Every Student Succeeds Act Explainer

Approved ESSA Plans: Explainer and Key Takeaways From Each State

April 21, 2017 | Updated: October 04, 2018 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has approved ESSA plans from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The law gives states significant new leeway to set student achievement goals and calls for looking beyond test scores in gauging school performance.

Jump to:

  1. What is a state plan?
  2. Map: Where do states’ plans stand?
  3. What are states planning for ESSA?

What is a state plan?

The Every Student Succeeds Act pushes states to move beyond test scores in gauging school performance and gives them all sorts of new flexibility when it comes to funding, turning around low-performing schools, and more. But states still have to submit an accountability roadmap—including long-term goals for student achievement—to the U.S. Department of Education for approval.

The Every Student Succeeds Act technically went into effect for the 2017-18 school year. But before a state can put its plan into effect, the U.S. Department of Education needs to sign off. This analysis reflects our best understanding of approved state ESSA plans.

Where do states’ plans stand?

Check the map below to see where your state’s ESSA plan stands.

What are states planning for ESSA?

Scroll down to see key details from your state’s plan, including long-term goals, academic indicators that will be used to rate schools, and more:

A version of this article appeared in the April 19, 2017 edition of Education Week as Key Takeaways: State ESSA Plans

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
(Re)Focus on Dyslexia: Moving Beyond Diagnosis & Toward Transformation
Move beyond dyslexia diagnoses & focus on effective literacy instruction for ALL students. Join us to learn research-based strategies that benefit learners in PreK-8.
Content provided by EPS Learning
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
How to Use Data to Combat Bullying and Enhance School Safety
Join our webinar to learn how data can help identify bullying, implement effective interventions, & foster student well-being.
Content provided by Panorama Education
Classroom Technology Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Is AI Out to Take Your Job or Help You Do It Better?
With all of the uncertainty K-12 educators have around what AI means might mean for the future, how can the field best prepare young people for an AI-powered future?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Every Student Succeeds Act Biden Education Department Approves One Request to Cancel State Tests But Rejects Others
Officials will allow D.C. to cancel tests. They denied similar requests from two other states and approved less extensive waiver requests.
6 min read
Image of students taking a test.
smolaw11/iStock/Getty
Every Student Succeeds Act Republicans Tell Miguel Cardona His Plan for ESSA Waivers Seems to Violate the Law
The Every Student Succeeds Act doesn't permit the education secretary to seek certain data he's asking for, the two GOP lawmakers say.
4 min read
White House press secretary Jen Psaki, left, listens as Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, center, speaks during a press briefing at the White House on March 17, 2021.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki, left, listens as Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, center, speaks during a press briefing at the White House on March 17, 2021.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Every Student Succeeds Act How Will ESSA Hold Up During COVID-19? Pandemic Tests the Law's Resilience
Lawmakers designed ESSA to limit mandates covering issues like how tests are used. Will that affect how well the law survives the pandemic?
6 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act Betsy DeVos Tells States Not to Expect Waivers From Annual Tests
The tests required by federal law are crucial to helping schools respond to the coronavirus pandemic and help vulnerable students, the education secretary said in a letter to chief state school officers.
3 min read