Every school is ramping up to prepare for the quickly approaching start date of the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This act, which replaces NCLB, is set to go into effect on August of 2016. So what should every educator know?
One critical thing for educators to know is that, while there is greater flexibility for schools in several areas, schools must still show their accountability system. ESSA creates accountability through annual measurable objectives, or AMO’s. AMO’s are meant to define district’s new AYP.
Now, schools that were previously defined as in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring, won’t have the results of that status removed. These schools will still have to prove that the same or similarly designed interventions are in place in order to improve the achievement levels of the students that the school serves. However, one new addition is that schools no longer have to offer school choice, SES or parent notice.
Of course, there are a great deal of other implications that come with the shift out of NCLS and into ESSA. But the question of accountability is at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Next week, we’ll look at how assessments are viewed. Will there be more testing?