As outlined in the August 2016 Dear Colleague Letter on ESSA Transition Technical Assistance and Resource, the Office of State Support (OSS), in collaboration with other OESE programs, offers technical assistance across grant programs to address State needs through one-on-one individualized support for States to problem solve specific State needs; through peer-to-peer interactions that provide opportunities for collaboration with peer States, communities of practice, and interstate working groups around relevant issues and challenges; and through building awareness of information and resources in response to needs identified in the field through ongoing guidance and technical support to all States.
Technical Assistance Resources
The sections below provide links to technical assistance resources and supports across multiple priority areas. Priorities align with consolidated State plans and support State capacity building, standards and assessments, teachers and leaders, accountability and support, and unique student populations. Highlighted resources include websites, webinars, guidance documents, resources, and tools created by the Department and other technical assistance partners.
Consolidated State Plans
These resources provide assistance to States for preparing and submitting consolidated State plans.
Tools
- Crosswalk of Consolidated State Plan Requirements
- Secretary DeVos' letter regarding updated consolidated State plans (March 13, 2017)
- Secretary DeVos' letter to States regarding consolidated State plans (February 10, 2017)
Presentations
- Webinar presentation: Revised State Plan Template (March 15, 2017)
Consultation, Performance Management, Capacity Building
These resources provide assistance to States and school districts to enhance systems and build capacity, including tools to build strong performance management systems, plan for sustainability, communicate and engage with stakeholders, and leverage federal funds to implement education programs.
Tools
- Dear Colleague Letter on Stakeholder Engagement (June 22, 2016)
- Reform Integration Framework and Resource Guide
- Great State Leaders: A Competency Framework for Growing Talent in a State Education Agency
Academic Assessments
These resources can help education leaders address common challenges related to challenging academic standards, including support for English Learners, teacher professional development around standards/lesson planning, and the development of high-quality assessments.
Tools
- Title I, Part A Assessment Regulation
- Title I, Part B Assessment Regulation
- Fact Sheet for Final Regulations: Title I, Part A and Part B
- Presentation: Assessment Regulations, Title I, Parts A and B (January 11, 2017)
- Use of Federal Funds for Assessments Guidance
- Assessment Design Toolkit (from the Reform Support Network)
- A Quality Control Toolkit for Student Learning Objectives (from the Reform Support Network)
- English Learner Tool Kit
TA Partners
- Center on Standards and Assessments Implementation
- Center on College and Career Readiness and Success
- National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition
Accountability Systems
These resources can help improve the effectiveness of differentiated recognition, accountability, and support systems designed to close achievement gaps for all students
Tools
- Long-Term Goal-Setting: Examples and Development Considerations For Use by State Educational Agencies in Addressing ESEA Requirements
Archived Information
Evidence-based Interventions and Supports for School Improvement
These resources address the identification and implementation of evidence-based school improvement strategies and interventions designed to support schools designated for improvement.
Regulations and Guidance
- Non-Regulatory Guidance: Using Evidence to Strengthen Education Investments (September 16, 2016)
- Education Department General Administrative Regulations: Technical Revisions Fact Sheet (October 16, 2017)
- ESSA Assessment Use of Funds Guidance (December 7, 2016)
Resources
- Needs Assessment Guidebook: Supporting the Development of District and School Needs Assessments
- Evidence-Based Practices in School Improvement- These profiles of promising practice focus on understanding how each profiled site followed steps of an evidence-based decision-making cycle (as defined in the Department's non-regulatory guidance for strengthening education investments).
- Synthesis of Resources- This synthesis of resources presents a literature base that can be used when starting to research evidence-based practices for school improvement.
- Championing Effective Instruction: A Discussion Paper on State Innovations for Prioritizing and Improving Instruction in Turnaround Schools (School Improvement Grants)
Tools
- Supporting Decision Making for Evidence-based Literacy Interventions (National Title I Conference presentation, February 2018)
- What Works Clearinghouse: Find What Works
Webinars
- ESEA Sec. 1003 Funding for School Improvement & ESEA Sec. 1003A Direct Student Services Webinar (July 18, 2018)
Supporting Excellent Educators
These resources can help education leaders address supports for teachers and leaders, including strategies to ensure that all students have access to excellent educators and recruiting, preparing, training, and supporting high quality teachers, principals and other school leaders.
- ESSA Title II, Part A Guidance — Supporting Educators
- Crafting a New Generation of Leaders: A Discussion Paper on State Initiatives for Developing Effective Turnaround Principals (from the Reform Support Network)
Support for All Students
These resources are geared toward helping States support all student populations, (including English Learners, Students with Disabilities, Children in Foster Care, Homeless Youth, Migrant Students, and Recently-Arrived Youth), and social-emotional and engagement supports for all students.
Tools
- Serving All Students: With a Focus on English Learners and Children with Disabilities (National Title I Conference presentation, February 2018)
- Resource Guide: Accountability for English Learners Under the ESSA
- Title III English Learner Guidance
- Dear Colleague Letter: English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents
- Students in Foster Care Program Page (includes Guidance and Toolkit)
- Homeless Students Program Page (includes Guidance)
- Early Learning Guidance
- Title IV, Part A Guidance — Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program
- Recently Arrived English Learners: A Guide for States
- ELSTAR User Guide
TA Partners
- The Neglected or Delinquent Education Technical Assistance Center
- National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments
Fiscal and Program Management
These resources provide guidance applicable to cross-cutting requirements around fiscal and program management of ESSA Title programs
Tools
- Financial Transparency and Reporting Readiness Assessment Tool
- School-level Resource Allocation: Communicating for Transparency and Equity (National Title I Conference presentation, February 2018)
- Title I Allocation Formulas: A Discussion of the Factors that Affect Allocation Amounts, Including Why School District Allocations Changes Across Years (National Title I Conference presentation, February 2018)
- Ombudsmen and ESEA Equitable Services: Building Partnerships Between SEAs, LEAs, and Private School Officials (National Title I Conference presentation, February 2018)
- Fiscal Changes & Equitable Services Guidance
- Schoolwide Guidance
- State Educational Agency Procedures for Adjusting Basic, Concentration, Targeted, and Education Finance Incentive Grant Allocations Determined by the U.S. Department of Education
- Applying the Title I and School Improvement Hold-Harmless Requirements when Allocating
- Local Educational Agency Identification and Selection of School Attendance Areas and Schools and Allocation of Title I Funds to Those Areas and Schools
- The Community Eligibility Provision and Selected Requirements Under Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended
- Title I Fiscal Issues: Maintenance of Effort; Comparability; Supplement, not Supplant; Carryover; Consolidating Funds in Schoolwide Programs; and Grantback Requirements
- Title IX, Part E Uniform Provisions, Subpart 1—Private Schools
- Serving Preschool Children Through Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended (April 16, 2012)
Data and Reporting
This resource provide guidance for cross-cutting data and reporting requirements for ESSA Title programs.
2018 National Title I Conference | February 8-11, 2018
Staff from the Department, including OSS, the Office of Special Education Programs, the Office of Non-public Education, and the Office of the General Counsel, presented nine sessions at the 2018 National Title I Conference, hosted by the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators.
- National Title I State Directors' Meeting (2/7/18)
- Serving All Students: With a Focus on English Learners and Children with Disabilities (2/8/18)
- Ombudsmen and ESEA Equitable Services: Building Partnerships Between SEAs, LEAs, and Private School Officials (2/8/18)
- Parent Priorities for School and District Report Cards (2/8/18)
- Supporting Decision Making for Evidence-based Literacy Interventions (2/9/18)
- School-level Resource Allocation: Communicating for Transparency and Equity (2/9/18)
- Title I Allocation Formulas: A Discussion of the Factors that Affect Allocation Amounts, Including Why School District Allocations Change Across Years (2/9/18)
- Updates from the U.S. Department of Education (2/10/18)
- The (Juris) Doctors Are In: A Lawyer's Prescription for Navigating the ESSA (2/10/18)
2018 Combined Federal Programs Meeting | December 6-7, 2018
The Office of State Support and the Office of Special Education Programs hosted the 2018 Combined Federal Programs Meeting in December 2018. The theme for the 2018 conference was "Improving Student Achievement through Analysis, Evaluation, and Accountability", and the conference featured presenters from the U.S. Department of Education, State educational agencies, and partner organizations.
- Breakout Session: ESSA Report Card Design Challenge Lessons Learned
- Breakout Session: Identifying and Addressing Student Needs: Meeting Local Needs with Evidence
- Breakout Session: Evaluating State Accountability Systems: Refining Approaches through Reflection
- Breakout Session: Improving Achievement of Struggling Readers
- Breakout Session: English Learner Updates
- Breakout Session: Sharing Data to Support Students in Foster Care
- Breakout Session Monitoring and Enforcing Equitable Services
- Breakout Session: Leveraging ESEA Funds to Support Educator Equity Planning
- Plenary Session: Policy Updates
- Plenary Session: Monitoring, Technical Assistance, and Report Card Updates
- Breakout Session: Implementation Strategies for Supporting CSI and TSI Schools
- Breakout Session: Closing Gaps for Students with Disabilities through Intentional Systems Alignment
- Breakout Session: Using Financial Transparency Data to Inform Resource Allocation
- Breakout Session: Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program: Overview & Updates
- Plenary Session: Meeting Reflections & Next Steps