Every Student Succeeds Act

On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), reauthorizing the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and replacing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the 2001 reauthorization of ESEA.

Information regarding the ESSA and the development of California's plan to implement the new federal education act is provided below. New information and guidance will be added as it becomes available. If you would like to be notified when new information is available, please join the California Department of Education (CDE) ESSA listserv by sending a blank e-mail message to join-essa@mlist.cde.ca.gov.

ESSA State Plan

Update on the Development of the California State Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act: Approval of the Revisions to the State Plan for Resubmission to the U.S. Department of Education (ED).

On November 2019, the U.S. Department of Education approved the revisions to California's Consolidated State Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act.

• Approval of the Amendements to the State Plan from ED (DOCX; Posted 12-Dec-2019)
• Overview of the Amendements to California's ESSA State Plan (DOCX; Posted 20-Dec-2019)
• California's Revised Consolidated State Plan (DOCX)

On November 2018, the following revised California's ESSA Consolidated State Plan was submitted to the U.S. Department of Education.

• Revised California's ESSA Consolidated ESSA State Plan Overview (DOCX; Posted 05-Nov-2018)
• Revised State Template for the Consolidated State Plan (DOCX; Posted 05-Nov-2018)

On July 12, 2018, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos approved California’s ESSA State Plan.

• ESSA State Plan - Final Version (PDF; Posted 12-Jul-2018)
• Secretary De Vos ESSA State Plan Approval Letter

California ESSA State Plan Drafts

Waiver Requests

On March 26, 2020, the California State Board of Education and the California Department of Education (CDE), under Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Section 8401(b), requested a waiver to the U.S. Department of Education for the 2019–2020 school year of the following sections:

• Assessment requirements in section 1111(b)(2);
• Accountability and school identification requirements in sections 1111(c)(4) and 1111(d)(2)(C)-(D); and
• Reporting requirements related to assessments and accountability in section 1111(h) as enumerated in the template

A public comment period is open through April 15, 2020, for interested parties and members of the public to submit comments or questions concerning this Waiver request. Please submit comments or questions by email to ESSA@cde.ca.gov or by mail to the California Department of Education, Government Affairs Division, 1430 N Street, Suite 5602, Sacramento, CA 95814-5901.

• Accountability and Assessment Waiver Request Letter (Posted 26-Mar-2020)
• California 20-0077 ESEA Waiver Request Template (PDF; Posted 26-Mar-2020)

The California State Board of Education directed the CDE to submit a waiver request to the U.S. Department of Education related to the English Learner Progress Indicator. The CDE submitted the waiver request on May 16, 2018.

• CDE Waiver Request Letter to the ED – May 2018

California Correspondence and Resources

State Board of Education (SBE) Agenda Items Related to ESSA

Stakeholder Outreach to Inform ESSA State Plan Development

Letters from the CDE to local educational agencies (LEAs):

• October 12, 2017: Educational Stability Requirements for Students in Foster Care

• September 11, 2017: ESSA – Update #9

• July 14, 2017: ESSA – Update #8

• May 11, 2017: Public Comment Period for Draft of California's ESSA State Plan

• February 22, 2017: Federal Funding to Support Arts Education
  (updated on 31-Aug-17 to address minor typographical errors)

• February 9, 2017: ESSA – Update #7

• January 18, 2017: ESSA – Update #6
  

• November 15, 2016: ESSA – Update #5

• May 23, 2016: ESSA – Update #4

• May 6, 2016: 2016–17 Data Collection Changes for California's New Accountability and Continuous Improvement System

• April 15, 2016: ESSA – Update #3

• February 29, 2016: ESSA – Update #2

• January 14, 2016: ESSA – Update #1

Evidence-Based Interventions Under the ESSA

ESSA 2016–17 School Year Transition Plan

CDE ESSA Listserv Archive

CDE ESSA Presentations

California Practitioners Advisory Group

U.S. Department of Education Correspondence and Resources

U.S. Department of Education (ED) ESSA Web Page

• Text of the ESEA as amended by the ESSA (PDF; Posted 05-Oct-2017)

• ED Transitioning to the ESSA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (PDF; Posted 18-Jan-2017)

• ED ESSA Resources, Guidance, and Regulatory Information

ESSA Guidance

• Consolidated State Plan FAQs (PDF)
• Accountability FAQs (PDF)
• Resource Guide: Accountability for English Learners Under the ESSA (PDF)
• State and Local Report Cards Guidance (PDF)
• High School Graduation Rate Guidance (PDF)
• Assessment Use of Funds Guidance (PDF)
• Fiscal Changes and Equitable Services Requirements Guidance (PDF)
• Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants Guidance (PDF)
• Early Learning Guidance (PDF)
• Schoolwide Guidance (PDF)
• Guidance for Title II, Part A: Building Systems of Support for Excellent Teaching and Leading (PDF)
  • Title II Guidance Press Release
• Title III Guidance - English Learners (PDF)
  • Title III Guidance Press Release
• Evidence Guidance (PDF)
  • Evidence Guidance Press Release
• Homeless Student Guidance (PDF)
  • Homeless Student Guidance Fact Sheet (PDF)
  • Homeless Student Notice of Rights and Protections
• Foster Care Guidance (PDF)

ESSA Final Regulations

Assessment Final Regulations

• Title I, Part A Assessment Final Regulations (PDF)
• Title I, Part B Innovative Assessment Pilot Final Regulations (PDF)
• Fact Sheet for Title I, Part A and Part B Final Regulations (PDF)

Accountability, State Plans, and Data Reporting Final Regulations (PDF; Dated 28-Nov-2016)

• Final Accountability Regulations Fact Sheet (PDF)
• Timeline for identification of schools for support and improvement (PDF)
• Final Accountability Regulations Press Release
• Consolidated State Plan Template (DOCX; Dated 29-Nov-2016)
• Assurances Template (DOC; Dated 29-Nov-2016)
• Please note: The President signed the Congressional resolution disapproving these regulations on March 27, 2017, which means that the regulations have no force or effect. ED has released a revised consolidated State Plan template that conforms to this development:
  • Revised Consolidated State Plan Template (DOCX)
  • Crosswalk of Consolidated State Plan Requirements (DOCX)
  • State Plan Peer Review Criteria (PDF)
  • ED ESSA Consolidated State Plans Web Page

ESSA Proposed Regulations

Supplement, Not Supplant under Title I Proposed Regulations (Dated 06-Sep-2016)

• SSPI and SBE President Joint Response to Proposed Supplement, Not Supplant Regulations (Dated 08-Nov-2016)

Title I, Part A: Assessments Proposed Regulations (The final version of this set of regulations is available above, under "ESSA Final Regulations")
Title I, Part B: Innovative Assessment Pilot Proposed Regulations (The final version of this set of regulations is available above, under "ESSA Final Regulations")

• SSPI and SBE President Joint Response to Proposed Assessment Regulations (Dated 09-Sep-2016)

Accountability, State Plans, and Data Reporting Proposed Regulations (The final version of this set of regulations is available above, under "ESSA Final Regulations")

• SSPI and SBE President Joint Response to Proposed Accountability Regulations (Dated 03-Aug-2016)

Letters from ED

• Memorandum to Title I Directors Regarding the Timeline for Implementing the New Title I Supplement, Not Supplant Requirements (PDF; Posted 27-Dec-2017)

• Dear Colleague Letter on per-pupil expenditures reporting (PDF; Dated 28-Jun-2017)

• Dear Colleague Letter on School Support and Improvement Activities and Consultation (PDF; Dated 10-Apr-2017)

• Letter to states regarding updated consolidated state plans (Dated 13-Mar-2017)

• Letter to states regarding consolidated state plans (Dated 10-Feb-2017)

• Dear Colleague Letter on 2017-2018 Transition (PDF; Dated 13-Jan-2017)

• Dear Colleague Letter on Implementation of Educational Stability Requirements (PDF; Dated 05-Dec-2016)
• Dear Colleague Letter on ESSA State Plans (PDF; Dated 29-Nov-2016)

• Dear Colleague Letter regarding LEA consultation with tribal stakeholders (PDF; Dated 27-Sep-2016)

• Dear Colleague Letter on ESSA Transition Technical Assistance and Resources (PDF; Dated 05-Aug-2016)

• Dear Colleague Letter regarding using federal funds to improve student outcomes in humanities (Dated 13-Jul-2016)

• Dear Colleague Letter on Foster Care Guidance (PDF; Dated 23-Jun-2016)

• Dear Colleague Letter on Foster Care Timelines (PDF; Dated 23-Jun-2016)

• Dear Colleague Letter on Stakeholder Engagement (Dated 22-Jun-2016)

• Dear Colleague Letter on Using Federal Funds, Including ESSA, to Support Innovative STEM Education Strategies (PDF; Dated 13-Apr-2016)

• Letter to Superintendent Torlakson and SBE President Kirst on Supplemental Education Services, Public School Choice, and the Related Notice to Parents for the 2016-2017 School Year (PDF; Dated 05-Feb-2016)
  

• Letter to Chief State School Officers on Testing in the Every Student Succeeds Act (PDF; Dated 02-Feb-2016)
  

• Dear Colleague Letter on Use of FY 2016 Formula Funds in the 2016-2017 School Year (PDF; Dated 28-Jan-2016)

• Dear Colleague Letter on Transition to ESSA (PDF; Dated 18-Dec-2015)
  

• Dear Colleague Letter on New ESSA Law (Dated 10-Dec-2015)