ESSA Update - August 3rd, 2016

Golden State vs. the Feds! - Or, How Best to Reconcile the LCFF/LCAP Stuff with the New Federal Regulations.

The State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) and the State Board of Education (SBE) President Michael Kirst jointly signed a letter in response to the proposed regulations for ESSA accountability, data reporting, and submission of state plans, detailing concerns about the proposed regulations and making recommendations to address those concerns. The letter was submitted through the Federal Register on August 1 and may be viewed on the CDE Response to ESSA Proposed Regulations Web page.

The new ESSA regulations are chalk full of new requirements for state data reporting, accountability, working with struggling students, and even report cards.  The new Federal requirements also encourage (require?) a single rolled-up school "score" (much like California's recently abandoned API scores).  California thinks it's adoption of new multiple measures are a step up/beyond a single measure (and I agree!)

I actually agree with all of the suggestions that Superintendent Torlekson and Board President Kirst are suggestion in the letter.  Don't really want to go back to a single number as a measure of a total school's achievements . . .