Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

ESSA Overview

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a federal K–12 education law. ESSA was signed into law in 2015, replacing No Child Left Behind, and reauthorizing the original Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which was signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

ESSA requires every state to measure performance in reading, math, and science. Every school must inform parents about their standards and their results. 

ESSA requires every state to provide parents important information on test performance in reading, math, and science. The report cards must also provide data on graduation rates, suspensions, absenteeism, teacher qualifications, and many other areas. Texas provides maximum transparency for parents and publicly shares performance information on TXschools.gov and in data reports on the Performance Reporting pages.

Texas ESSA State Plan Information

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) formally submitted the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) consolidated plan to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) on Sept. 25, 2017. The USDE approved the state’s original 2017 ESSA plan on March 26, 2018. The most recent USDE-approved state plan and amendments are provided below.

Original 2017 ESSA Plan Submission 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) formally submitted the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) consolidated plan to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) on Sept. 25, 2017. After negotiations, the USDE approved the state’s ESSA plan on March 26, 2018. The final plan and amendments are provided below.

ESSA in Texas

Stakeholder Engagement

TEA designed and carried out a comprehensive, multi-pronged engagement strategy beginning in January 2016 to collect stakeholder input and feedback to help shape the agency’s strategic direction, inform the development of innovative education systems, and create a unified framework across state and federal policy. This feedback contributed to the foundation of TEA’s Strategic Plan and the Texas ESSA Consolidated State Plan.

Communications with U.S. Department of Education