Recommendations for Improving the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)
State
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson
Helping to ensure that every child graduates college- and career-ready is a top priority for California. Congress should act soon to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to help California and other states achieve their goals. In order to comprehensively address California’s needs, we recommend that a reauthorized ESEA:
- Create the next generation accountability system that better
supports student learning and measures school success across a broader
range of indicators through such means as a continuous progress index.
- Design and implement improved assessments that more
appropriately measure student progress and learning
. - Respect and support the role of states in setting
priorities for improving schools and student achievement and responding to the
needs of their students, schools, teachers, and communities.
- Prioritize the preparation and development of effective teachers and
leaders for all schools and communities, recognize the professionalism
of teaching, and focus as much on improving educator expertise as on evaluating
them.
- Provide students access to supports that remove barriers to
learning and engage them in learning (e.g. expanded learning opportunities,
investments in service-learning, community school models, health services, and
preschool).
- Elevate STEM and digital learning as key components of a
successful education system.
- Expand literacy supports for children and their parents to
foster school success and improve employment opportunities.
- Ensure equitable and adequate resources for federal education programs in order to support effective state implementation of such programs.
