Key Questions and Valuable Resources on ESSA

What is the Every Student Succeeds Act?

On Dec. 10, President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law. ESSA is the most recent version of the federal government’s biggest K-12 law, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which came into effect in 1965. It governs around $25 billion in federal resources that are allocated to states, including approximately $58 million to Delaware in 2012-13.

ESSA contains a number of meaningful requirements that education leaders, parents, and community members should know about and discuss as the state develops its plan to implement the new law.

The Rodel team has developed a series of short summary briefs (links below) that spell out the info you need to know, and the questions you should be asking. To get involved in the Delaware Department of Education’s community engagement process, click here.

• The Every Student Succeeds Act: Background and Key Questions
• ESSA: Standards and Assessments
• ESSA: Accountability, Reporting, and School Improvement Systems
• ESSA: Funding
• ESSA: Teachers and Leaders