ESSA Accountability Regulations Set to be Rolled Back

On March 16, H.J. Res. 57 was sent to the President for signature, after having been passed out of both the House and the Senate. The joint resolution rescinds accountability resolutions under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The regulations implement the ESSA by ensuring that schools and school systems are held accountable to minimum standards for student outcomes. In a letter sent to Congress by the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Education Task Force Co-Chairs, CCD says that, “ESSA accountability regulations are critical for meaningful implementation of ESSA. The regulations clarify the statutory language in ESSA, build upon ESSA’s flexibility for school improvement and provide a clarified role for families, educators and stakeholders to share in the implementation process. Perhaps, most importantly, the final regulations help assure that States meaningfully develop accountability plans that will create statewide systems to identify schools and districts which need to target funds to intervene and support students not meeting state-determined standards. We view this as critical to helping shine a needed light on the education gap for groups of students, including students with disabilities so they can make important gains and achieve the same education outcomes as their peers.”

 

President Trump has said that he intends to sign the resolution into law, which will rescind the regulations. 

 

Source: The New York Times