Official Site of The State of New Jersey
ESSA State Plan
The updated and revised Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan was approved by the United States Department of Education on May 27, 2025.
The New Jersey ESSA State Plan outlines the state's strategy for leveraging federal programs to ensure all students receive a high-quality education and to identify and support schools needing improvement. Originally approved in 2017, the plan was revised and resubmitted in December 2024.
These updates are the result of meaningful and ongoing stakeholder engagement, reflecting our commitment to continuous improvement. By making thoughtful, incremental changes, the NJDOE aims to continuously improve the system of support for schools, educators, and students.
Approved (Updated) ESSA State Plan
Summaries and Resources:
- New Jersey’s ESSA State Plan Themes (English) (Spanish)
- 2024 ESSA State Plan Long-Term Goals and Annual Targets Changes
Additional Documentation:
Transition Timeline
| Date | Federal | State |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | USED approves updated ESSA State Plan. | NJDOE implements approved updated ESSA State Plan. |
| 2024 | USED begins review of updated ESSA State Plan. | In consultation with New Jersey stakeholders, NJDOE updated and revised the ESSA State Plan. |
| 2023 | USED approves limited amendments to the ESSA State Plan. | NJDOE implements updated ESSA State Plan and begins to gather feedback to continually improve its implementation of the ESSA State Plan. |
| 2022 | USED notifies states that they must submit amendments to their state plans to reflect implementation of changes following the COVID-19 emergency. | NJDOE resumes implementation of ESSA school accountability system. |
| 2021 | USED requests states to submit an Addendum to account for one-year changes to their accountability systems. | NJDOE submits a COVID-19 State Plan Addendum, with a waiver to delay school identification until fall 2022. |
| 2020 | USED waived assessment, accountability, and school identification requirements under ESSA. | NJDOE requests a waiver to delay school identification until fall 2021. |
| 2019 | USED publishes the results of its 2018 Performance Review of New Jersey’s implementation of its ESSA State Plan. | NJDOE begins responses to all inquiries and submits evidence of required changes through 2023. |
| 2017 | USED reviews and approves ESSA State Plan submitted in May. | ESSA State Plan goes into effect, stakeholder engagement remains ongoing. |