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Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Alternate Assessment 1% Limitation Information

The Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA, is the nation’s education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. In order for Nebraska schools to access the funds provided from this Act, the Nebraska Department of Education submitted a statewide plan to describe how we will leverage these funds to provide equity and college and career ready experiences for all Nebraska students.

Final ESSA Nebraska State Plan (06/05/18)

Approval Letter

ESSA Nebraska State Plan REVISED (05/11/18)

ESSA Nebraska State Plan REVISED (04/30/18)

ESSA Nebraska State Plan REVISED (01/19/18)

Original ESSA Nebraska State Plan Submission (09/13/2017)

ESSA Summary

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

President Barack Obama signed into law the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in December 2015. The title of the reauthorized legislation, which replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), is the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The passage of ESSA provides a much-anticipated opportunity to improve outcomes for all students.

NDE is committed to collaborating with stakeholders, including educators, policymakers, and community members, to ensure coherent and thoughtful state-level implementation of ESSA. ESSA requires that states develop and submit a State Plan to the U.S. Department of Education. To ensure that the Nebraska State Plan addresses the day-to-day needs of educators, students, and communities, NDE will design a stakeholder engagement process that relies on participation from a group of diverse leaders and practitioners.

ESSA Overview

If you have comments or questions regarding the Nebraska ESSA Plan,
please contact NDE ESSA at nde.essa@nebraska.gov.

Stakeholder Listening Tour

To help our effort to strengthen family-school-community partnerships, bring inclusive voices and empower ALL to speak up for every child in our state, NDE hosted the ESSA Stakeholder Listening Tour.

“Listening to our Stakeholders” Sessions

Date

Location

Time

March 7, 2017 Harms Advanced Technology Center-WNCC
2620 College Park, Scottsbluff, NE 69361
6:30 pm – 8:00pm
March 8, 2017 Mid-Plains Community College – North Campus
WW Wood Building, Rooms 202 and 204
1101 Halligan Drive, North Platte, NE 69101
6:30 pm – 8:00pm
March 14, 2017 Norfolk Public Schools Central Adm. Offices
512 Philip Avenue, Norfolk, NE 68701, Room 302
6:30 pm – 8:00pm
March 16, 2017
*please note time change
Southeast Community College, Lincoln Campus
8800 O Street, Lincoln, NE 68520-1299 
7:00 pm – 8:30pm
March 20, 2017 Grand Island Senior High School
2124 N Lafayette Ave, Grand Island, NE 68803
6:30 pm – 8:00pm
March 22, 2017 ESU 5
900 W Court St, Beatrice, NE 68310
6:30 pm – 8:00pm
March 27, 2017 UNO Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center
6400 South, University Drive Road North, Omaha, NE 68182
6:30 pm – 8:00pm

Resources on Education Stability of Children in Foster Care

In recognition of the unique needs of children involved in the child welfare system, both Federal and State governments have launched efforts to increase school stability and improve education outcomes for children in foster care.  In December of 2015, the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was passed, reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA)ESSA’s provisions for schools regarding educational stability of children in foster care generally mirror similar requirements in the federal Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 that govern State, local and tribal child welfare agencies.

The ESSA provisions for State and Local Education Agencies (SEA and LEAs) related to children in foster care take effect on December 10, 2016. A series of resource materials have been developed to assist the schools and child welfare agencies in implementing these provisions.  The following documents are among several resources available:

Timeline of Engagement

Updated March 28, 2017

Our goal in our stakeholder engagement plan is to update the public as more regulations and laws regarding ESSA are developed through rulemaking.

In order to successfully coordinate and facilitate the Department’s efforts to submit an ESSA plan to the United States Department of Education (USDOE) by September 18, 2017 the ESSA Core Team has developed a four-phase process – known as the Timeline of Engagement.

Phase 1: August 2016 – October 2016
Strategic Vision

  • NDE sets the strategic plan direction with priority goals
  • NDE launches ESSA project, ESSA Core Team and Internal ESSA Advisor Group is appointed
  • ESSA Plan project charter is established
  • NDE submits ESSA comments to proposed regulations comments on August 1, 2016 and September 9, 2016
  • NDE staff begins the process of analyzing the ESSA law
  • ESSA web site page development starts

Phase 2: October 2016 – February 2017
Initial Planning and Development

  • NDE staff begins analyzing the ESSA law/guidance in preparation for development of state plan
  • NDE ESSA Core Team starts to develop plan and ensure alignment to NDE’s strategic plan priorities (AQuESTT)
  • NDE ESSA Core Team identifies and engages external stakeholders and solicits input through various forums
  • NDE reviews Federal regulations published on November 29, 2016
  • ESSA Core Team aligns to the revised regulations and prepares first draft of the ESSA Plan

Phase 3: February 2017 – June 2017
ESSA Plan Writing and Reviews

  • External ESSA Stakeholder Engagement sessions start March 7, 2017 through to March 27, 2017
  • Revised ESSA State Plan template released by USDOE on March 13, 2017
  • AQuESTT Conference sharing feedback from ESSA Stakeholder Engagement sessions held throughout the State
  • First draft of ESSA Plan presented to State Board of Education on May 4-5, 2017
  • Peer Review meeting of Nebraska’s ESSA Plan draft  May 16, 2017
  • Final draft of ESSA State Plan for State Board review June 1-2, 2017
  • NDE continues to solicit and gather feedback from stakeholders
  • Assurance statements submissions in June 2017 to USDOE
  • ESSA State Plan Board authorize submission of ESSA State Plan on August 3-4, 2017

Phase 4: July 2017 – September 2017
Submission and Implementation

  • Official Nebraska ESSA Plan submitted to USDOE by September 18, 2017
Updated January 23, 2023 4:59pm