Academics

Every Student Succeeds Act

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015, and represents good news for our nation's schools. This bipartisan measure reauthorizes the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation's national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.

The previous version of the law, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, was enacted in 2002. NCLB represented a significant step forward for our nation's children in many respects, particularly as it shined a light on where students were making progress and where they needed additional support, regardless of race, income, zip code, disability, home language, or background. The law was scheduled for revision in 2007, and, over time, NCLB's prescriptive requirements became increasingly unworkable for schools and educators. Recognizing this fact, in 2010, the Obama administration joined a call from educators and families to create a better law that focused on the clear goal of fully preparing all students for success in college and careers.

ESSA Highlights

ESSA includes provisions that will help to ensure success for students and schools. Below are just a few. The law:

  • Requires—for the first time—that all students in America be taught to high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers.

  • Ensures that vital information is provided to educators, families, students, and communities through annual statewide assessments that measure students' progress toward those high standards.

  • Helps to support and grow local innovations—including evidence-based and place-based interventions developed by local leaders and educators.

  • Sustains and expands this administration's historic investments in increasing access to high-quality preschool.

  • Maintains an expectation that there will be accountability and action to effect positive change in our lowest-performing schools, where groups of students are not making progress, and where graduation rates are low over extended periods of time.

School Name

School Identification

Funds Received

Strategies Implemented

Bryant Elementary

Targeted
(Students with Disabilities)

$17,729.00

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Increasing professional development and instructional focus on Science of Reading

  • Implementing new literacy curriculum for general education and special education

  • Changes made to building leadership team

Irving Elementary

Extended Targeted
(Students with Disabilities)

$40,904.71

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Increasing professional development and instructional focus on Science of Reading

  • Implementing new literacy curriculum for general education and special education

  • Restructuring supports

Leeds Elementary

Targeted
(Students with Disabilities)

$47,597.13

  • - Implementing new instructional framework

  • Implementing new SEL curriculum

  • Increasing professional development and instructional focus on Science of Reading

  • Implementing new literacy curriculum for general education and special education

  • Adding programming for special education

Liberty Elementary

Targeted
(Students with Disabilities)

$18,729.00

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Implementing new SEL curriculum

  • Utilizing new resources for special education

  • Increasing professional development and instructional

    focus on Science of Reading

  • Implementing new literacy curriculum for general education and special education

Loess Hills Elementary

Targeted
(Year 2)

$41,659.55

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Adding programming for special education

  • Increasing professional development and instructional focus on Science of Reading

  • Implementing new literacy curriculum for general education and special education

Morningside Elementary

Extended Targeted
(Black/African American, English Learners, Students with Disabilities)

$25,386.45

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Adding programming for special education

  • Increasing professional development and instructional focus on

    Science of Reading

  • Implementing new literacy curriculum for general education and special education

  • Changes made to building leadership team

  • Restructuring of ELL Department

Spalding Park Elementary

Targeted
(Year 2)

$45,223.56

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Replacing school leadership

  • Increasing professional development and instructional focus on Science of Reading

  • Implementing new literacy curriculum for general education and special education

Unity Elementary

Extended Targeted
(Students with Disabilities)

$46,998.62

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Increasing professional development and instructional

    focus on Science of Reading

  • Implementing new literacy curriculum for general education and special education

East High

Targeted
(English Learners)

$0

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Increasing research-based professional development offerings

North High

Extended Targeted
(Students with Disabilities)

$0

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Replacing school leadership

  • Increasing research-based professional development offerings

North Middle

Extended Targeted
(English Learners, Low Socio-Economic Status, Hispanic, Students with Disabilities, Multi-Racial, Native American)

$0

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Increasing research-based professional development offerings

  • Restructuring of ELL Department

West Middle

Extended Targeted
(Students with Disabilities, Native American)

$0

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Increasing research-based professional development offerings

West High

Extended Targeted
(English Learners, Students with Disabilities, Native American)

$0

  • Implementing new instructional framework

  • Increasing research-based professional development offerings

  • Restructuring of ELL Department