This week, the Michigan Department of Education submitted the state’s plan to the U.S. Department of Education (USED) for the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  The plan was signed by Governor Rick Snyder and State Superintendent Brian Whiston.

ESSA is the new federal law that replaced the previous No Child Left Behind Act.  Under the new act, every state is to develop a plan that it will use to improve educational outcomes for children and hold schools accountable and transparent for that success.  The concept behind the federal law is to give schools more flexibility in how they meet the needs of their students with tailored strategies for success, with less focus on compliance to federal requirements.

Michigan’s ESSA plan centers on providing children the opportunity to learn, to access excellent educators and meaningful supports, and to successfully transition to college, career, and life.  The department spent most of the past year developing the plan, working with stakeholders through work groups, community meetings, focus groups, online surveys, webinars, and general input from the public.  It was developed through the inclusion and consultation with the Governor; State Board of Education; state legislature; and representatives from local school districts, schools, intermediate school districts, Michigan’s 12 federally-recognized tribal education departments, civil rights groups, education organizations, teachers, parents, students, business leaders, community members, and foundations.

Key components of Michigan’s ESSA Plan include:

• Defining the purpose of school accountability as providing direct supports to the districts, rather than labeling and sanction.
• A differentiated response to schools based on their academic need, with the most intensive interventions and supports being provided to those most in need.
• A true focus on the whole child and the aspects of a well-rounded education, including not only academic subjects like fine arts and physical education, but also areas related to safety, health, school culture and climate, food and nutrition, early childhood, postsecondary transitions, and social-emotional learning.
• Flexibility in the interventions and actions taken by districts and schools, rather than prescribed certain models or interventions. This plan helps local districts diagnose their needs across the whole child spectrum, identify evidence-based practices, and implement a plan that is tailored to their needs.
• Integration and focus on alignment with early childhood initiatives and goals.
• Educator quality that goes beyond a focus on “highly qualified” (which was required under NCLB), to supporting teachers and leaders throughout their careers.
• Assessment systems that are designed to measure within-year student growth in addition to proficiency on rigorous content standards.
• An accountability system that provides clear information to all stakeholders, based on areas that relate to the progress toward being a Top 10 education state in 10 years.

The plan now will be reviewed by USED staff, as well as a structured peer review process for specific sections of the plan.  ESSA law provides the U.S. Secretary of Education 120 days to review and approve state plans.

For more information, please visit www.michigan.gov/ESSA.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.