The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law December 10, 2015, reauthorizing the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act and revising many provisions of what was known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The Elementary and Secondary Education Act is the United States’ national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.

• ESSA provides Louisiana with an opportunity to collaborate with educators, parents, business and community leaders to create an improved K-12 education system that provides all students with equal access and opportunity to high-quality learning.

• Under federal law, the State Education Agency is responsible for creating and submitting a plan that complies with ESSA and with applicable laws and rules in Louisiana. The Department of Education thus creates the plan, but only BESE creates the rules, regulations, and policies that make the plan effective.

• Louisiana received approval of its plan from the USDOE on August 15, 2017.

• In October 2017, BESE incorporated Louisiana’s ESSA plan into state policies.

For details on the plan development process and stakeholder engagement opportunities, please view the files below. 

For more information about the Department’s efforts to improve struggling schools as outlined in Louisiana’s ESSA plan, please visit Struggling Schools and ESSA.

Public notice of the Department’s intent to apply for the Educational Flexibility Program: Please find more information about the Department’s application here. The deadline to provide public comment is July 31, 2019.

ESEA Consolidated State Plan Addendum

In October 2020, the United States Department of Education (ED) released a Template for Addendum to the ESEA Consolidated State Plan due to the COVID-19 National Emergency under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act. The template allows state education agencies to amend certain sections of their State Plans relative to the 2020-2021 school year that may be impacted as a result of COVID-19. The template addresses State Plan topics such as school accountability; timelines for identification of schools requiring comprehensive and/or urgent intervention; and timelines for meeting measurements of interim progress (MIPs) and long-term goals due to COVID-19. All addendum requests must be submitted by February 1.

Louisiana has opted to pursue this opportunity to amend its State Plan. Relevant personnel should review this addendum request and submit questions or comments to Kathy Noel — Deputy Assistant Superintendent of Assessments, Accountability and Analytics — at 225-342-3629, the Department’s toll-free number at 877-453-2721, or via email at assessment@la.gov by January 22.

Please contact assessment@la.gov with questions.