The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced this week the public comment period for the first draft Indiana’s plan to fulfill the new federal education requirements, known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), is now open. The public comment period will stay open though 11:59 P.M. (ET) on July 20, 2017.
ESSA was signed into law in December 2015 as the update to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. ESSA replaces the previous update to the law, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). While ESSA mirrors NCLB in that ESSA holds states accountable for high standards, maintains state accountability systems, requires annual tests in grades 3-8 and in high school, and sustains support for struggling schools and development of teachers, ESSA also allows for more state input and direction. Through ESSA, states can determine how they want to reach each of these policy goals and have more local control in crafting their approach.
IDOE began crafting Indiana’s ESSA plan through a series of meetings held across the state. Through those meetings, IDOE gathered input and recommendations from educators, administrators, parents, community members, and local leaders. The input and recommendations were then compiled into a community meeting report which helped guide Indiana’s first ESSA draft.
Public comment is being gathered through six online surveys. Each survey corresponds with a specific section of the ESSA draft. Indiana’s ESSA draft and public comment surveys can be found at: http://www.doe.in.gov/essa.
