Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
History of ESEA
What is ESSA? The Every Student Succeeds Act was passed by the U.S Congress in December of 2015 to replace No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) signed into law by George Bush in 2002. It was then signed into law by President Obama Decemeber 10, 2015. This bipartisan measure reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was first signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. ESEA offered new grants to districts with low-income students such as federal grants for textbooks, library books, funding for special education centers, and scholarships for low-income college students. Additionally, the law provided federal grants to the state’s education agencies to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education.
Roadmaps to Navigate ESSA
National PTA, our constituent associations and advocates across the country are seeking to empower all families to be active participants in the state and local implementation of ESSA to ensure equity and opportunity for all students. Click on the Roadmaps below to learn how you can get involved in ESSA implementation at the state, local and school level:
ESSA Stakeholder Engagement
The U.S. Department of Education released a new guide for states to use while developing their education plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). While ESSA requires meaningful stakeholder engagement, the new guide does not compel states to include a description of how they are engaging stakeholders while developing their plans. National PTA is extremely disappointed that stakeholder engagement is no longer prioritized in the new guide.
To assist state and local PTA members as they work to ensure state leaders include a description of how different stakeholders have been meaningfully engaged in the implementation of the new state education plans, National PTA has put together this stakeholder toolkit, which contains template letters, sample graphics and messaging you can use when talking to state leaders. Stakeholder Toolkit
Additional ESSA Information
For additional information and resources, please click on the links below provided by National PTA.