The Every Student Succeeds Act finally becomes a classroom reality this fall, putting more authority—and on-the-ground responsibility—in the hands of district leaders, school-level educators, and state policymakers.
Education Week offers a big-picture look at how prepared states, districts, and schools are to meet the challenges of the new federal K-12 law and what they can do to assure a smooth rollout in the 2018-19 school year. In this virtual event, Education Week journalists and guests will staff online “discussion” booths on a host of topics, including details of the law itself; its impact on teacher policy; testing and assessments; how schools and districts are meeting the law’s demands for data and transparency; what ESSA means for minority students, English-learners, and those with disabilities; and market opportunities and challenges for the business sector as educators move to meet ESSA’s requirements.
Event Videos
Agenda
1:00-3:00 p.m. ET | #ESSASummit18 Discussions Open
Education Week journalists and guests provide practical takeaways on the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Education Week journalists and guests provide practical takeaways on the Every Student Succeeds Act.
1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
ESSA’s Government Policy Landscape
Join Education Week’s lead federal policy reporter Alyson Klein for a discussion of how ESSA is reshaping the relationship between states and the federal government when it comes to setting and carrying out K-12 policy. Both parties are still figuring out the balance on issues like school accountability, federal oversight, civil rights, and using data to turn around low-performing schools. And there’s plenty to catch up on in the way of pilot programs, grant, and regulatory wrinkles as the new law goes into effect.
Alyson Klein is an assistant editor for Education Week.
1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
ESSA Policy: Who’s Calling the Shots Stateside
There’s plenty of tension at the state level over just who gets to wield the new policy flexibility ESSA offers, with state superintendents, board, governors, and legislators all jockeying for a piece of the pie—and local districts worried they’ll be overlooked or caught in the middle. State policy reporter Daarel Burnette II leads a session on how these rival interests are working out their differences, and what the real-world impact for students and teachers.
Daarel Burnette II was an assistant managing editor for Education Week.
1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
New Wrinkles in Testing and Assessments
ESSA gives states new openings to shape student-testing regimes to their own liking, including innovative pilot programs and fresh options on how to meet federal requirements. Associate editor Stephen Sawchuk examines why this new flexibility has been a hard sell for many states, and how to make the most of law’s new opportunities in this sensitive area.
Stephen Sawchuk is an assistant managing editor for Education Week, leading coverage of teaching, learning, and curriculum.
1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
ESSA and High-Quality Teaching
How should states go about assuring that every student has a high-quality teacher in the classroom, and how should that be measured? Teacher policy reporter Madeline Will examines those key questions and the still-emerging framework states are using to assess and deploy their teacher workforce.
Madeline Will is an assistant managing editor for Education Week, leading coverage of school leadership and general education trends.
Elizabeth Ross
Managing Director of State Policy,
National Council on Teacher Quality
Amy Wooten
Executive Director of Educator Licensure and Preparation,
Tennessee Department of Education
1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
Minorities, English-Learners, and Special Education—Who’s Keeping Watch?
ESSA’s been called a civil rights law at base, setting tough standards for states in measuring and boosting the performance of historically disenfranchised groups of students. But civil rights advocates worry about compliance and oversight in an era of new flexibility. Federal policy reporter Andrew Ujifusa moderates a discussion about these concerns and what states are doing to allay them.
Andrew Ujifusa was an assistant editor who covered national education policy and politics.
1:00–3:00 p.m. ET
The ESSA Marketplace
Get a detailed look at the business and private sector opportunities ESSA offers as states, districts, and schools seek to benefit from the new law’s flexibility and live up to mandates that affect policies in assessment, school turnarounds, professional development, ed-tech, and school budgets. This wide-ranging discussion is led by Sean Cavanagh, senior editor of EdWeek Market Brief.
Sean Cavanagh is the managing editor of EdWeek Market Brief.
Reg Leichty
Founder and Partner,
Foresight Law + Policy
David DeSchryver
Director,
Co-Director of Research, Whiteboard Advisors
3:00–3:30 p.m. ET
Final Reporter Wrap-up
ESSA: In Conversation With Education Week
Led by the reporters, the Education Week newsroom will close out the day with insights from the discussions they’ve had with you, the readers.
Led by the reporters, the Education Week newsroom will close out the day with insights from the discussions they’ve had with you, the readers.