ESSA Talent Plan Toolkit FAQ

ESSA Talent Plan Template and Submission

Template and Submission: Where can I locate the submission template?

• The template that districts will submit can be found in the Step 1-3 sections on the webpage.

Template and Submission: Do districts need to update the ESSA Talent Plan throughout the year?

• No, but they should be monitoring progress throughout the year.

Submission: When and where should the plan be submitted?

• Districts identified with disparities in student growth rates between low income and minority students and other students that are greater than 10% based on the prior 2 of 3 years of data are notified annually through the TAA that they are required to complete and submit an ESSA Talent Plan. The ESSA Talent Plan must be submitted in ISAM.
• Step-by-step instructions on how to submit the ESSA Talent Plan can be found on ESSA Talent Plan Submission Guidelines on the main webpage of the ESSA Talent Plan Toolkit.

Which sections of the template are required for submission?

• Steps 1-3 are required components of the ESSA Talent Plan for submission. There are two extra tabs included to support planning for implementation and monitoring of fidelity. These sections are provided to track your progress during plan implementation and can be used to guide your improvement planning over time.

General Questions

Does the ESSA Talent Plan need to be reported publicly or approved by the school board?

• There is no public reporting requirement, and there is no requirement for board approval. 
• However, districts must follow their local policies and procedures. And, best practice suggests that the work of the ESSA Talent Plan be aligned to the other required district and/or campus improvement planning processes.

How many strategies should a district select?

• Districts should use their best judgment in selecting appropriate strategies that can be realistically implemented. In some cases, a district might select only one strategy to implement.

Are districts required to complete each section (attracting, supporting, and retaining) of the Step 1: Conducting a Root Cause Analysis table?

• Districts are not required to complete every section of the root cause analysis table. For example, if a district completes the root cause analysis and reaches the conclusion that their special education teachers are not receiving enough support, that district can complete the “supporting” section of the table.

Permission to Print/Download Documents from the TEA ESSA Talent Plan webpage

• The documents on the TEA ESSA Talent Plan webpage are available for use by the public in practices for improvement in education. It is the property of the Texas Education Agency and may not be used for purposes to generate revenue for individuals or entities other than TEA. 
• The above statement is also true for those using the public-facing documents for research purposes.

Data Collection and Analysis

Gathering Data: When will the state data on disparities in student growth be updated?

• This data is updated annually in the fall after accountability data is released. You can view the most updated data on the "State Student Growth Disparities Reports" webpage.

Why is the student growth disparity calculated?

• ESSA requires that the state and LEAs identify low income and minority students that are taught at higher rates than other students by ineffective, inexperienced, or out-of-field teachers. Per the agency’s approved ESSA state plan, TEA uses measures of student growth based on state assessment results to determine if students are experiencing effective teaching (more information on how TEA measures student growth on state assessments).

How is the district’s student growth disparity calculated?

• Step 1: Pull Data. Pull the STAAR progress Measure % at Expected or Accelerated Growth by Grade & Subject and fall enrollment data for AA, W, H, E, & N subgroups for prior 3 school years’ growth data (n-size = >20)
• Step 2: Calculate the percentage gaps for the “% meets or exceeds student progress for all tests” for the following comparisons: African American & White; Hispanic & White; EcoDis & NonEcoDis

What types of data should districts examine when determining root causes for differences in student growth outcomes?

• Districts may look at all data collected including discipline data, student work, perception data (survey), academic assessment data (interim, formative, summative), teacher level data (T-TESS or other appraisal system), early childhood data, etc.

What campuses should be included when examining differences in student growth outcomes?

• All districts must examine data across all campuses in identifying the root causes for the gaps, regardless of individual campuses’ Title I status.

How do I calculate for my Non-Economically Disadvantaged Students?

• The percentages for Non- Economically Disadvantaged Students progress measure was calculated using this equation:
  • (Number expected or Accelerated Growth for All Grades, All Students) - (Number Expected or Accelerated Growth for All Subjects All Grades, Economically Disadvantaged Students) / (Total Number of Tests with Growth Measure) = % Expected or Accelerated Growth for All Subjects, All Grades, non-Economically Disadvantaged Students.