On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). ESSA replaces its predecessor, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).

 ESSA offers districts greater flexibility for using federal funds to effectively implement comprehensive, districtwide research-based initiatives that maximize student academic outcomes, particularly for those students at risk of not meeting challenging state academic assessment standards.

ESSA renews the U.S. Department of Education’s emphasis on comprehensive needs assessments and improvement planning. The new regulations increase the district’s responsibilities for monitoring student outcomes, coordinated use of federal funds, and for offering high-quality guidance and technical assistance to schools engaged in continuous improvement planning.

Valley View ISD receives funding for the following entitlement programs within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

• Title I, Part A

• Title I Part C-Migrant

• Title II, Part A

• Title III, Part A LEP

• Title IV, Part A, Subpart 1

Title I, Part A--Improving Basic Programs
This program provides supplemental resources to local educational agencies (LEAs) to help schools with high concentrations of students from low-income families to provide a high-quality education that will enable all children to meet the state student performance standards. The intended program beneficiaries are students who experience difficulties mastering the state academic achievement standards. Title I, Part A funds are to be expended for programs, activities, and strategies that are scientifically based on research and meet needs (identified in the campus’ comprehensive needs assessment process) that are listed in the Campus Improvement Plan. On Title I Schoolwide campuses, Title I, Part A funds can be used for activities that are part of the Campus Improvement Plan to improve student performance and upgrade the entire educational program. In a schoolwide program (SWP), the amount of Title I, Part A funding on the campus must be supplemental. Because VVISD is a multiple-attendance district, the Title I Schoolwide campuses are served in rank order, with per-pupil allocations tiered based on the need for services, as indicated on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act’s Every Student Succeeds Act guidelines.

Valley View ISD has 7 schools that are served as Title I Schoolwide Campuses.

ELEMENT 1. COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT (CNA): [ESSA P.L. Sec. 1114(b)(6)]
1.1 Campuses operating a schoolwide program must conduct a comprehensive needs assessment (CNA) of the entire school that includes: 
a. The academic achievement of students
b. The needs of students who are failing, or are at risk of failing, to meet State standards
c. Barriers for educators, students, and parents (SEC. 1116.(a)(2)(D)(i)
d. The campus must include the date the CNA was developed (if a new campus) or the date the CNA was reviewed/revised annually.

ELEMENT 2. CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN REQUIREMENT (CIP): [ESSA P.L. Sec. 1114(b)(1-5)]
2.1 Involvement from all stakeholders including parents, community members, teachers, principal and other school leaders as well as representation of paraprofessionals, technology staff and special population personnel. Committee lists should include all stakeholders and their roles.

2.2 Revision and monitoring as necessary based on student needs to ensure that all students are provided opportunities to meet the challenging academic standards.

2.3 Provide access to the CIP to the district, parents, and the public. The CIP must be in an understandable and uniform format and to the extent practicable, provided in a language that the CIP identifies that the parents can understand and indicate languages in which the CIP is distributed.

Schoolwide Reform Strategies: [ESSA P.L. Sec. 1114(b)(7)(A)(i-iii)]
2.4 Opportunities for all children to meet State standards. The plan contains a description of the strategies that will provide opportunities for all children, including each student group (economically disadvantaged students, major racial and ethnic groups, children with disabilities, and English learners) to meet the challenging State academic standards. [Section 1114(b)(7)(A)(i)]

2.5 Increased learning time and well-rounded education. The plan contains a description of strategies that will use methods and instructional strategies that strengthen the academic program in the school, increase the amount and quality of learning time, and help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum, which may include programs, activities, and courses necessary to provide a well-rounded education. [Section 1114(b)(7)(A)(ii)]

2.6 Address the needs of all students, particularly at-risk. The plan contains a description of strategies that will address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs of those at risk of not meeting the challenging State academic standards. [Section 1114(b)(7)(A)(iii)]

 ELEMENT 3. PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT: [ESSA P.L. Sec. 1116(a)(2) and Sec. 1116(2)(c)(2)]
3.1 Develop and distribute Parent and Family Engagement Policy
The school will jointly develop with, and distribute to, parents and family members of participating children a written Parent and Family Engagement Policy. Parents shall be notified of the policy in an understandable and uniform format and, to the extent practicable, provided in a language the parents can understand. The policy shall be made available to the local community and updated periodically to meet the changing needs of the parents and the school. [Section 1116(b)(1)]

3.2 Offer flexible number of parent involvement meetings
The school will convene an annual meeting, at a convenient time, to which all parents shall be invited. The school shall offer a flexible number of meetings, such as meetings in the morning or evening, and with Title I-A funds may provide transportation, childcare, or home visits, as such services relate to parental involvement. The school shall involve parents, in an organized, ongoing, and timely way. For parents, the school shall provide timely information about programs, a description/explanation of the curriculum, and opportunities to provide suggestions in decisions relating to the education of their children. [Section 1116(c)(1-4)]

 REQUIRED COMPONENTS FOR ESSA TITLE I, PART A:
Comprehensive Needs Assessment: The campus plan is based on a comprehensive needs assessment of the entire school that considers information on the academic achievement of children in relation to the challenging State academic standards, particularly the needs of those children who are failing, or are at risk of failing, to meet the challenging State academic standards and any other factors as determined by the district/charter. [ESSA P.L. 114-95 Section 1114(b)(6)]

Well-Rounded Education: The campus will provide opportunities for all children, including each of the subgroups of students (as defined in section 1111(c)(2)) to meet the challenging state academic standards; use methods and instructional strategies that strengthen the academic program in the school, increase the amount and quality of learning time, and help provide an enriched and accelerated curriculum, which may include programs, activities, and courses necessary to provide a well-rounded education; and address the needs of all children in the school, but particularly the needs of those at risk of not meeting the challenging state academic standards. [ESSA P.L. 114-95 Section 1114(b)(7)(A)(i-iii)]

Coordination and Integration: The campus improvement plan “is developed in coordination and integration with other federal, state, and local services, resources, and programs, such as programs supported under this act, violence prevention programs, nutrition programs, housing programs, Head Start programs, adult education programs, career and technical education programs, and schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities or targeted support and improvement activities under section 1111(d);" [ESSA P.L. 114-95 Section 1114(b)(5)]

Parent and Family Engagement: The campus improvement plan "is developed with the involvement of parents and other members of the community to be served; it includes the coordination, technical assistance, and other support necessary to assist and build the capacity of all participating schools within the district  in planning and implementing effective parent and family involvement activities to improve student academic achievement and school performance, which may include meaningful consultation with employers, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations, or individuals with expertise in effectively engaging parents and family members in education;" [ESSA P.L. 114-95 Section 1114(b)(2), Section 1112(b)(7), and Section 1116(a)(2)(B)]

District reservation fiscal amounts to be used at Title I Schoolwide campuses include parent involvement activities to encourage academic achievement, Title I, Part A services to eligible private school students, district-wide professional development activities, and services to homeless students attending campuses not served by Title I, Part A.
Teacher Quality: The district improvement plan describes "how the local educational agency will identify and address, as required under state plans as described in section 1111(g)(1)(B), any disparities that result in low-income students and minority students being taught at higher rates than other students by ineffective, inexperienced, or out-of-field teachers;" [ESSA P.L. 114-95 Section 1112(b)(2)]

Transition: The district improvement plan describes “how the local educational agency will implement strategies to facilitate effective transitions for students from middle grades to high school and from high school to postsecondary education." [ESSA P.L. 114-95 Section 1112(b)(10)]

Student Needs: The district improvement plan describes "(A) developing and implementing a well-rounded program of instruction to meet the academic needs of all students; (B) identifying students who may be at risk for academic failure; (C) providing additional educational assistance to individual students that the local educational agency or school determines need help in meeting the challenging state academic standards; (D) identifying and implementing instructional and other strategies intended to strengthen academic programs and improve school conditions for student learning;" [ESSA P.L. 114-95 Section 1112(b)(1)(A-D)]

Title I Part C-Migrant
The purpose of the Migrant Education Program is to design and support programs that help migrant students overcome the challenges of mobility, cultural language barriers, social isolation, and other difficulties associated with a migratory lifestyle. 

Title II, Part A-Teacher Training, and Recruiting
Provides supplemental funding to improve student achievement. The funds are used to elevate teacher and principal quality through recruitment, hiring and retention strategies, and to increase the number of highly qualified teachers in the classroom and highly qualified principals and assistant principals in schools. The program uses scientifically based professional development interventions and holds districts and schools accountable for improvements in student academic performance.

Title III, Part A LEP-Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students
Provides supplemental resources to local education agencies to help ensure that children who are limited English proficient attain English proficiency at high levels in core academic subjects to meet state-mandated achievement performance standards.

Title IV, Part A, Subpart 1 -Student Support and Academic Enrichment
(1) Provides all students with access to a well-rounded education.
(2) Improves schools conditions for student learning.
(3) Improves the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students

Private Non-Profit (PNP) Schools
Equitable Services

School districts who receive federal grant funds are required to provide equitable services for eligible PNP school children, teachers, and other educational personnel.  The term “equitable services” refers to the process of providing students, teachers, staff, and families at eligible PNPs fair access to federally funded education programs and services, as appropriate. Services provided by the LEA for private school participants are designed to meet their educational needs and supplement the educational services provided by the private school.  Educational services or other benefits, including materials and equipment, provided under this section, shall be secular, neutral, and non-ideological.  The process depends on a “timely and meaningful consultation” between ISD officials and officials of eligible PNP Schools.*

• A Private Non-Profit (PNP) school may opt to participate in applicable programs if it meets the following specifications:
  The private school holds a not-for-profit status. A home school is considered a private school if it has official nonprofit status (i.e. have a tax-exempt identification number)

• The private school submits appropriate documents to determine eligibility, as requested

• The private school and/or its students (depending upon the program of interest) are located within the geographic jurisdiction of a local educational agency (LEA) that is eligible and receives funding. If the LEA does not receive funds for a specific program, it is not possible for the PNP to receive funds for that program

Under 34 CFR 77.1, the term “nonprofit” as applied to an agency, organization, or institution means it is owned and operated by one or more corporations or associations whose net earnings do not benefit, and cannot lawfully benefit, any private shareholder or entity.  If a church that operates a school meets the definition of nonprofit, the school does not need separate nonprofit status. (USDE Office of General Counsel).

Equitable services are provided to eligible Private Non-Profits Schools under the following federal ESSA Title programs:

• Title I, Part A: Improving Basic Programs for Educationally Disadvantaged Students

• Title II, Part A: Supporting Effective Instruction

• Title III, Part A: English Learners (EL)

• Title IV, Part A: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants

Note:
For Title I, Part A and Title I, Part C--ONLY: May be located either inside or outside of the district’s attendance zone boundaries and have students enrolled who are currently zoned to VVISD school.
For other federal programs: Must be located within the attendance-zone boundaries of VVISD

*Please note: Detailed information regarding ESSA Federal Program participation options for the following school year will be shared at our district's annual PNP meeting that is held each spring (May).

If you have questions, please contact Dr. Rosemarie Gomez at rgomez@vviewisd.net  956-340-1050

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) TEA website