The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015. It was designed to replace No Child Left Behind and to reauthorize the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The purpose of ESSA is to ensure that all children receive a fair, equitable, high-quality education and close achievement gaps.
ESSA requires states to adopt rigorous standards, provide quality assessments, and set long-term goals. State and local school districts are required to produce report cards showing the schools’ progress toward those goals. ESSA also includes a focus on social-emotional learning (SEL) and early childhood education.
All state ESSA plans are currently approved by the Department of Education, and most have been working toward their stated goals. Just as many states were getting their footing, the world was faced with a pandemic. States questioned how they could possibly meet their ESSA and ESEA requirements while trying to find a way to provide the most basic services to students at home. All states requested 12-month waivers from some financial and assessment requirements in early 2020.
States have a reprieve from some ESSA and ESEA requirements for now, but how will they get back on track in the coming years? What can education companies do to help schools be successful?
- Provide quality instructional materials and assessments that students can access off site in a safe, secure way.
- Develop SEL programs that can be completed in class, online, or in a blended learning environment.
- Develop tools that make it easier for school districts to track and report student progress in key areas.
- Provide supplemental programs that focus on reducing the achievement gap among various groups of students.
It remains to be seen how the pandemic might impact education programs over the long term, but the staff at CSA Education is excited to help solve any problems that arise along the way.
To learn more about CSA Education’s work, please email us at in**@cs****.com.