1. Source: The National Council of State Title III Directors
ESSA – Title III
Source: The National Council of State Title III Directors
April 2016

2. Jan Lanier Director of English Learner, Immigrant, & Migrant Programs Consolidated Planning & Monitoring (615)

3. Objectives Major changes from ESEA to ESSA
Proficiency standards and assessments
Accountability
Report Cards
Parent notification requirements
Sections that did not change from ESEA to ESSA
Detailed changes from ESEA to ESSA
Collaboration between Title I and Title III
Questions

4. Major Changes in ESSA
ESSA reduces what USEd can influence, including accountability, standards, school improvement, and teacher quality
Title III, Part B has been removed, so the grants will not be competitive
ESSA gives a lot of decision making power to the districts and states
§ 3116(b)(2): Title III district plans must ensure that schools will assist ELs in achieving English proficiency based on the state’s English language proficiency assessment (ELPA) required under Title I consistent with the state’s long term goals under Title I and that districts will assist ELs to meet the state’s academic standards.

5. English Language Proficiency Standards
Now required under Title I § 1111(b)(1)(F) instead of under Title III
State’s English language proficiency (ELP) standards must be aligned with the State’s academic content standards under Title I § 1111 (b)(1)(F)(iii)
Required to now establish a definition of multiple proficiency levels for English Learners (ELs)

6. ELP Assessment
Required in Title I for all ELs whether or not Title III § 1111(b)(2)(G)
(Previously required of Title III students in Title III and all ELs in Title I)

7. Annual Content Assessments
Accommodations are required under Title I § 1111(b)(2)(B)(iii)
Extended the time that content can be assessed in a native language under Title I § 1111(b)(2)(B)(ix), which has no bearing on TN with us being an English-only state

8. Content Assessment Exemption
Same as before: first year in the US may be exempt from one administration of reading language arts and other results are excluded from accountability
New option:
First year: excluded from accountability, but assessed
Second year: only a measure of growth would be included, but not proficiency
Third year: a measure of proficiency would also be included

9. English Learner Accountability
Moved to Title I § 1111(b)(4)(A)(iii)
No accountability in Title III
Under Title I, states are required to develop long-term goals with interim measures for ELs, not only for proficiency on content assessments, but also for “increases in the percentage of (ELs) making progress in achieving English language proficiency as defined by the ELP assessment”
Under Title I § 1111(c)(4)(B)(iv), accountability determinations are not limited to Title III funded districts and are to be made only for grades that take the State content test (grades 3-8 and once in high school)

10. Former ELs and Accountability
Under ESSA Title I § 1111(b)(3)(B), former ELs may be included in the EL subgroup for four years
Brings with this a new codes for the Education Information System (EIS)
L – Receiving EL services
W – Parent waived services
1 – Transition year one
2 – Transition year two
3 – Transition year three
4 – Transition year four
F – Former EL student

11. Annual Meaningful Differentiation (AMD)
No more Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
ESSA Title I § 1111(c)(4)(c) are called Annual Meaningful Differentiation
Includes the accountability indicators for ELs and the requirement to include differentiation for underperforming subgroups
This means that a school may be identified for targeted support and improvement based on the EL subgroup alone

12. State Report Card to Include
Information on the state required academic assessment disaggregated by each subgroup (ELs are a subgroup)
The number and percent of ELs achieving English proficiency (§ 1111(b)(1)(C)(iv))
The progress made toward the long-term and interim goals (growth)

13. Parent Notification and Engagement
Parent notification for identification for and placement in an ESL program is required under Title I § 1111(e)(3)(A) for districts that use Title I or Title III to serve ELs
Parent outreach emphasizes meetings with parents more strongly than before and even mention “regular meetings” (Title I § 1111(e)(3)(C))

14. What’s the same? § 3111(b)(1): Title III EL and immigrant grants
§ 3114(b): Title III EL grants must not be less than $10,000
§ 3115(b): 2% cap on direct administrative costs
§ 3115(g): Title III supplement not supplant includes the necessity to supplement federal funds
§ 3116(c): English language fluency is required for ESL teachers

15. More Title III Changes
§ 3113(b)(2): requires that state plans include a description of how the state will establish and implement “standardized, statewide entrance and exit procedures, including an assurance that all students who may be English learners are assessed for such status within 30 days of enrollment in a school in the state”
§ 3113(b)(3): the amount for the state’s direct administrative expenses has been reduced to 2.5% but 5% is still the reservation for “state activities”

16. More Title III Changes
§ 3113(b)(3)(B): Title III state plans must now include an assurance that the state will ensure that districts that receive Title III grants will meet the EL assessment requirements under Title I
§ 3115(d)(3)(B): intensified instruction may “include materials in a language that the student can understand, interpreters, and translators”
§ 3115(d)(4): includes preschool when discussing the development and implementation of language instruction educational programs (LIEPs) for elementary and secondary schools coordinated with other relevant programs and services

17. More Title III Changes
§ 3115(c)(3): lists three required activities; the first two from the prior iteration of ESEA and the third one added:
programs to increase English proficiency and academic achievement of ELs;
professional development; and
activities that include parent, family, and community engagement and coordination and alignment of related programs

18. More Title III Changes
§ 3115(d)(7): specifically mentions ELs with disabilities being included in the activity of improving the instruction of ELs
§ 3115(d)(8): provides for offering courses designed for ELs to earn college credit by “Offering early college high school or dual or concurrent enrollment programs or courses designed to help English Learners achieve success in postsecondary education”

19. Immigrant Changes
§ 3115(d)(1)(B): includes “recruitment of” and “support for” personnel that work with immigrant students
§ 3115(d)(1)(D): includes “development of” curricular materials, educational software, and technologies to use in immigrant grant programs, not just “identification and acquisition” of these supports

20. Reporting Changes
§ 3121 was titled “Evaluations,” but under ESSA is titled “Reporting”
§ 3121(a)(1-7): lists the data elements t be reported

21. Reporting Changes
A description of programs and activities conducted by districts receiving Title III funds
The number and percent of ELs attaining ELP
The number and percent of ELs that exit EL programs based on attainment of ELP
The number and percent of ELs who have not attained ELP within 5 years of initial EL classification (i.e., long-term ELs)
Any other information that the state may require

22. Reporting Changes
The number and percent of ELs making progress toward achieving ELP in the aggregate and disaggregated by ELs with disabilities
The number and percent of ELs meeting the state academic standards for four years after exiting EL programs in the aggregate and disaggregated by ELs with disabilities

23. Title I and Title III Collaboration
§ 1112(a)(1)(B): requires that district Title I programs coordinate with other programs under ESSA
§ 1112(c)(4): requires that districts provide an assurance that they will “coordinate and integrate services at the local educational agency or individual school level, such as services for English learners . . .”
§ 1306 (a)(1)(F): requires state plans for migrant programs to be the product of joint planning with Title III

24. Questions and discussion
Think about what your heard today
How will this impact your work?
What else do you need to know?

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