The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in 2015 and replaced the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. It reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, the national kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) education law emphasizing equal educational opportunities for all students. The law maintains a focus on equity for all students while giving states and local school districts much more ownership over systems of school accountability and support.
ESSA requires states to develop comprehensive plans for accountability and support, identify schools for support and improvement (Comprehensive and Targeted), and publish school report cards reflecting performance. Iowa’s system for accountability and support under ESSA was developed with broad public input, fits the state’s context, and focuses on helping schools find solutions that work for them.
Iowa’s new report cards, called the Iowa School Performance Profiles, include each school’s scores on a set of accountability measures, such as state assessments. The reports display results based on a school’s overall performance and the performance of subgroups of students, such as children from low-income backgrounds.
ESSA Guidance and Allocations
Provides federal program contact information, up-to-date program-specific guidance, and general ESSA resources to help implement and apply for federal funds.