Education Week’s Alyson Klein asks: “What happens if a state makes changes to its ESSA plan without Betsy DeVos’ sign-off?” It’s a good question—one that might be answered by happenings in New Mexico, where state officials have submitted an updated ESSA plan, which is currently under...
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...
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...
Jeanie Lindsay reports that in Indiana, state officials have proposed a change to the state’s ESSA plan, which would stop schools in the state from getting two separate ratings—one state, one federal—next year. “The state department of education’s ESSA change would get rid of the...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,”...
Virginia’s Department of Education has released a report identifying the state’s lowest-performing schools, Justin Mattingly reports for the Richmond Times Dispatch. Nineteen schools in Richmond were identified “as needing support” under ESSA. “This is the first year the state Education Department has identified schools that...
