Oregon Department of Education seeks comment on ESSA plan

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) released its draft plan Feb. 14 for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

ESSA, which replaced No Child Left Behind, gives states more autonomy and greater flexibility to address local needs. ESSA is aimed at providing equity for historically underserved students. It also includes annual tests and directives to identify schools needing improvement.

The public can view ODE’s draft ESSA plan and answer a survey.

The plan will be presented to the State Board of Education on Feb. 23. The plan will then be revised and open to further public comment. The final plan is due April 3 to the U.S. Department of Education.

Congress is considering changes to ESSA that would reduce accountability, which could also affect the implementation timeline.