Principal Professional Development: New Opportunities for a Renewed State Focus

Posted on March 21, 2017March 16, 2017 by coreeducation

AIR’s Cortney Rowland has written a new report examining the opportunities provided by ESSA for states to focus on principal professional development. Again and again, states and districts have focused on teachers rather than principals when making policy and allotting funds and resources for professional development and support. Principals’ groups and other educators have long Read more about Principal Professional Development: New Opportunities for a Renewed State Focus[…]

New ‘Evidence for ESSA’ Website

Posted on March 20, 2017March 10, 2017 by coreeducation

The Center for Research and Reform in Education (CRRE) at Johns Hopkins University has released its much anticipated website called Evidence for ESSA (www.evidenceforessa.org), a free web-based resource that provides easy access to information on programs that meet the evidence standards defined in the Every Student Succeeds Act. The website is designed for education leaders Read more about New ‘Evidence for ESSA’ Website[…]

State Teacher Leadership Toolkit: Created By States, For States

Posted on March 15, 2017March 10, 2017 by coreeducation

State education agencies have a unique opportunity through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to access the funding and support needed to advance their approach to teacher leadership. The State Teacher Leadership Toolkit provides a playbook for states to develop a framework to guide the planning, design, implementation, and assessment of teacher leadership initiatives that Read more about State Teacher Leadership Toolkit: Created By States, For States[…]

Programs Versus Practices: What’s the “What” in What Works?

Posted on March 14, 2017March 10, 2017 by coreeducation

Ruth Neild of the American Youth Policy Forum recently provided advice on what types of interventions educators should be looking for when they strive to meet the ESSA evidence standards. Her explanation encompasses programs, models, policies, practices, and products. Excerpts of her piece appear below: “Invest in what works, and stop doing what doesn’t!” This, Read more about Programs Versus Practices: What’s the “What” in What Works?[…]

Providing All Students with a Well-Rounded Education through ESSA

Posted on March 7, 2017March 4, 2017 by coreeducation

The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) have released a new interactive tool for principals: Principals Action Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA): Providing All Students with a Well-Rounded and Complete Education. Principals’ crucial voices are needed in ESSA planning. To support Read more about Providing All Students with a Well-Rounded Education through ESSA[…]

State Planning Tool for Standards-Based Accountability Under ESSA

Posted on February 28, 2017March 31, 2021 by coreeducation

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) presents states with an opportunity to broaden their visions of college and career readiness by including multiple measures of accountability that better recognize the multiple pathways to college and career readiness. A new resource from the College & Career Readiness & Success Center at AIR provides states Read more about State Planning Tool for Standards-Based Accountability Under ESSA[…]

Why States Should Focus More on School Climate Under ESSA

Posted on January 27, 2017January 23, 2017 by coreeducation

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act, states are allowed to include at least one non-academic indicator of school quality or student success within their accountability systems. The law lays out several possibilities: student engagement, educator engagement, student access to–and completion of–advanced coursework, postsecondary readiness, and school climate. In a new essay, professors Amity Noltemeyer and Read more about Why States Should Focus More on School Climate Under ESSA[…]

Evidence-Based Improvement: A Guide to the Evidence Requirements of ESSA

Posted on January 25, 2017January 23, 2017 by coreeducation

One of the broad intents of the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is to encourage evidence-based decision-making as standard practice. This new, free publication from WestEd, Evidence-Based Improvement: A Guide for States to Strengthen their Frameworks and Supports Aligned to the Evidence Requirements of ESSA, provides an initial set of tools to help states Read more about Evidence-Based Improvement: A Guide to the Evidence Requirements of ESSA[…]

Multiple Measures Done Right: The 7 Principles of Coherent Assessment Systems

Posted on January 19, 2017January 13, 2017 by coreeducation

With the new ESSA regulations requiring accountability systems based on multiple measures, a new guide from researchers at the not-for-profit NWEA provides educators with actionable steps they can begin implementing immediately. Multiple Measures Done Right outlines the seven principles of developing coherent assessment systems that go beyond compliance to support student learning. The guide was Read more about Multiple Measures Done Right: The 7 Principles of Coherent Assessment Systems[…]

Final ESSA Accountability Rules Boost State Flexibility in Key Areas

Posted on January 5, 2017December 19, 2016 by coreeducation

The Obama administration’s final accountability rules for the Every Student Succeeds Act give states greater flexibility on school ratings, schools with high testing opt-out rates, and in other areas than an earlier draft version, released in May. But, with President-elect Donald Trump set to take office in January, the regulations face an uncertain future. The Read more about Final ESSA Accountability Rules Boost State Flexibility in Key Areas[…]

December Issue Brief: Evidence-Based School Improvement

Posted on December 19, 2016December 16, 2016 by coreeducation

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires state and district leaders to consider the evidence behind school improvement practices before adopting or implementing them. The evidence-based provisions of ESSA are intended to support school improvement and result in better student outcomes. Guidance encourages state and district leaders to consider multiple tiers of evidence and examine Read more about December Issue Brief: Evidence-Based School Improvement[…]

ESSA Essentials for Educators: Make your Voice Heard!

Posted on December 16, 2016December 9, 2016 by coreeducation

The enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) last year provides educators with a unique opportunity to exercise their voice in education policy. Although it is expected that under the new presidential administration, some of the regulations will be revisited, states are moving forward with the development of new state and district policies required Read more about ESSA Essentials for Educators: Make your Voice Heard![…]

What does ESSA say about teacher evaluation?

Posted on December 7, 2016December 2, 2016 by coreeducation

When the U.S. Department of Education granted states waivers to the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), those waivers came with conditions. The waivers required states to adopt teacher evaluations that, among other requirements, were based in part on student performance data. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) ends these federal requirements for teacher evaluations. Read more about What does ESSA say about teacher evaluation?[…]

Building the Educator Workforce Our Children Need Now

Posted on December 5, 2016December 2, 2016 by coreeducation

States are now deeply engaged in developing plans for their federal education spending for the next several years. Now is the time to rethink systems and strategies and to focus funds and efforts on what matters most for learning: great teachers and leaders for every student and school. Written collaboratively by all three partners of Read more about Building the Educator Workforce Our Children Need Now[…]

How States should Redesign their Accountability Systems under ESSA

Posted on November 30, 2016November 22, 2016 by coreeducation

David Griffith and Michael Petrilli have put their minds together to produce an ideal ESSA accountability system as a model for state education agencies. Below are excerpts from their recent blog post: States are now putting pen to paper on their accountability plans and many of them want advice about what to do. So no Read more about How States should Redesign their Accountability Systems under ESSA[…]

Teacher Effectiveness in the Every Student Succeeds Act: A Discussion Guide

Posted on November 28, 2016November 22, 2016 by coreeducation

The Center on Great Teachers & Leaders has released a new discussion guide, Teacher Effectiveness in the Every Student Succeeds Act. Systemic challenges in the educator workforce require thoughtful and bold actions, and ESSA presents a unique opportunity for states to reaffirm, modify, or improve their vision of educator effectiveness. This GTL Center discussion guide Read more about Teacher Effectiveness in the Every Student Succeeds Act: A Discussion Guide[…]