Official Site of The State of New Jersey
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is a law that was passed to make sure all children in the United States have access to a quality education. ESSA builds on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, which was created to help students from low-income families. ESSA continues this mission by focusing on making sure every student, no matter where they live or their background, has the chance to succeed in school.
Under ESSA, each state is responsible for creating its own plan to improve schools and ensure that all students are learning. For example, states are required to:
- Set Goals: States must set clear goals for student achievement, including targets for closing gaps between different groups of students, like those who are from low-income families or have special needs.
- Create Accountability Systems: States need to develop systems to measure how well schools are doing relative to all schools in the state.
- Support Schools: If a school is struggling to meet its goals, the state must step in to help. This includes providing extra resources, training for teachers, or other support to help the school get back on track.
- Involve the Community: ESSA encourages states to work closely with parents, teachers, and community members when developing their education plans. This ensures that the voices of those who know the students best are heard.
New Jersey 2024 ESSA State Plan
To continually improve its systems of support, in August 2024, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) invited public comment on New Jersey’s 2024 Draft ESSA State Plan. The proposed updated plan builds upon the initial ESSA State Plan, which was approved by the United States Department of Education (USED) in 2017 and created in consultation with New Jersey stakeholders.
The revised 2024 ESSA State Plan was submitted to USED on December 9, 2024 and is currently under review. The NJDOE will provide updates as needed.
In December 2023, an updated redlined amended version of the 2017 ESSA State Plan was approved by the United States Department of Education (USED). The redlined version reflected changes related to the 2019 New Jersey Performance Review Report and corrective action plan, revisions made per the COVID-19 State Plan Addendum, and revisions made as the result of a 2017 USED Migrant Education Program monitoring and corrective action plan.
ESSA includes provisions that will help to ensure success for students and schools. Below are just a few. The law:
- Advances equity by upholding critical protections for America's disadvantaged and high-need students.
- Ensures that vital information is provided to educators, families, students, and communities through annual statewide assessments that measure students' progress toward those high standards.
- Requires states to implement an accountability system designed to identify the schools in need of the most support and resources.
- Helps to support and grow local innovations—including evidence-based and place-based interventions developed by local leaders and educators—consistent with our Investing in Innovation and Promise Neighborhoods.
- Sustains and expands this administration's historic investments in increasing access to high-quality preschool.
As a result of the ongoing challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) submitted requests to the U.S. Department of Education (USED) to waive the requirement that limits NJDOE’s ability to grant to LEAs a waiver of the 15 percent Title I, Part A carryover limitation in section 1127(a) to once every three years.
| Title I, Part A Fiscal Year | Waiver Request | Waiver Approval |
|---|---|---|
| FY 2019-20 | COVID-19 Fiscal Waiver Request | USED 2019-2020 NJ Fiscal Waiver Approval |
| FY 2020-21 | COVID-19 Fiscal Waiver Request | USED 2020-2021 NJ Fiscal Waiver Approval |
| FY 2021-22 | COVID-19 Fiscal Waiver Request | USED 2021-2022 NJ Fiscal Waiver Approval |
Note: LEAs that received a FFY 2021 (Grant period 2021-2022) carryover waiver from NJDOE will not be eligible to apply for a carryover waiver from NJDOE again until FFY 2024 (Grant period 2024-2025).
For more information about the Federal Funding Flexibility Waivers, please refer to the Uses of Federal ESEA Funds during Mandated COVID-19 School Closure web page.
The United States Department of Education (USED) has approved the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) waiver requests and Addendum request for temporary flexibility in implementing components of the state’s ESSA accountability system and the process for identification of schools in need of the most comprehensive and targeted supports due to COVID-19.
| Request | Approval Letter | Associated Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 waiver of statewide assessment, accountability, and reporting requirements | March 27, 2020 USED Approval Letter | April 30, 2020 broadcast |
| 2020-2021 waiver of accountability, school identification, and related reporting requirements | March 26, 2021 USED Approval Letter | February 19, 2021 broadcast |
| 2022 Addendum for the Consolidated State Plan due to COVID-19 | April 22, 2022 USED Approval Letter | February 16, 2022 broadcast |
The associated broadcast for each request outlines the flexibilities that were requested and how the approved request impacts reporting and school accountability under ESSA.
To support continued implementation of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the United States Department of Education (USED) conducted a Performance Review of the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE)’s compliance with federal fiscal requirements in October 2019.
The primary goal of the review was to ensure that implementation of ESSA provisions related to school accountability, school improvement, and programmatic and fiscal rules for Titles I, II, III, and V is consistent with the fiscal, administrative, and program requirements contained in the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance: 2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 200); the Education Department General Administrative Requirements (EDGAR); and the ESEA.
The final performance report issued by USED in April 2020: Final Performance Report
The complete listing of the required actions and their status to date: 2020 Federal Performance Report – Required Actions
Required actions taken to meet USED requirements: Changes to the Calculation of the Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (ACGR) Fact Sheet. Additional information regarding the ACGR is available on the Special Education webpage.