are “pushing school districts to make Advanced Placement and other top courses more widely available to all high school students, particularly African-American and Hispanic students, as part of an ongoing emphasis on promoting educational equity across New York,” reports...

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Foster Youth Data Still Being Unreported in NYC, Several Districts Statewide Despite ESSA

October 22, 2019

Once again, “school achievement data for foster youth, considered one of the most vulnerable and least tracked student groups, will not be reported for the nation’s largest school district…despite its being mandated” by ESSA. The New York City Department of Education says, “it will identify...

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New York Releases List of Highest Achieving Schools in NYC

June 19, 2019

According to Chalkbeat, New York State has identified 277 New York City schools that are among the highest achieving in the Empire State. “The schools were marked as ‘top performing’ under the federal K-12 education law, Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA. A total of...

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State University of New York Campus to Waive Tuition for High School Courses

June 15, 2019

George Stockburger reports for MyTwinTiers.com that “SUNY Corning Community College will eliminate tuition charges for high school students who take SUNY CCC courses that are taught in their high schools, effective with the Fall 2019 semester.” This move comes as the state’s budget for the upcoming school...

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Local New York School Board Reviews ESSA Performance

June 14, 2019

“New standards under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) prompted the Frewsburg Central School Board of Education to review its performance,” writes Jordan Patterson for the Jamestown Post Journal. At a recent meeting, Assistant Superintendent Danielle Patti “presented to the board the results from the...

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New York City Teacher Program Serves as Model

June 10, 2019

Writing in Education Dive, Linda Jacobson takes a look at New York City’s teacher leadership program and how it serves as an “international model.” As part of this discussion, she notes that the Every Student Succeeds Act “presents an opportunity for districts to create or...

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NYC Mistakenly Tells Parents at Struggling Schools Their Kids Can Transfer

March 22, 2019

Alex Zimmerman reports for Chalkbeat that the New York City education department has “erroneously sent letters to some parents telling them they had the right to request transferring their children to higher-performing schools.” Under New York State’s ESSA plan, “local districts were given more flexibility...

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A School Improvement Resolution for New York State

February 21, 2019

New York Urban League President and CEO Arva Rice highlights the Collaborative’s recent review of New York’s ESSA accountability plan, which “found that New York has laid a strong foundation but can still improve the sustainability of its plan.” Rice urges the Governor and legislators...

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NYC to Serve Record Number of Homeless Students

October 30, 2018

New York City’s Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza announced the department “will hire 100 new community coordinators to help schools better serve” homeless students, according to Chalkbeat New York. “The city plans to use money available under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act to pay for...

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New York Helping Rural Schools Via ESSA

October 28, 2018

Tom Dinki writes for the Olean Times Herald about the challenges facing rural schools in New York State, and how the state’s ESSA plan puts aside “$1.6 billion in federal aid to help rural districts increase teacher training and courses in STEM (science, technology, engineering...

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NY State “Softens” ESSA-Driven Test Participation Regulations

September 14, 2018

Alex Zimmerman reports for Chalkbeat that New York’s school districts “where lots of students sit out annual state tests will not have to set aside federal funding under new rules” released by New York’s education department. The new rules “soften several aspects of the state’s...

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NY District Uses ESSA to Create “Academy of Excellence” 

August 13, 2018

According to Tom Dinki at the Olean Times Herald, the Olean City School District in New York wants more of its students to be “halfway toward earning their college diploma by the time they graduate high school,” so the district is developing an “Academy of Excellence,” which...

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State Faces “Quandary” on Opt Outs Under ESSA

July 25, 2018

Newsday’s Lane Filler writes that the “federal government requires that students in third through eighth grades take standardized tests in math and English each year, and requires that districts and schools have at least 95 percent of their eligible students take those tests.” At the...

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Regents Take First Steps Towards Tougher Opt-Out Rules

June 11, 2018

John Hildebrand reports in Newsday that in New York, districts that have a high opt-out rate on state assessments “could be required to use part of their federal aid to get more students to take the mandated exams under regulations tentatively approved” on June 11.

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NY State to Roll Out New, ESSA-Fueled Social-Emotional Resources

May 12, 2018

Miranda Materazzo reports for the Watertown Daily News that, to “help implement its rollout of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the state Education Department announced it would issue new resources and guidelines next month to support social and emotional learning.” Three main social-emotional goals have...

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Schools Scored Under Newly Approved NY ESSA Plan

January 22, 2018

According to the Daily Gazette, schools in New York will “learn in the fall whether they have been identified for extra measures of support and monitoring under” the state’s ESSA plan, which was recently approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

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NY Ed Officials Still In Fighting Mood

January 22, 2018

Chalkbeat reports that just days after the U.S. Department of Education denied New York’s request “to create special testing rules” for certain categories of students, the state’s education chief “vowed to keep up the fight.”

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MN, NY, VA and WV Also Receive Fed. Feedback

December 20, 2017

Politico’s Morning Education reports that Minnesota, New York, Virginia and West Virginia also received federal feedback this week.

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NYC Doesn’t Love State Special Education Testing Plan

November 9, 2017

Chalkbeat’s Monica Disare says the State of New York “wants to allow some students with disabilities to take below-grade-level exams,” an approach which has engendered significant opposition, especially from special-education advocates. And now the City of New York can be added to the list of...

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State Plan Submissions and Drafts

October 17, 2017

Approved State Plans Alabama: Final Plan Approved (5/7/18) Alaska: Final Plan Approved (5/16/18) Arizona: Final Plan Approved (9/6/17) Arkansas: Final Plan Approved (1/16/18) Colorado: Final Plan Approved (5/7/18) Connecticut: Final Plan Approved (8/15/17) Delaware: Final Plan Approved (8/2/17) District of Columbia: Final Plan Approved (8/28/17) Georgia:...

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Experts Assesses NY State’s High School Graduation Rate

October 4, 2017

“New York state’s high school graduation rate may take a hit due to an under-the-radar provision in” ESSA, reports Chalkbeat New York. The new law “requires states to count only ‘standard’ diplomas earned by a “preponderance” of students or honors diplomas in their federal graduation...

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NY State Board of Regents Approves State ESSA Plan

September 11, 2017

The New York State Board of Regents has approved its state ESSA plan “laying out the state’s goals for its education system.” Under the plan, “elementary and middle schools would continue to be evaluated on English and math test scores and high schools on graduation...

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NY Releases 3 ESSA Waiver Requests

August 25, 2017

The New York State Education Department has released three ESSA waiver requests, which are now open for public comment through September 8. The text of each of the state’s proposed waivers is posted on the department’s ESSA webpage.

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NY Submits State’s ESSA Plan to Governor

August 21, 2017

New York submitted its final draft ESSA plan to governor for review.

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NY Dept. of Ed Releases Updated Version of ESSA Plan

July 18, 2017

The New York Dept. of Education released an updated version of the state’s draft ESSA plan. It is now with Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has 30 days to review the plan.

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Advocates Weigh in on NY’s Proposed Rating System

July 11, 2017

Advocates argue that New York state’s “proposed rating system for reporting on how well schools serve specific ‘subgroups’ sends the wrong message… by creating uneven standards for students of different races, ethnicities and backgrounds.” Ian Rosenblum, executive director of EdTrust-NY, says “the methodology could create...

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NY Stakeholders Voice Their Opinions

June 8, 2017

New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia attended the BOCES meeting in West Seneca to hear public feedback on the state’s ESSA plan. According to WFBO, “many members of the Buffalo School community came to testify.”

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NY State Ed Commissioner Discusses State’s Draft ESSA Plan

May 25, 2017

In an interview with The Observer-Dispatch, New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia discussed the state’s draft ESSA plan. Elia commented that “our plan has more variables and indicators for what it really means to be a successful school,” and “it’s more than just test...

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NY’s District Parent Coordinating Council Expresses Concerns About State’s ESSA Plan

May 17, 2017

New York’s District Parent Coordinating Council raised concerns over the lack of “federal oversight” among state ESSA plans. DPCC member Byron McIntyre stated “the responsibility is on the state to make the regulations to enforce this. That’s a major concern.” DPCC will host a meeting...

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NY Education Commissioner Launches Series of Public Hearings

May 11, 2017

Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia launched a series of public hearings to receive feedback on the state’s ESSA plan. Thirteen meetings will be hosted throughout the state and their purpose is to “review a draft state plan for boosting academic achievement and encouraging student participation in...

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Ed Trust NY Comments on Draft ESSA Plan

May 8, 2017

Ian Rosenblum, executive director of The Education Trust—New York, commented on the state’s recently submitted draft ESSA plan. Rosenblum said the “plan appears to be a mixed bag for equity” but “the draft plan fails to clearly communicate whether schools are meeting expectations for all...

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High Achievement New York Releases Statement on NY’s Draft ESSA Plan

May 8, 2017

High Achievement New York released a statement on New York’s submitted draft ESSA plan. According to Executive Director Stephen Sigmund, the group was “pleased that annual state assessments are such an integral part of accountability under the draft plan.”

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New York Releases Draft ESSA Plan

May 8, 2017

New York unveiled its draft ESSA plan. Public comments on the draft plan are being accepted through June 16.

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NY Board of Regents Discusses Impact of Education Policy under ESSA

April 3, 2017

At their next meeting, the New York Board of Regents will “discuss how the state will reshape education policy” under ESSA.”  Members are scheduled to “provide direction to department staff.”

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NY Hosts Public Forums on ESSA

March 24, 2017

New York’s Board of Cooperative Educational Services hosted two public forums on ESSA. Participants at the events praised the idea of giving school districts the “opportunity to pilot locally created assessments and to allow for more frequent assessments to inform instruction.” Attendees also endorsed the need...

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BOCES to Host Public Hearing on ESSA

March 8, 2017

The Sullivan Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) Region will host a public hearing on ESSA with the New York State Department of Education on March 9. Community members are invited to the forum to give feedback on the state’s implementation plan.

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NY Hosts Public Forum on ESSA

February 22, 2017

Champlain Valley Educational Services (CVES) and the New York State Dept. of Education will host a public forum on ESSA. Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia “aims to gather additional feedback on New York’s plan.”

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NY Board of Cooperative Educational Services to Host Forum About Provisions Under ESSA

February 15, 2017

The Board of Cooperative Educational Services will host a forum to discuss accountability provisions under ESSA. Feedback from the event will be used by the New York Dept. of Education and the Board of Regents to draft the state’s plan.

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NY ESSA Coalition Issues Memo Highlighting Important Initiative Questions

October 18, 2016

In response to the release of the New York State Education Department’s high-level concepts, the New York ESSA Coalition issued a memo to reporters and editorial boards highlighting several initial positive and troubling elements, big questions, and what’s still missing from the discussion. Read the...

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NY State Dept. of Ed Releases 36 High-Level Concepts Under ESSA

October 18, 2016

The New York State Education Department released a set of 36 high-level concepts to receive feedback on whether they should be incorporated into the state’s application under ESSA. The Department will solicit feedback on the proposed concepts in two rounds. The first round of comments...

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NY State Dept. of Ed Submits Comments Focused on Greater ESSA Flexibility

September 9, 2016

The New York State Education Department submitted comments on the U.S. Dept. of Education’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Academic Assessments under ESSA. The comments focused on the “need to provide states with greater flexibility in the testing of certain English language learners and students...

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NY State Ed Commisioner Elia Responds to Dept. of Ed’s Proposed Accountability Rules Under ESSA

August 1, 2016

New York State Education Commissioner Mary Ellen Elia submitted comments responding to the Dept. of Education’s proposed accountability rules under ESSA. Elia agreed that the rules “adhere to the intent of Congress,” the New York Dept. of Education “found several instances where the draft rulemaking...

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NY Sen. Griffo Asks Sec. of Ed King to Reconsider Proposed Regulation

July 18, 2016

State Senator Joseph A. Griffo called on U.S. Secretary of Education John King to reconsider a proposed regulation that would “punish school districts for having too many students opt-out of standardized tests.” He cites that this move contradicts ESSA which he argued should “empower states...

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NY Dept. of Ed Presents Draft List of 20 Guiding Principles Under ESSA

July 11, 2016

The New York Department of Education presented a draft list of 20 guiding principles for their new evaluation of schools under ESSA to the NYS Board of Regents.

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NY State School Board Association & National Boards Association to Hold Webinar July 29

July 1, 2016

The New York State School Board Association and National School Boards Association will hold a webinar on July 29th to discuss the implementation and the regulatory process for ESSA.

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NY State Dept. of Ed Plans to Launch New Think Tank

May 16, 2016

State Dept. of Education will be launching a new think tank to come up with a statewide school accountability plan, in accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act. Read more here.  

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U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Releases State ESSA Primers

May 16, 2016

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s primers include individual state by state accountability system fact sheets, which detail each state’s current accountability system, what could change under ESSA, and what to be asking state leaders. See details about your state here.

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