Plain Language for ESSA Parent Notices

By Dr. David Holbrook | November 21, 2016

While parent notices have the requirement to meet federal standards of communication, it remains pivotal that they also meet the spirit of the law itself: helping parents be an informed participant in their student's education. Towards this end, and based on feedback from customers and our ESSA National Advisory Board, all new parent notices in the TransACT Parent Notices collection are being written following plain language criteria.

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How Should Title I & Title III Directors Work Together to Prepare for ESSA’s Shift in EL Requirements?

By Dr. David Holbrook | November 21, 2016

When it comes to requirements for English Learners (ELs) in ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act), one of the biggest shifts in responsibility is the move of accountability for ELs progress toward English proficiency from Title III to Title I. Under ESSA (as compared to NCLB) it is more clearly noted that Title I funds can be used for programs to help ELs attain English proficiency. In addition to the accountability
measures, the following two requirements have also been moved to Title I (and must be implemented for ELs in programs funded by either or both Title I and Title III):

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U.S. Department of Education releases guidance around the new 'Block Grant'

By Dr. David Holbrook | November 21, 2016

The U.S. Department of Education (USED) released guidance for the new ‘Block Grant’ for Well-Rounded Education in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The ‘Block Grant’ is found in Title IV, Part A of the ESSA and provides funding for a variety of programs.

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The 5 School Performance Indicators that Matter Most for School Business Officers

By Phillip Smith | November 17, 2016

School business officers have the difficult task of maximizing return on investment (ROI) while creating the financial conditions to put the most money in the classroom.

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Cutting Costs the Smart Way: Using Education Business Intelligence to Implement Cost Reduction Strategies

By Phillip Smith | November 16, 2016

Performance goals for school business officers continue to rise as expectations for return on investment (ROI) and student achievement grow – even as school funding decreases. Due to these stringent demands, accurate performance measurement and operational insights provide more value than ever for managing budgets, reducing costs and increasing operational performance.

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3 Steps to Optimizing Compliance with TransACT® Parent Notifications

By Dr. David Holbrook | November 15, 2016

When it comes to creating a state or school district communication strategy, it is equally as important to balance federal compliance with the ability to authentically reach out to parents of diverse home languages about their students. While many districts struggle to keep pace with legal requirements and the ability to sit down and provide clear school-to-home communications in plain language, TransACT® provides relief by providing states and districts with district-wide solutions that encompass unique strategies, specialized systems, and helpful customization depending on what the district needs most.

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How operational key performance indicators impact student success initiatives

By Phillip Smith | November 14, 2016

In the often-siloed world of education, district leaders can lose sight of how performance in non-academic metrics can affect student outcomes.This reality exists despite research showing a relationship between positively trending operational metrics and student success.

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School-to-Parent Notification Tools Achieve ESSA Compliance & Parent Engagement

By Dr. David Holbrook | October 26, 2016

As the United States seeks to enforce more competitive academic standards while continuing to increase populations who speak English as a Second Language, the way educators and communities interact to support students is rapidly changing. As of December 2015, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has come to a close, and the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA)—the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act—will take its place during the 2017-2018 school year.

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Strategies for Achieving Efficient and Effective Parent Communications

By Dr. David Holbrook | October 21, 2016

Running a school district is not without challenges. In addition to the standard dynamics of running a large organization, administrators have the responsibility of communicating across diverse languages to promote student engagement and retention, all while remaining compliant with civil rights and federal education laws.

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WIDA panel on English Learner (EL) programs & ESSA: opportunity, challenges & concerns

By Alyssa Thornley | October 20, 2016

On Thursday, October 13th 2016, TransACT’s Director of Federal Programs, Dr. David Holbrook, joined a WIDA panel discussing the opportunities and challenges of ESSA implementation. The panel was moderated by Jesse Markow, Chief Strategy Officer at WIDA, and included Dr. Gary Cook, Research Scientist at WIDA, and Kenneth Bond, WIDA Executive Committee Member and ESL/Bilingual Program Coordinator at the New Jersey Department of Education. 

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