The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers new opportunities for states and school districts. In general, ESSA’s new rules do not take effect until July 1, 2017,which gives state education agencies (SEAs) an opportunity to assess whether their current policies and practices related to federal formula grant funds are aligned with state education objectives (such as accountability policies and state priorities), and promote or hinder sound educational programming. Examining current policies and practices can help SEAs identify opportunities to maximize ESSA grant programs when they begin in 2017-2018.
The Council of Chief State School Officers has released a publication titled Maximizing ESSA Formula Funds for Students: State Readiness Self-Assessments.
This self-assessment tool is designed to help SEAs analyze their policies and practices in three areas:
- State spending policies over federal funds,
- Application, planning, and budgeting alignment to state priorities and local needs, and
- Paperwork reduction opportunities.
These areas are important because they significantly influence the services districts deliver, and are often overlooked as levers to promote educational quality.
Each section of the self-assessment tool includes:
- An overview of new opportunities or requirements under ESSA,
- Examples of common SEA policies and practices that can limit the reach of ESEA programs,
- Diagnostic worksheets to assess an SEA’s current processes and determine what adjustments could be made to maximize ESSA’s funds.
In addition, the Appendix includes a worksheet SEAs can use to gain a sense of how school districts are currently spending their ESEA funds.
For more, see http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2016/ESSA/MaximizingESSAFormulaFundsforStudentsApril2016.pdf
