AUSTIN – The U.S. Department of Education today announced that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has approved the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) consolidated plan. Commissioner of Education Mike Morath issued the following statement in response to the plan’s approval:

“In Texas, we are committed to ensuring every child is prepared for success in college, a career or the military. Our state plan reflects a commitment to reinforcing public education outcomes for more than five million schoolchildren while continuing to strengthen the economic future of Texas.”

ESSA became law in December 2015, replacing the No Child Left Behind Act. ESSA requires federal review and approval of a state consolidated plan, which provides a comprehensive overview of how each state will use federal funds to advance its own goals and visions of success for students. Specific highlights of the final Texas consolidated state plan include:

• Maintaining rigorous, yet achievable goals for all student groups;
• Creating stronger alignment between all state and federal program areas;
• Shifting the proficiency level for students from the “Approaches” label on State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) to the “Meets” label; and 
• Better aligning of federal funding with priorities within TEA’s strategic plan.

For more information regarding ESSA implementation in Texas and to view the final state plan approved by the federal government, visit the TEA website at http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Laws_and_Rules/ESSA/Every_Student_Succeeds_Act/. 

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