Tools for Educators - School Operational KPIs

The Staggering Cost of Parent Communication Requirements Under ESSA

By Alyssa Thornley | June 12, 2017

There is a financial burden related to creating parent notice communications in-house, especially since there are several components to a successful, ESEA- compliant communications plan, including:

Using Remaining Funds Prior to the New Budget Year to Start School Year 2018-19 Off Strong

By Tina Nguyen | May 29, 2017

In just one month the 2017-18 school year will end, and districts will begin to grapple with implementing changes required by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). As the end of the budget year approaches, now is the time to leverage remaining unallocated funds to address ESSA requirements in order to stay in compliance for the upcoming 2018-19 school year.
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The Issue of N-Size in EL Accountability under ESSA

By Dr. David Holbrook | May 25, 2017

The National Council of State Title III Directors (NCSTIIID) hosted national meetings in Los Angeles, CA, jointly with the Council of the Great City Schools Bilingual Directors on May 16th and 17th. While many topics were discussed, one of the top concerns brought up by Title III Directors relates to the potentially significant reduction in the number of ELs that will be included in accountability determinations for making progress toward English proficiency under ESSA (the Elementary and Secondary Education Act as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act 2015).

Innovative Solutions for Two Common District Operations Challenges

By Phillip Smith | May 25, 2017

At the 2017 COO conference for the Council of Great City Schools, operations leaders from across the country were asked to surface their biggest operations challenges and share innovative solutions they had found. Among the myriad of issues operations leaders face, districts reported 2 common challenges:

Anti-Lunch Shaming Bill Introduced by the U.S. House of Representatives

By Dr. David Holbrook | May 25, 2017

The “Anti-Lunch Shaming Act of 2017” was recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. The purpose of the bill is to prohibit school practices that single out students with unpaid meal debts. To become law, the bill would have to pass both the House and the Senate and be signed by the President.

ESSA Basics: What are Title I and Title III?

By Alyssa Thornley | May 25, 2017

Updated on May 25, 2023.

On July 1st, 2017, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB) as a rule of the land, at least in education. ESSA is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was first signed into law in 1965. The law reaffirms the commitment to equal opportunity for all U.S. students

USED Issues School Improvement Interventions Letter: Fails to Address Title III Improvement Issues

By Dr. David Holbrook | April 19, 2017

Shortly before the Trump administration took office, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) (January 13, 2017) to State Education Agencies (SEAs) regarding the timeline for and provision of interventions in schools identified for improvement. The DCL covered Title I school improvement interventions for the 2017-2018 school year (SY) for both Focus and Priority schools under ESEA Flexibility and schools identified for Improvement, Corrective Action, or Restructuring under NCLB. In addition, it provided a timeline for when schools should be identified for ESSA school improvement as either Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools or Targeted Support and Improvement schools.

ESSA Aligned Private School Consultation and Ombudsman Notices Required Before the July 1st ESSA Deadline

By Dr. David Holbrook | April 17, 2017

The most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), goes into full implementation on July 1, 2017. After July 1^st all ESEA notices need to align with ESSA requirements.However, some ESSA notices are required or needed prior to the July 1^st date. One category of notices needed is the Private Schools Consultation notices.

Immigration Enforcement: Congress Urges Trump Administration Officials to Reiterate Commitment to Uphold Plyler v. Doe

By Dr. David Holbrook | April 12, 2017

During the first week of April, members of Congress sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly asking them to uphold the educational provisions of Plyler v. Doe regarding the provision of access to a public education regardless of the child’s or parent’s immigration status.

Guidance for ESSA State Plan Peer Review Released

By Dr. David Holbrook | April 3, 2017

Earlier I reported that the U.S. Department of Education (USED) hosted a webinar for State Education Agencies (SEAs) related to issues of submission of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plans and Peer Review of those plans once submitted. That post included the information that only three of the nine ESSA programs included in consolidated state submissions will receive peer review. Those that will receive peer review are: