ESSA Basics: What are Title I and Title III?

By Alyssa Thornley | May 25, 2017

Updated on May 25, 2023.

On July 1st, 2017, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaced No Child Left Behind (NCLB) as a rule of the land, at least in education. ESSA is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was first signed into law in 1965. The law reaffirms the commitment to equal opportunity for all U.S. students

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USED Issues School Improvement Interventions Letter: Fails to Address Title III Improvement Issues

By Dr. David Holbrook | April 19, 2017

Shortly before the Trump administration took office, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) (January 13, 2017) to State Education Agencies (SEAs) regarding the timeline for and provision of interventions in schools identified for improvement. The DCL covered Title I school improvement interventions for the 2017-2018 school year (SY) for both Focus and Priority schools under ESEA Flexibility and schools identified for Improvement, Corrective Action, or Restructuring under NCLB. In addition, it provided a timeline for when schools should be identified for ESSA school improvement as either Comprehensive Support and Improvement schools or Targeted Support and Improvement schools.

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ESSA Aligned Private School Consultation and Ombudsman Notices Required Before the July 1st ESSA Deadline

By Dr. David Holbrook | April 17, 2017

The most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), goes into full implementation on July 1, 2017. After July 1st all ESEA notices need to align with ESSA requirements.However, some ESSA notices are required or needed prior to the July 1st date. One category of notices needed is the Private Schools Consultation notices.

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Immigration Enforcement: Congress Urges Trump Administration Officials to Reiterate Commitment to Uphold Plyler v. Doe

By Dr. David Holbrook | April 12, 2017

During the first week of April, members of Congress sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, and U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly asking them to uphold the educational provisions of Plyler v. Doe regarding the provision of access to a public education regardless of the child’s or parent’s immigration status.

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Guidance for ESSA State Plan Peer Review Released

By Dr. David Holbrook | April 3, 2017

Earlier I reported that the U.S. Department of Education (USED) hosted a webinar for State Education Agencies (SEAs) related to issues of submission of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plans and Peer Review of those plans once submitted. That post included the information that only three of the nine ESSA programs included in consolidated state submissions will receive peer review. Those that will receive peer review are:

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Scope of ESSA State Plan Peer Review Reduced

By Dr. David Holbrook | March 31, 2017

On Wednesday, March 22nd, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) hosted a webinar for State Education Agencies (SEAs) related to issues of submission of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plans and Peer Review of those plans once submitted. While an ESSA State Plan, if consolidated, should include nine ESSA programs, only three ESSA programs will receive peer review. Those that will receive peer review are:

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Trump’s Budget Proposal – Is a Proposal

By Dr. David Holbrook | March 31, 2017

President Trump’s budget proposal made a big splash by proposing to eliminate funding for some major ESSA programs. The proposal to eliminate the teacher development program under Title II and Title IV, Part B - 21st Century Community Learning Centers received the most attention.

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Recent Actions Indicate the Potential for Reduction of Staff/Programs at USED

By Dr. David Holbrook | March 17, 2017

Recent activities at the national level indicate a potential Trump administration initiative to reduce the U.S. Department of Education’s (USED) staff and programs. In particular, three recent actions point in that direction.

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