Idaho, Mississippi, and Rhode Island just got the federal stamp of approval on their plans to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act.
This brings the grand total of approved plans to 37 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Every state has submitted, and gotten feedback on, its ESSA plan. Just 13 states have yet to get the federal seal of approval, including some states with big populations, such as California and Florida.
So what do the newly greenlighted plans look like?
• Idaho is planning to use a “dashboard” to show how its schools are doing on various academic indicators (like test scores) as well as school quality factors. It won’t give an overall rating—like an A or F grade—to schools. The state is planning to consider student satisfaction, as measured by surveys, in gauging school performance at the elementary and middle school levels. And it plans to look at college- and career-readiness for high schools.
• Mississippi is sticking with its A-F system of rating schools. Schools will need at least a ‘C’ to get out of low-performing status. The state will be measuring school performance in part on whether the bottom 25 percent of students are making progress. It will also consider performance on Advanced Placement tests and career readiness. The state is also planning to create an Achievement School District for its lowest performing schools.
• Rhode Island is planning to create a giant repository or “hub” of evidence-backed school improvement strategies. The state will rate its schools on a points-based system. Rhode Island is considering a host of factors to gauge school quality, including chronic absenteeism, student suspensions, post-secondary success, and science proficiency.
Want to learn more about the Every Student Succeeds Act? Here’s some useful information:
- Check Out Our Latest Blog Posts on ESSA
- Read an Overview of ESSA
- Sign Up for Our Newsletter on ESSA
- See Key Trends in States’ ESSA Plans and Where They Stand