Background: The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA; 2015) constituted a reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and replaced the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001. ESSA, although still recognizing the need of standardized testing, diverged from NCLB by transferring a significant amount of power over…

The Title I and Title II-A programs of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provide funds meant to help schools and districts better serve low-income students and improve teacher and principal quality. The law's latest update, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), was passed in 2015 and provides more flexibility to states on some…

Every student should have access to excellent, well-prepared, and well-supported educators who reflect the diversity of our nation. Research repeatedly indicates that teachers are the most important in-school factor for student success. Research also highlights the critical role of school leaders in retaining and supporting teachers to maximize…

This non-regulatory guidance is intended to assist State educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs) in understanding and implementing programs under Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to conduct a range of activities to provide teachers, principals, and other school leaders with the…

In this policy brief Title II of ESSA is examined. Title II of ESSA includes provisions for developing high quality principals. This brief elaborates two strategies the federal government can employ under Title II to support principal quality: (1) competitive grants; and (2) monitoring return on investment.

Increasing student achievement by improving the quality and effectiveness of teachers, principals, and other school leaders is one of the key goals of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Title II, Part A of ESEA (Title II-A) provides over $2 billion per year in funding to states and districts to support effective instruction through…

These are the appendices for "State and District Use of Title II, Part A Funds in 2019-20." The study is designed to provide information about how states and districts use Title II-A funds, in response to a statutory requirement to collect and publicly report this information annually. The report is based on surveys of all states and of…

This report presents the study highlights from the full report, "State and District Use of Title II, Part A Funds in 2019-20. NCEE 2021-011." The report, required by Congress, provides a national picture of state and district priorities for Title II-A funds in the 2019-20 school year. State and district surveys on the use of Title II-A…

Title I, Part A; Title II, Part A; and Title IV, Part A funds are provided to the Houston Independent School District (HISD) through the 2015 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), also known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). All three funds focus on enhancing student achievement. Title I, Part A…

When the primary federal law governing K-12 schooling was updated in 2015 as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), it shifted many decisions to states and districts. However, through two of its core programs (Title I and Title II-A), ESSA retained federal requirements for states to set challenging content standards, assess student performance,…

Poverty cuts across culture, race, gender, age, and geography, so how can educators lessen the effects that poverty can instill in the classroom? Gain a quick overview from this infographic that showcases the Supporting Students in Poverty with High-Impact Instructional Strategies Toolkit and learn how easy-to-implement steps can lift outcomes for…

Principal effectiveness matters for student outcomes, and strong principal pipelines matter for principal effectiveness. School districts looking to invest in such principal pipelines can use this guide to find the most promising federal funding sources to support their work. Research shows benefits for students and schools from what have come to…

School leadership is a key component of successful school environments and academic performance strategies. Among school-related factors, school leadership is second to teaching in its impact on student learning. In addition, research shows that strong leaders contribute significantly to successful school turnaround. To ensure that school leaders…

In 2015, the U.S. Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) that included provisions to support gifted and talented learners. The U.S. Department of Education's Consolidated State Plan template only required states to directly address the inclusion of gifted education under Title II, Part A: Supporting Effective Instruction (Section…

Learning Forward's Professional Learning State and District Planner is a guide to help state, district, and school leaders implement professional learning to support high-quality curriculum and instructional materials. Grounded in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) definition of high-quality professional learning as intensive, data-driven,…