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.