1. Every Student Succeeds Act in New Jersey
ESSA
Every Student Succeeds Act in New Jersey
September 16, 2016 Diana Pasculli
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION

2. Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
ESSA, passed December of 2015, replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and is the most recent version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
This federal law ensures equitable access to resources and opportunities through three key measures:
Funding
Measuring School Performance and Providing Support
Reporting on School Performance
See our overview video:
Consider just embedding Prezi here
Funding
Provides over $24.5 billion to states each year; majority of funds funnel directly to school districts
Measuring School Performance and Providing Support
Requires the state to hold schools accountable for performance on several indicators and for the state to require improvement plans in schools struggling to meet all or some students’ needs
Reporting on School Performance
New Jersey must publish report cards (which we call performance reports) that include a academic, school climate and safety, equity, and other measures so the public is aware of how schools are performing
Background

3. Expected Dates for ESSA Activities
Federal
State
District
School Year
Federal regulations and guidance continuously released
ESEA Waiver expires (August)
NJ develops and submit state plan in collaboration with stakeholders
Continue to provide targeted support Priority/Focus schools
Districts spend under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) rules
Priority/Focus school status remains the same as in
Fall 2016
Final federal regulations posted (expected)
Collaborate with stakeholders to develop a state plan
Ensure state processes, guidance, and data collections reflect changes from ESSA
Districts receive initial spending guidance from NJDOE (Nov)
Districts develop plans in collaboration with stakeholders
Spring 2017
US Department of Education reviews and approves state plans submitted in March or July
Plan to submit state plan to US Department of Education by March 6* following public comment period
Districts continue to receive updated spending guidance from NJDOE
Districts receive allocations from NJDOE and apply for grants
School Year
New state plan goes into effect
Districts spend under ESSA rules/formulas
Shared publicly
* Subject to change pending final federal regulations
Background

4. Engagement Commitment
2016
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
2017
Listening and Learning/Identify Policy Questions
Feedback on Specific Proposals/Policies
Inform and Explain Implementation Details
NJDOE will provide opportunities for interested groups and individuals to:
Discuss how NJ state and district may best implement specific areas of existing and new federal law. Build on ongoing community engagement about standards, assessments , educator policies and strategic plan
Provide targeted feedback, through focus groups and public comment, on NJDOE proposals for initial implementation ( ) and beyond
Receive updated and accurate information about implementing ESSA and share best district practices for implementation plans
Shared publicly
Background

5. Teachers and School Leaders 2017-2018 NJ State Plan to Implement ESSA
Your Input Matters
ESSA offers an opportunity to expand how New Jersey defines a high quality education and to emphasize and reward additional qualities that make for a successful school
Community
Groups
Teachers and School Leaders
Parents and Students
NJ State Plan to Implement ESSA
Professional Organizations
State Plan Includes:
How the state measures and reports on school performance (what factors into a successful school?);
How the state helps struggling schools to better meet the needs of students
What the state prioritizes with federal funds; and
Much more
Creating our State plan requires input from people who know the needs of a district and community best. In order to serve New Jersey’s students, the Department is eager to receive parent and student input and see that your values are reflected in the State Plan. The State Plan will inform the State’s educational priorities, how the State evaluates schools, and how funds are distributed to districts.
Background

6. Topics Covered in our State Plan
ESSA
Topics Covered in our State Plan
Accountability
Assessment
Supporting Struggling Schools
Supporting a Well-Rounded Education (Title IV-A)
Supporting Effective Instruction (Title II-A)
The Department is seeking input on all the topics above. For today and due to time restraints, we plan to focus on the areas of accountability and supporting effective instruction.

7. Accountability Systems in New Jersey
Public Reporting
School Performance Reports
(Required by state law and practices, and ESEA/ESSA)
School-Level
Performance Measures to Identify Focus and Priority Schools
(Required by ESEA/ESSA)
District-Level
Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC)
(Required by state law)
Clearly needs work…

8. ESSA Public Reporting Requirements
ESSA requires states to annually publish report cards on state-, school district-, and school-performance. Each school report card must include at least the following measures:
Academic Measures
Quality, Climate, Safety Measures
Academic proficiency and growth on statewide tests, including how each school performed compared to other schools in the district and state
Graduation rates
Enrollment in pre-school, advanced coursework and post-secondary programs
Results on NAEP, if applicable (federal exam for select group of 4th and 8th graders nationwide)
Rates of:
In-school and out-of-school suspensions
Expulsions
School-related arrests
Law enforcement referrals
Chronic absenteeism
Violence incidences (bullying and harassment included)
Equity Measures
English Language Proficiency Measures
Per-pupil expenditures of funds by school
Disaggregated by high-poverty compared to low-poverty schools, the number and percentage of:
Inexperienced teachers, principals, and other school leaders
Teachers with an emergency or provisional certificate
Teachers who are not teaching in the subject or field for which they are certified
The number and percentage of English learners attaining English language proficiency each year
The progress of English learners toward achieving the state's goals for achieving English proficiency
Performance Reports

9. Performance Reports Timeline
First Reports Released
Release Winter 2017; Meet NCLB Waiver Requirements
Start implementing ESSA requirements
Full implementation of ESSA requirements
Enrollment/demographics
Academic Achievement in ELA, Math, and Science by subgroup
College and career readiness, including SAT, ACT, AP, IB data, and rates of chronic absenteeism
Selected course taking data (note that the group tomorrow will be unhappy with the way that we reported structured learning experiences, which we will be able to improve)
Graduation and post-secondary enrollment data
Academic progress, in the form of SGP

10. ESSA School-Level Accountability Requirements
Accountability Indicators
ESEA: 1111(c)(4)(B), Proposed: 34 CFR #
Elementary and Middle Schools
High Schools 1
Academic Achievement (proficiency)
Academic Achievement:
Must include proficiency
May, at state discretion, include growth 2
Academic Progress (growth or another measure)
Graduation rate:
Must include 4-yr adjusted rate
May include extended yr adjusted rate 3
Progress Toward English Language Proficiency:
Must use progress (growth)
May use measure of total or percentage of students reaching English proficiency 4
At least one School Quality or Student Success Indicator, which must be:
Valid, reliable, and comparable across all LEAs;
Calculated in the same way for all schools (except that measures may vary by each grade span)
Able to be disaggregated for each subgroup
Note: Participation rate on the statewide test must be factored into the state’s accountability system (federal law requires 95% of all students and each subgroup of student to participate in statewide tests)
Goal Setting: States must set, at minimum, long-term academic achievement, graduation rate, and English proficiency goals for students and establish interim checks on progress toward those goals. Goals must include:
Goals for faster rates of growth for low-performing subgroups for academic proficiency and graduation rates (to close achievement and opportunity gaps); and
Goals for English learners to:
Make steady progress towards learning English; and
Attain English proficiency in a state-determined number of years.
Accountability
Section 1111(c)

11. Some Ideas Around School Quality and Student Success Indicator(s)
Blue Text = data NJDOE currently has access to
Note: data currently collected may not be valid or reliable and may not be able to disaggregate by subgroup
Examples
Chronic absenteeism
Suspension rates
Expulsion rates
Facilities quality
Access to qualified teachers (including para-educators)
Access to specialized support personnel (counselors, nurses, etc)
Percentage of middle school students enrolled in algebra or geometry
Access to resources
Internet access
Technology quality and access
Teacher to student ratio/class size
Social-emotional learning
Kindergarten readiness
College enrollment following HS graduation
Career readiness indicators
Family and community engagement
Access to advanced coursework (including CTE pathways)
Limitations:
Law, which requires this indicator(s) to be valid, reliable, and comparable across all school districts
Proposed rules, which would require this indicator(s) to include a measure:
That can be disaggregated by subgroup; and
That research indicates performance on the measure(s) is correlated with positive student outcomes.
Data access, which limits the valid and reliable measures the state may use (if there is no consistent reliable data collection, there is no way for the Department to accurately calculate the indicator)
Sources:
Darling-Hammond, Linda et. Al. (2016, Jan 28) Pathways to New Accountability through the Every Student Succeeds Act. Learning Policy Institute and Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.
Accountability

12. Table Discussions

13. Facts Title II, Part A – Supporting Effective Instruction
Purpose
Increase student achievement by:
Improving the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders;
Increasing the number of teachers, principals, and other school leaders who are effective in improving student academic achievement; and
Providing low-income and minority students greater access to effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders
How much money does NJ receive?
$50 million per year
95% must go directly to school districts (see distribution below)
Up to 1% may be used for State administration
Up to 4% may be used for State activities
Who is eligible to receive funds?
All New Jersey School Districts
How are funds distributed?
80% of state’s allocation is distributed based on each school district’s number of students living in poverty
20% of the state’s allocation is distributed based on each school district’s number of total students
Title II-A

14. Changes To Uses of Title II-Part A Funds
ESSA expands how states may use funds to support effective instruction.  Examples of newly allowed uses include:
Improving equitable access to effective teachers
Expanding alternate route certification options for teachers in high demand (ex: STEM, English Learner, special education, etc.)
Training all school staff to prevent and recognize child abuse
Developing high quality, evidence-based STEM, computer science, and blended learning professional development
Optional: may set aside funds specifically for programs and activities to support principals and other school leaders
ESSA establishes stricter guidelines for school districts’ use of funds, including:
Use of funds for class-size reduction: a school district is required to provide evidence to suggest reducing class sizes by a specific amount improves student achievement
Definition of “professional development” that may be paid for federal funds to be (8101(42)): such professional development must be:
Integral to the school and district’s professional development plan
Sustained, intensive, collaborative, and job-embedded (i.e. not stand-alone, 1-day workshops)
Voice-over here is that we will review a list of all allowable state uses of funds – perhaps insert an attachment
Diana’s comment:
(c) Waivers for exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances. The Secretary may waive the requirement of paragraph (a) of this section for a State, for one fiscal year at a time, if the Secretary determines that-- (1) Granting a waiver would be equitable due to exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances such as a natural disaster or a precipitous and unforeseen decline in the financial resources of the State; or (2) The State meets the standard in § for a waiver of the requirement to supplement, and not to supplant, funds received under Part B of the Act.
Title II-A

15. Table Discussions

16. Continuing the Conversation
ESSA
Continuing the Conversation
For updated notifications, resources and additional opportunities for engagement, see NJ Department of Education ESSA Website
For questions, concerns, recommendations, requests for resources or opportunities to engage, contact NJ ESSA Team:
The Department must develop a comprehensive plan to implement ESSA and is seeking feedback from stakeholders on the following key questions:
How do you identify a successful school?
How do you identify a school that is off-track?
What school characteristics are most important?
What measures and data should be reported in our school report cards?
How should schools be held accountable for providing resources to and supporting all students?
How should we hold schools accountable when our students are not meeting our academic standards?
How can the Department streamline federal procedures in manner that best supports school and district efforts toward increasing student success?

17. Appendix

18. School Quality and Student Success Indicator(s)
Key Questions:
For next two years: in the first year or two of the new accountability system, indicators are limited to those for which data is already collected. With this in mind, which school quality and student success indicator(s) should be included in the accountability system?
In 3-5 years: when collection of additional data can be established, which other indicators should be included in the accountability system?
Limitations:
Law, which requires this indicator(s) to be valid, reliable, and comparable across all school districts
Proposed rules, which would require this indicator(s) to include a measure:
That can be disaggregated by subgroup; and
That research indicates performance on the measure(s) is correlated with positive student outcomes.
Data access, which limits the valid and reliable measures the state may use (if there is no consistent reliable data collection, there is no way for the Department to accurately calculate the indicator)
Note on this slide:
- The Department recognizes any consideration of repurposing this money must include what the money will be used for, if it is repurposed
Accountability
Section 1111(c)(4)(b)

19. Facts Title I, Part A, Section 1111(b)(2), Academic Assessments
NCLB 1111(b)(3)
ESSA
1111(b)(2)
Who must take statewide assessments?
All students in required grades
State must ensure at least 95% of all students and each subgroup in each school take the assessment
In which grades must students take statewide assessments?
Math and English Language Arts (ELA):
Each of grades 3-8; and
Once in grades 10-12
Once in grades 9-12
Science:
Once in grades 3-5;
Once in grades 6-9; and
Assessment

20. Topics for Discussion
ESSA provides a few opportunities regarding assessment:
Assessment system audit
Innovative assessment demonstration authority
Nationally-recognized high school assessments
Target limit on testing time
Voice Over:
We will give you an overview of the first two and answer as many questions as we can. These opportunities have not yet become available.
We are really looking to get your input and perspective on the last two items and will ask you to weigh in on some key questions regarding those topics.
Assessment

21. Impacts to Districts for 2016-17
Most elements remain the same as in , including funding formulas/usages, with a few notable exceptions:
No Annual Measurable Objectives (AMO) or Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO) required.
Freeze on Focus/Priority schools (no exits).
Note: USED required decision to freeze or create new lists by March 1, 2016; NJ did not have necessary data for evaluating list status by this time and thus had to freeze. The Department will evaluate status of Focus/Priority schools as data becomes available to ensure appropriate recognition and support during ESSA transition time.
No federal Highly Qualified Teacher (HQT) requirement. However, teachers must still be certified. See certification HQT guidance for details