The National ESEA Conference (formerly the National Title I Conference) was held January 30 - February 2, 2019. The change to this conference having a more comprehensive approach to ESEA programs does not mean that presentations related to Title I programs are less important. The move was intended to promote more collaboration between Title I and other programs.

English Learners are an integral population and a large focus of the National ESEA Conference (formerly the National Title I Conference), as they were before the conference was re-branded. While the comprehensive approach boasts content that serves more populations and Title Programs, there are still many presentations that focus on ELs. This includes my presentation, ESSA Title I EL Requirements for All Title I Funded Districts, Wednesday, Jan. 30th at 11:30am.

The changing landscape of education that is the result of the re-authorization of ESEA as ESSA is a topic that will be widely covered at this year's National ESEA Conference (formerly National Title I Conference).

There are increasingly more resources for administrators who make students experiencing homelessness a priority demographic for their schools and districts. At the National ESEA Conference in January, there were presentations with this focus as well.

The U.S. Department of Education (USED) posted new guidance related to the ESSA requirements for English Learners (ELs) on its website yesterday (January 10, 2019). This guidance is essential as it provides clarity and puts explicitly into writing answers to some of the remaining questions surrounding the implementation of ESSA for educators.

TransACT Communications, LLC (transact.com) has acquired The rSmart Group, Inc.  (www.rsmart.com), a leader in higher education technology solutions. rSmart has over 19 years of experience in higher education and are leaders in SaaS delivery of campus engagement, verification, and service discovery tools that unify the user experience into a searchable, responsive, mobile-friendly platform. Working together, TransACT and rSmart are proud to offer a broader educational service portfolio that will now span K-12 institutions as well as colleges and universities.

TransACT customers with an active subscription to the ESEA (ESSA) ParentNotices collection now have complete access to expertly written compliance resources, including a recently added notification. An ESSA Subscription includes:

The U.S. Department of Education (USED) awarded nearly $400 million in federal grants to support and expand charter schools in States and districts. The grants are part of the Charter Schools Program under USED's Office of Innovation and Improvement. These funds were part of the FY 2018 funding package that was passed by the U.S. Congress in the spring of this year.

The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) is holding the 2019 National ESEA Conference (formerly the National Title I Conference) in Kansas City, MO, January 30 – February 2.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Privacy Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) issued guidance related to student privacy associated with administering college admissions exams. The guidance addresses concerns that arise due to some State Education Agencies (SEAs) and Local Education Agencies (LEAs or school districts) that have begun paying for and registering students for college admissions exams (ACT and SAT) rather than students or their parents registering themselves directly. This trend is due to the use of these tests to meet the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) assessment requirements.