Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Contact: Dr. LaTricia Townsend

Every Student Succeeds Act Approved in December 2015 
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is the latest reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and was approved by the U.S. Congress and signed into law in December 2015. ESSA reauthorizes the nation’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students and replaces the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

NEW! NC Plan Approved by U.S. Department of Education (June 5, 2018)

The U.S. Department has approved North Carolina’s plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

The plan calls for the state to support individualized instruction and learning for both students and educators and continues to explore and promote emerging initiatives for personalized learning. ESSA provides the state with this opportunity via the commitment in the plan to continuous innovation for students and educators.

The state’s plan includes these key elements:

• Provides a concise statement of the innovation the state expects for students, including using adaptive environments, personalized learning, and empowered educators.
• Establishes 10-year goals for student performance using end-of-grade and end-of-course exams and goals for closing achievement gaps
• Continues the School Performance Grades model, in which schools earn a A-F grades based on proficiency measures and student-growth targets.

NC State Plan for the ESSA (June 16, 2020)

NC State Plan for the ESSA Approval Letter (June 5, 2018) 

NCDPI Submits ESSA Plan Revision for Approval (May 23, 2018)

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction today resubmitted the state's application for funding under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The revised version reflects additional changes requested by the U.S. Department of Education after the department submitted its first revision in February.

Federal reviewers requested a few adjustments in the state's plan for measuring high school performance and a more detailed examination of how the teaching force is distributed among schools across the state to better ensure equity for all students.

Revised State Plan for the ESSA with Tracked Changes (submitted on May 23, 2018)

NCDPI Submits Revised State Plan under the ESSA(February 9, 2018)
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) submitted a revised State Plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) with tracked changes to the U.S. Department of Education (USED) on February 9, 2018. The revised State Plan responds to the USED’s response letter issued on December 13, 2017.

Read the response letter from the U.S. Department of Education for the specific items in the state’s plan requiring additional information or revision.

Also included with the response are peer-review feedback on the technical, educational and overall quality of the state plan:

• NC Final Peer Review Notes
   
• Peer Review Notes on how the plan addressed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act’s Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program

Initial State Plan for the ESSA (submitted on Sept. 18, 2017)  
 

Revised State Plan for the ESSA with Tracked Changes (submitted on February 9, 2018)

Text of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015

Theory of Action