Secretary DeVos
Approves Massachusetts’ ESSA Plan
U.S.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today announced the approval of
Massachusetts’ consolidated state plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA).
“I
continue to be heartened by the ways in which states have embraced the
flexibility afforded to them under ESSA,” said Secretary DeVos. “I want
to thank Acting Commissioner Jeff Wulfson, Governor Charlie Baker and all the
stakeholders that contributed to Massachusetts’ plan. This plan also serves as
a testament to the leadership of the late Commissioner Mitchell Chester, who
remains greatly missed. I look forward to seeing how these words on paper
translate to classroom action that meets the unique needs of the students
across the commonwealth.”
Allowing states more flexibility in how
they deliver education to students is at the core of ESSA. Each state crafted a
plan that it feels will best offer educational opportunities to meet the needs
of the state and its students. The following are some of the unique elements
from Massachusetts’ plan:
· Champions
strategies to help transform the lowest-performing schools and districts which
includes state and local partnerships, empowering school and district
innovation and bold intervention authority.
· Measures
the percentage of juniors and seniors in high school who complete broad and
challenging coursework—including Advanced Placement, International
Baccalaureate and honors courses—in order to incentivize participation in
rigorous coursework and to reduce equity gaps among student subgroups enrolled
in advanced courses.
“Massachusetts
is proud of the achievements of our K-12 student population, but like most
other states, we still have a lot of work ahead to close persistent achievement
gaps,” said Commissioner Jeff Wulfson. “Our ESSA state plan provides a framework
for accountability and targeted assistance and builds on a system that has
helped improve schools for Massachusetts students. We appreciate the support
we've received from Secretary DeVos and her staff and look forward to working
in partnership with them.”
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