Congrats to Lisa Mack, Immediate Past Ohio PTA President named committee member to the U.S. Department of Education to help draft regulations in ESSA
PTA Resources for Families on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Overview of ESEA and ESSA
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was first passed in 1965 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. In December 2015, the U.S. Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a new law to replace the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). President Obama subsequently signed ESSA into law on December 10, 2015.
Click to enlarge and view the full timeline of the ESEA BillWith a new ESEA/ESSA, focus for advocacy now turns to effective implementation of the law to ensure every child has the ability to reach their full potential. While this new law provides a great opportunity for states to tailor their education systems to meet the needs of their students—including students with disabilities—this new level of authority will also require an increased amount of responsibility for states to ensure they close achievement gaps.
National PTA, our constituent associations, and advocates across the country will seek to support and empower all families to be active participants in the state and local implementation of ESSA to ensure equity and opportunity for all students.
The U.S. Department of Education is currently in the implementation phase of ESSA. The Department will provide guidance and clarification to states on how best to carry out the new law. You can get involved in the implementation process by signing up for emails from the Department of Education on ESSA implementation.
ESSA Resources
National PTA Statements and Letters on ESEA Reauthorization
To view each letter or press release, click the blue icon to the left of the title.
| February 2016 | |
 | National PTA Statement on President Obama's 2017 Budget Proposal |
 | The State and Local ESSA Implementation Network letter of commitment to put students first sent on February 10. |
| January 2016 | |
| Implementation recommendations to the Department of Education on Title I of ESSA sent on January 21. |
| December 2015 | |
| December 10, 2015 — National PTA Lauds President Obama's Signing of Landmark Every Student Succeeds Act |
| December 9, 2015 — National PTA Applauds Senate Passage of Every Student Succeeds Act |
| Every Student Succeeds Act letter of support sent December 7. |
| House passage of the conference report to reauthorize ESEA letter of support sent December 4. |
| December 2, 2015 — National PTA Commends House Passage of Every Student Succeeds Act |
| November 2015 | |
| November 19, 2015 — National PTA Commends Passage of Bipartisan Agreement to Reauthorize Elementary and Secondary Education Act |
| November 18, 2015 — National PTA Applauds Conference Committee Meeting on ESEA Reauthorization |
| Inclusion of an education data privacy study committee in the ESEA reauthorization letter of support sent November 9. |
| November 2, 2015 — National Education Groups Continue to Push Congress to Get ESEA Done, Begin Weeklong Ad Campaign |
| October 2015 | |
| School vouchers in the reauthorization of ESEA letter of opposition sent October 13. |
| September 2015 | |
| Reauthorization of Statewide Family Engagement Centers program letter of support sent September 30. |
| July 2015 | |
| A successful reauthorization of ESEA letter of support sent July 22. |
| Quick action needed on naming and starting an ESEA conference committee letter of support sent July 22. |
| July 16, 2015—National PTA Commends Senate Passage of Every Child Achieves Act |
| July 14, 2015 — National PTA Applauds Senate Passage of ESEA/NCLB Amendment to Strengthen Family Engagement in Education |
| Support and opposition to certain amendments in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter sent July 13. |
| July 8, 2015 — National PTA Statement on House Passage of Student Success Act |
| Support and opposition to certain provisions in the Student Success Act of 2015 letter sent July 8. |
| A-PLUS ACT and school voucher amendments to the Student Success Act of 2015 letter of opposition sent July 8. |
| Kirk-Reed-Baldwin-Brown amendment to the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter of support sent on July 7. |
| National PTA's priorities in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter sent on July 6. |
| June 2015 | |
| Title I funding portability and school vouchers in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter of opposition sent June 30. |
| May 2015 | |
| Physical education as a core subject and restoring PEP in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter of support sent May 1. |
| April 2015 | |
| Inclusion of family engagement provisions in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter of support sent April 13. |
| National PTA’s positions on the Every Child Ready for College or Career Act of 2015 discussion draft sent April 13. |
| April 8, 2015 — National PTA Statement on Every Child Achieves Act |
| January 2015 | |
| Amending section 1501 of ESEA letter of support sent January 28. |
| Title I portability provision of the HELP Committee’s ESEA-NCLB reauthorization discussion draft letter of opposition sent January 26. |
| The Coalition for Community Schools' recommendations for ESEA-NCLB reauthorization in the 114th Congress sent January 26. |
| January 12, 2015 — National PTA Applauds Administration's Call for Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act |
