INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Department of Education wants feedback on the state's draft of a plan to meet new federal education requirements.
The public comment period on the plan to fulfill the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act is open until July 20. The draft and survey are available at www.doe.in.gov/essa.
The 2015 ESSA updates the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and replaces the previous update to the law, No Child Left Behind. Like that act, the ESSA holds states accountable for high standards, maintains state accountability systems, requires annual tests in grades 3 to 8 and high school, and sustains support for struggling schools and the development of teachers, according to information from the IDOE.
It also allows for more state input and direction, according to the department, which says that states can determine how they want to reach each of these policy goals and have more local control in crafting their approach.
The draft includes six sections with a feedback form to accompany each section. The sections address:
• Long-term goals, including academic achievement, graduation rates and English language Learner proficiency. The draft notes that instead of choosing a single proficiency number for each subgroup, such as every student achieving 90 percent proficiency by 2023, goals were based on each subgroup’s baseline proficiency goal.