Resources

Accountability and School Improvement

• Dear colleague letter Extending the Date to Submit State Plan Addendum (January 26, 2021)
• Frequently Asked Questions: Impact of COVID-19 on Accountability Systems Required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (Updated January 19, 2021)

This document is intended to provide responses to questions state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools may have regarding implementation of the Spring 2020 assessment and accountability waivers and the impact of COVID-19 on accountability systems for the 2020-2021 school year.

• State Plan Addendum Template for 2020-2021 (Updated January 19, 2021)
• Summary Response to Comments on Frequently Asked Questions: Impact of COVID-19 on Accountability Systems Required under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (January 19, 2021)
• ESEA Sec. 1003 Funding for School Improvement & ESEA Sec. 1003A Direct Student Services Webinar (July 18, 2018)
• Dear Colleague Letter on the use of remaining School Improvement Grants (SIG) Funds (January 9, 2018)
• Evidence Guidance (September 16, 2016)

Assessments

• Secretary’s Letter regarding Assessment Requirements for the 2020-2021 School Year (September 3, 2020)
• Standards and Assessments

Consolidated State Plans

• Dear Colleague Letter on State Plan Amendments, School Identification, Reporting, and Technical Assistance (October 24, 2019)
• ESSA State Plan Submission
• ESEA Dear Colleague Letter on State Plan Amendments (November 14, 2018)
• Consolidated State Plans Reminders Webinar (August 1, 2017)
• Consolidated State Plan Frequently Asked Questions (June 16, 2017)
• ESSA Dear Colleague Letter on School Support and Improvement Activities and Consultation (April 10, 2017)
• Secretary DeVos’ Letter regarding updated consolidated State plans (March 13, 2017)
• Secretary DeVos’ Letter to States regarding consolidated State plans (February 10, 2017)
• Consolidated State Plan Revised Assurances Template
• Revised Consolidated State Plan Template
• Crosswalk of Consolidated State Plan Requirements
• Webinar presentation: Consolidated State plan peer review process (March 22, 2017)
• Webinar presentation: Revised State Plan Template (March 15, 2017)
• ESEA State Plan Peer Reviewers
• Fall Peer Reviewer On-Site Training (October 30, 2017)
• Consolidated State Plans Peer Reviewer Training Webinar (September 14, 2017)
• Consolidated State Plans Peer Reviewer Training Webinar (September 12, 2017)
• Peer Reviewer Training presentation: McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth Program (April 26, 2017)
• Peer Reviewer Training Webinar : Title I, Part A and Title III, Part A (April 3, and 5, 2017)
• Presentation (March 30, 2017)
• State Plan Peer Review Criteria (March 28, 2017)

ESSA Flexibilities

• A Parent’s Guide to ESSA
• A Summary of the Flexibilities
• Comprender la Ley Cada Estudiante Triunfa
• Build Your Own Presentation: A Parent’s Guide to ESSA
• Webinar Presentation: ESSA Flexibilities
  • Slides
  • Webinar Recording

Equitable Services

• Title I, Part A Equitable Services Non-Regulatory Guidance (October 4, 2019)
  • Non-Regulatory Guidance
  • Summary Response to Public Comments Received
• Secretary’s letter to congress regarding ESEA provisions restricting religious organizations as contract providers of equitable services are unconstitutional (March 11, 2019) – Fact Sheet
• Dear Colleague Letter regarding Ombudsmen (April 6, 2017)

Fiscal Requirements

• Fact Sheet: State-Administered Programs under the ESEA and the Nationwide Waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Allow Meal Pattern Flexibility in the Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option through June 2021 (January 4, 2021) **Note, ED is working to update this document to account for USDA’s announcement extending the school lunch waivers for 2021-22
• DRAFT Within-District Allocations Under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (March 11, 2020)

This document combines existing information on within-district Title I, Part A allocations (that currently exists in multiple places) to make the information easier for States and LEAs to access and use. It also updates the information to be consistent with the requirements in the ESEA of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, identifying the requirements and options that the ESEA provides them with respect to within-district allocations. This document is posted for stakeholder review and comment through April 24, 2020. We ask that you refrain from providing line-edits of the document. Instead, please submit substantive comments about the content of the draft, including feedback on any additional topics you would like to see included, to OESE.Feedback@ed.gov. We will consider comments in making revisions but will not provide responses to individual comments.

• Title I Supplement, not Supplant Non-Regulatory Informational Document (June 19, 2019)
  • Informational document (June 19, 2019)
  • Summary response to public comments received
  • Memorandum to Title I Directors Regarding the Timeline for Implementing the New Title I Supplement, Not Supplant Requirements (December 6, 2017)
• ESEA Maintenance of Effort Waiver Request
  • The new MOE requirements, under ESSA, will first apply to LEAs that are eligible to receive FY 2017 funds under a covered program for the 2017-2018 school year. (MOE calculations for FY 2017 funds compare expenditures from State and local sources for free public education in FY 2016 (school year 2015-2016) with those from FY 2015 (school year 2014-2015)). States must review whether the LEAs have failed to maintain effort in 1 of the 5 immediately preceding years. States with LEAs requesting waiver consideration must submit this updated spreadsheet for FY 2017 and beyond.
    • States requesting waiver consideration for FY 2016 or earlier would also fill out the form, except for Columns D and E on Form 3.
      • MS Excel (Updated May 3, 2021)
• Process for Transferring State-Level Funds (Section 5103(a) of the ESEA) (October 25, 2017)
• ESSA Fiscal Changes & Equitable Services Guidance (November 21, 2016)
• The Community Eligibility Provision and Selected Requirements Under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended (March 2015)
• Letter Describing Findings from U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General report entitled “Fraud in Title I-Funded Tutoring Programs (March 10, 2014)
• Title I, Part A Recovery Funds for Grants to Local Educational Agencies Uses of Funds Guidance (September 2, 2009)
• Fiscal Issues: Title I, Part A (February 2008)
• Late Liquidation of Funds (September 2007)
• Joint U.S. Department of Education and Department of Agriculture Letter Providing Guidance on Implementation of the New Requirements of Title I by Schools that Operate School Lunch Programs (February 20, 2003)
• State Educational Agency Procedures for Adjusting Basic, Concentration, Targeted, and Education Finance Incentive Grant Allocations Determined by the U.S. Department of Education (May 23, 2003)
• Local Educational Agency Identification and Selection of School Attendance Areas and Schools and Allocation of Title I Funds to Those Areas and School (August 2003)
• Allocating Funds to Charter Schools (December 2000)

Graduation Rate Requirements

• Graduation Rate Guidance (January 6, 2017)

Parent and Family Engagement

• Dear Colleague Letter on Stakeholder Engagement (June 22, 2016)
  • Parental Involvement: Title I, Part A, Non-Regulatory Guidance (April 23, 2004)

Schoolwide Programs

• ESSA Schoolwide Guidance (September 29, 2016)
  • Letter to States on how to leverage Federal and non-Federal funds in Schoolwide Programs (February 13, 2013)

State and Local Report Cards

• A Parent Guide to State and Local Report Cards
  • Interpretación de libretas de calificaciones estatales y locales: Guía para padres
  • Opportunities and Responsibilities for State and Local Report Cards (March 28, 2019)
    • Informational Document
    • Summary Response of Public Comments Received
  • ESSA Dear Colleague Letter on per-pupil expenditures reporting (June 28, 2017)

Special Populations

• Brief: Improving Outcomes for All Students: Strategies and Considerations to Increase Student Diversity (January 9, 2017)

Children in Foster Care

• Dear Colleague Letter on Implementation of Educational Stability Requirements (December 5, 2016)
  • Effective Collaboration Webinar PowerPoint (September 7, 2016)
    • Best Interest Determinations and Immediate Enrollment PowerPoint Presentation (August 24, 2016)
    • Education and Child Welfare Points of Contact Webinar PowerPoint (August 17, 2016)
    • An Overview of the ED/HHS Joint Guidance PowerPoint Presentation (July 27, 2016)
    • Foster Care Guidance (June 23, 2016)
    • Dear Colleague Letter on Foster Care Guidance (June 23, 2016)
    • Dear Colleague Letter on Foster Care Timelines (June 23, 2016)

Education for Homeless Children and Youths

• Homeless Student Guidance (Updated August 2018)
• Letter regarding Title I, Part A reservation to serve homeless students (July 30, 2018)
• Homeless Student Guidance Fact Sheet (July 27, 2016)
• Homeless Student Notice of Rights and Protections (July 27, 2016)

Early Learning

• Early Learning in the Every Student Succeeds Act, expanding Opportunities to Support our Youngest Learners (October 20, 2016)
• Guidance on Serving Preschool Children Through Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended by No Child Left Behind (April 6, 2012)

English Learners

• ESSA Title III Guidance – English Learners (September 23, 2016)
• Addendum to September 23, 2016 Non-Regulatory Guidance: English Learners and Title III of the ESEA (January 2, 2019)

Student-Centered Funding

• Local Flexibility Demonstration Agreements for Student-Centered Funding Authorized by Section 1501 of the ESEA

Transition to the Every Student Succeeds Act

• ESSA Dear Colleague Letter on 2017-2018 Transition (January 13, 2017)
  • ESSA Transition FAQs (January 18, 2017)
  • ESSA Dear Colleague Letter (January 28, 2016)
  • ESSA Webinar Powerpoint (December 22, 2015)
    • ESSA Webinar Audio Recording (December 22, 2016)
  • Dear Colleague Letter on the Transition to ESSA (December 18, 2015)
  • Dear Colleague Letter on the New ESSA Law (December 10, 2015)
• Flexibility and Accountability in No Child Left Behind

Waivers

• Title I Waivers