Texas Educator ESSA Talent Plan

Texas ESSA Talent Plan 

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires all districts that receive Title I funds to create plans to address any disparities that result in low-income students and minority students being taught at higher rates than other students by inexperienced, out-of-field, and ineffective teachers.

The 2017–2018 school year was the first year Local Education Agency (LEA) plans were required under ESSA.  To support districts in the planning process, TEA has developed the ESSA Talent Plan Toolkit. The Toolkit is designed to help LEAs work through a process that leads to the identification of effective strategies that can help ensure effective talent management and improve student learning for all.

Please continue to monitor the Toolkit for all information related to the ESSA Talent Plan including submission timelines and updates.

Highly Qualified Teachers

Beginning with the 2016–2017 school year, schools and teachers will only need to meet state requirements for certification. The federal term of “highly qualified teacher status” will no longer apply.  It is important to note that all state certification requirements adopted in State Board for Educator Certification rule remain in place. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires that LEAs ensure that paraprofessionals performing instructional duties whose salaries are paid in full or in part from Title I, Part A funds on a Schoolwide or Targeted Assistance campus, meet the Title I, Part A Paraprofessional requirements. Please see this link for further details on paraprofessionals HQ requirements.