Running head: WK5A1 _GLOVELL 1

Literature Review

WK5A1_GLovell

Guy Lovell

Keiser University

Dr. Fuda Daddio

EDU712G3-110262020

11/25/2020

Author Note

Guy Lovell, Department of Education, Keiser University

Literature Review
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Table of Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................................2

Policy Origins..............................................................................................................3

Policy Objectives.........................................................................................................4

Accountability System.................................................................................................5

Stakeholder Engagement.............................................................................................6

Pushback......................................................................................................................7

Conclusion...................................................................................................................8

References............................................................................................................................9
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Introduction

The critical review written will discuss the Every Student Success Act (ESSA) policy.

The ESSA policy is the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) policy's predecessor, which dates back to

1965 and has undergone massive reform. The concept and idea are to provide resources for

disenfranchised communities giving children access to resources and opportunities for a better

education. A child's education is the foremost important aspect of our society as it prepares

children with the proper tools to lead productive lives. Still, without factual knowledge, such a

task becomes less likely.

Expect to see in this review, the policy origins give us an idea of how the policy

develops. Also, expect to see the policy objectives, which breaks down the purpose of the

system. I will further explain all individuals involved in the policy creation and its importance in

the community and make even further changes to the policy. It has undergone massive changes

in name and purpose over the years.

Policy Origins

The ESSA's beginnings go as far back as to the birth of the Elementary and Secondary

Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 ratified by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The idea was to

provide resources for children in impoverished areas. The aim is to give children opportunities

to access education, also known as Title 1 schools [ CITATION Nat15 \l 1033 ]. Over time and

with different presidencies, the name changed from ESEA to NCLB to ESSA.

ESEA at the time was the first single largest federally funded source of revenue for

elementary and secondary education [ CITATION NAS16 \l 1033 ]. Taxpayers and state districts

must show how monies are being distributed in education and provide student progress reports.
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The funds distributed were primarily for the more impoverished populations, where more

affluent locations received less funding. The problem with the ESEA was that there was a lack

of accountability, meaning that there was not enough data to track specific groups and their

progress. Groups such as African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and students with

disabilities lacked the ESEA's support. Such a problem gave rise to the NCLB Act.

Education is an institution that needs to be viewed as an investment as supposed to a

business [ CITATION EDW16 \l 1033 ]. Many locations lacked resources to provide quality

education, especially in poverty-stricken environments, adequately. The administration received

loads of pressure from communities around the United States, moving the administration of that

time to sign the ESEA policy of 1965. The procedure was a step in the right direction but needed

further reform, which essentially moved to become the ESSA policy.

The NCLB is a law passed in 2002, which is the predecessor of the ESEA. The act

expected that 100 percent of all children to meet progress goals by the year 2014. Though the

concept sounded astonishing, the goal became unrealistic. NCLB also failed in giving schools

the recognition for helping kids during their academic growth, which made stakeholders feel

useless in their efforts to aid children in intellectual progress. The ESSA replaced the NCLB due

to the lack of support by many government institutions and educational administrations.

For educational institutions to provide children with better education, proper resources

such as books, location, and staff are essential. Still, without the financial backing, the goal of a

formal education becomes less likely a reality. With the ESSA policy's assistance, the public

school dropout rate declined [ CITATION Cha17 \l 1033 ]. The policy's contribution provides

financial resources to inner cities to purchase books, materials, and staff to allow children to

reach their potential in disenfranchised locations. Also, there seems to be an increase in parents
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becoming more involved in PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) meetings, which also acts as a

driving force for children to continue their educational path.

Policy Objectives

The ESSA breaks down into separate divisions known as titles. Each Title

represents a specific aspect of the ESSA and how it aids in assisting disenfranchised children.

The bullet points of each Title are as follows:

 I – Improving Basic Programs Operated by State and Local Educational Agencies

 II – Preparing, Training, and Recruiting High-Quality Teachers, Principals, or

Other School Leaders

 III – Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students

 IV – 21st Century Schools

 V – State Innovation and Local Flexibility

 VI – Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaskan Native Education

 VII – Impact Aid

 VIII – General Provisions

 IX – Education for the Homeless and Other Laws

First, ESSA is the primary law for all public school institutions. Each Title provides a

guide for state leaders on distributing resources into poverty-stricken communities (National

Association of Secondary School Principals [NASSP], 2016). Each state is responsible for

managing resources to produce positive results. For example, Title I involves improving basic

state and local education agencies [ CITATION Coo16 \l 1033 ]. The idea is for each state to

develop an accountable plan, discuss new public report card requirements, and improve school
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functionality and set standards. The method mentioned provides a way on how each state

receives funding.

Accountability System

For the ESSA's effectiveness, states must provide accountability. Accountability refers to

the evaluation of how students perform in school. State legislators, actors, schools, and school

officials become responsible for the child's success under the ESSA policy known as

accountability. With access to resources, each state needs to develop a plan of action to ensure

its success in school. Providing the resources distributed is not wasted, not just for the sake of

taking the test, but overall performance. For example, a typical indicator called the "school

quality or student success" represents judging how students perform in school (Cook-Harvey et

al., 2016, p. 3).

NCLB failed in administering proper accountability, which is the reason for its

replacement. Accountability referred to removing many subjects such as history, science,

mathematics, and arts [ CITATION the17 \l 1033 ]. The accountability process focuses on test

preparation using the 20th-century type, which showed failed results in many states. Children

were not learning, analyzing, or processing information but rather understand the best ways to

answer test questions. Also, there was no oversight on resource distribution, meaning no one

held accountable for the child's education, which caused significant problems and required policy

change [CITATION Nei04 \p 2 \l 1033 ].

ESSA provided a means of utilizing a new method of thinking using 21st-century methods

allowing children to learn how to think and analyze and not just memorize information
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[CITATION Coo16 \p 6 \l 1033 ]. The 21st century model of learning involves a process known

as the four pillars of opportunity, which involves four main criteria which are the following:

 High-Quality Curriculum and Assessment

 Multiple Measures of Success

 Adequate, Equitable Resources

 and Proven Interventions

The K-12 school system looks to utilize college-level methodologies to grade school
children are allowing them to flourish and learn how to think for themselves. For the process's
success, all states must provide detailed data on how each is working on a specific action method
to aid in the child's and school's success. The importance of such a process ensures that children
possess the necessary tools to be able to think. The older policies only provided resources to
poverty-stricken communities with no oversight. The system now contains titles used as steps
for each state to ensure the child's educational success as long as stakeholders and the
community discusses efforts to ensure their educational trek.
Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholders represent a crucial aspect of ESSA. As mentioned earlier, each state must

submit a plan of action in utilizing ESSA resources. One critical element is the engagement of

stakeholders to provide consultation [ CITATION Hor16 \l 1033 ]. The following represents a

diverse group making the act successful:

 Governors Office

 The general public

 Employees

 Community organizations
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 Charter School Leaders

 Teachers, Principals, and paraprofessionals

 Parents and families

 Members of the State Board of Education

 Institutions of higher Education

They have an interest or concern in the school or education system. Stakeholders want to

make sure that the ESSA policy is successful as they are directly or indirectly involved. All the

individuals and groups mentioned above represent examples of people vested in a child's

education within the community.

Pushback

Some researchers working with statewide educations feel that the ESSA may not function

as well as it should. Researchers conclude that the narrative does not fit their paradigm. The

idea is for the research to meet their context as nothing has meaning without context [CITATION

Dyn15 \p 3 \l 1033 ]. For ESSA to be effective, additional research becomes tantamount by all

the states and consolidated to organize a straightforward premise.

Conclusion

Before the ESSA, the NCLB represented a public school system's policy and other

schooling facilities. There is a long history of this act, which falls on providing children who are

less fortunate with the opportunity to get a better education by providing resources to local

schools. Each state must consult with stakeholders and provide a plan of action on methods to

provide quality education.

The ESSA contains several titles representing operations methods on ensuring each child

receives the best quality of education provided under the law's letter. The predecessor failed as it

only offered a 20th-century way of teaching. Such a method of instruction represents an outdated

as it only taught children how to take tests. ESSA strives to teach children how to think, which is

far more effective. With more states getting involved, using the same data across the board runs

a better chance of ESSA's success within inner cities.

References

Chavis, B. (2017, March 21). ESSA and the importance of a great education. Retrieved from

New Pittsburgh Courier: https://newpittsburghcourier.com/2017/03/21/essa-and-the-

importance-of-a-great-education/

Cook-Harvey, C., Darling-Hammond, L., Lam, L., Mercer, C., & Roc, M. (2016). Equity and

ESSA. Learning Policy Institute, 1-28.

Dynarski, M. (2015). Using research to improve education under the Every Student Succeeds

Act. Evidence Speaks Reports, 1-5.

EDWeek. (, 2016). The Every Student Succeeds Act: Explained Education Week. Education

Week, 17.

Horowitz, M. (2016). Preparing for the ESSA: Early Learning. Center on Enhancing Early

Learning Outcomes, 1-13.

NASSP. (, 2016). Retrieved from National Association of Secondary School Principals:

https://www.nassp.org/policy-advocacy-center/resources/essa-toolkit/essa-fact-

sheets/title-i-improving-basic-programs-operated-by-state-and-local-education-agencies/

National PTA. (, 2015). Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Retrieved from National PTA:

https://www.pta.org/home/advocacy/federal-legislation/Every-Student-Succeeds-Act-

ESSA

Neill, M., Guisbond, L., & Schaeffer, B. (2004). Failing Our Children. The National Center for

Fair and Open Testing.

the Advocacy Institute. (, 2017). Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Ensuring Equity in State

Plan Development & Implementation, 1-11.