Every Student Can't Succeed If Every Voice is Not Heard: Equity Perspectives from STEM Educators

This chapter gives attention to the elements of what appears to an altered policy and political landscape around educational equity in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) era. With ESSA, legislators promised that the states would regain authority in public education from the federal level. Interestingly, very shortly after its passage, ESSA was followed by President Obama's proposed budget for the US Department of Education for fiscal 2017–wherein there were clearly some efforts to fit budgetary support for the implementation of ESSA into advances in educational equity and opportunity. Under ESSA, a newly redesigned structure of intergovernmental relationships was just one among a number of significant changes in the policy context with implications for the politics of equity and opportunity in public education. A massive academic literature explores policy-related inequities in educational opportunity, going back to the seminal work of James Coleman. ESSA offers a substantial increase in individual states' authority and responsibility for achieving both equity and accountability objectives.

The enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 by President Barack Obama increased accountability requirements and was designed to reduce achievement and opportunity gaps, and racial disproportionality in school discipline. Despite the implementation of ESSA, Black girls still continue to experience hypercriminalization and policing, and when disaggregated by race and gender, they still receive the highest rates of disciplinary punishments in school and out of school. In this article, we discuss how Black girls in the Pk–12 public school system are invalidated and ignored in educational policy discourse and in school reform. In our discussion, we argue that ESSA tends to focus on identity categories (such as race, gender, class, and linguistics), and not on the intersectionality thereof, or how race does not operate as a silo (race, gender, social class, and other parts of our identity are layered and form a mosaic). We draw from literature on Black girls, zero tolerance, and critical race feminism to examine Black girls’ disciplinary punishments in Chicago Public Schools, and ESSA's effect on a national scale. In our analysis of quantitative data from Chicago Public Schools, we find that, in the third largest district in the United States, Black girls are disproportionally the recipients of out-of-school suspensions. Black female students received 78% of all female out-of-school suspensions during the 2016–2017 school year. A majority of the actions that Black girls were punished for were minor in nature and not due to violence or criminal offenses. We find that when Black girls are made invisible during the policy process and made visible when they are recipients of bias punishments, they will be more susceptible to receiving hyperpunitive disciplinary outcomes. Therefore, this article recommends that schools, policy makers, and researchers examine how harsh discipline and exclusionary policies affect Black girls as racialized and gendered beings while not ignoring the needs of Black female students during the school reform process.

While the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) does not explicitly require teacher evaluation, both ESSA and the Higher Education Act (HEA) require states to evaluate teacher quality and effectiveness for reports regarding factors such as educational equity and teacher licensure program evaluation. Moreover, states are heavily invested in evaluating teacher effectiveness, and rhetoric in federal, state, and local governance revolves around eliminating “bad teachers,” so teacher evaluation will continue. Ostensibly, teacher evaluation is intended to increase teacher effectiveness and student achievement. This chapter argues that standardized, high-stakes teacher evaluation reduces music teacher effectiveness, particularly with regard to inclusion and cultural responsiveness. It begins with a brief critical review of the literature on music teacher evaluation, marginalized populations in school music education, and equitable and inclusive practices in the music classroom. It then uses fictionalized vignettes to illustrate an analysis of the cognitive dissonances and perverse incentives inherent in music teacher evaluation and how they manifest in three broad categories: (1) contributing to the gap between theory and practice; (2) misusing measurement tools; and (3) forcing teachers to remain in the status quo, unable to stray from formulaic “markers of effectiveness” to take the risks necessary for the creative, innovative work of inclusion and cultural responsiveness. The chapter concludes with specific suggestions for music teachers who wish to resist these effects of teacher evaluation on their instruction.

Now, the real work starts. For over half a decade we have talked about moving from science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM). While we must continue to advocate for STEAM education, the passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in December 2015 has moved us into the implementation stage. ESSA is intended to empower state and local decision makers to build differentiated community-based systems for school improvement in ways that “cookie-cutter federal solutions like No Child Left Behind” never supported (White House Report, 2015, December 10, n.p.). In the reauthorization and amendment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) achieved under ESSA, “Arts and music education are specified as eligible uses for new, state-administered ‘Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants’ including support for the arts in STEM education” (ESEA Reauthorization is Finalized as Every Student Succeeds Act [ESSA], n.p.). Now that the federal government recognizes the role that the arts can play to elevate STEM education, it is time to ask ourselves some important questions.

In December 2015, Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which redefined the role of the federal government in education. The ESSA attempted to appease popular sentiment against the No Child Left Behind Act’s (NCLB) overreliance on standardized testing and punitive sanctions. But in overturning those aspects of the NCLB, Congress failed to devise a system that was any better. Congress simply stripped the federal government of regulatory power and vastly expanded state discretion. For the first time in fifty years, the federal government lacks the ability to prompt improvements in student achievement and to demand equal resources for low-income students. Thus, the ESSA boldly presumes that states will voluntarily improve educational opportunities for low-income students despite their historical tendency to do the contrary.\nThis Article is the first to offer a comprehensive analysis and critique of the ESSA. It demonstrates that although the ESSA commits to equality on its face, it does the opposite in practice. First, the ESSA affords states wide latitude on student performance, accountability, and school reform. Broad state discretion opens the door to fifty disparate state systems, none of which ensure equality. Second, the ESSA directly weakens two existing equity standards and ignores a loophole that exempts 80 percent of school expenditures from equity analysis. Third, the ESSA leaves federal funding flat, eliminating the possibility that additional resources will offset the inequalities that the foregoing provisions permit. These changes to federal education law are so out of character that they beg the question of why the federal government is even involved in education.\nAlthough Congress is unlikely to repeal the ESSA, the Act is set to expire by its own terms in an unusually short time period. Thus, preparations to either reauthorize or alter the Act will start soon. By then, the inequalities that the ESSA permits will be evident. This Article proposes that Congress cure the ESSA’s flaws by increasing the federal investment in education to: (1) create the leverage needed for states to accept federal prohibitions on unequal funding practices; (2) meet the outstanding needs of low-income students; and (3) expand preschool education, which would close achievement gaps and, through cost savings, make state compliance with equity provisions more feasible.

Purpose: This study addressed the current policy push to improve students’ college and career readiness (CCR) as manifested within the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and examined CCR policy in the state of Illinois as a case study, noting ways in which provisions for CCR programs prepare all students, including those historically underserved by higher education, to be prepared for education and employment post–high school. Research Methods: A critical analytic approach was undertaken, foregrounding equity. We conducted thematic content analysis of ESSA and Illinois policy, employing a CCR accountability paradigm. Findings: CCR-related content was contained throughout ESSA. Although content varied, themes were identified. Dual enrollment provisions were prominent in ESSA but not the Illinois’ CCR laws; however, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics was emphasized in both. ESSA introduced but did not fully clarify what constitutes a well-rounded education and did not identify particular reporting and accountability provisions, whereas two Illinois’ CCR bills focused on remedial education and the third evidenced a more comprehensive and integrated CCR approach. These findings suggest distinct federal and Illinois’ CCR visions. A more systematic equity focus was evident within ESSA. Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice: ESSA provisions providing new flexibilities to states portend wide variation in emphasis toward, and accountability for, long-standing equity issues. District officials will also likely have substantial flexibility in their administration, design, and implementation of ESSA-funded CCR programming, which may affect educational equity in ways that advantage and disadvantage. We thus provide several cautions and recommendations.

On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) (P.L. 114-95), legislation which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, and replaces the widely criticized No Child Left Behind Act. After various versions were offered, rejected, or revised, the ESSA ultimately passed both chambers of Congress with strong bipartisan support. The general consensus, from special educators, is the new federal law, which grants significantly more power to states while continuing to require reporting from schools about the capabilities of their students, is a step in the right direction for all students, including those with disabilities. Music educators have celebrated the law for its specification of music as part of a “well-rounded education.” The purpose of this article is to provide background on ESSA and to discuss implications of this law for students with disabilities and music educators.

Relationships between the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), arts education, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) have gone largely unexplored. The purpose of this article is to investigate how P-12 arts educators might use ESSA in support of new and existing SEL efforts and to examine how SEL might assist P-12 arts educators in meeting the aims of ESSA. States can include surveys of SEL as part of their school-wide success indicators, and school leaders can advocate for SEL as a possible means of improving the absenteeism and suspension rates that ESSA mandates they report. School leaders may also use the funds provided by the specific sections (titles) of ESSA to support SEL initiatives. These include funds designated for assisting academically struggling students (Title I), providing training and professional development for teachers (Title II), and fostering safe and health students (Title IV). In addition to advocating that these funds support SEL initiatives, arts educators might inform administrators and other stakeholders about how their work supports SEL and consider incorporating more content-specific SEL activities into their classrooms. Yet, arts educators might consider possible unintended consequences, including that ESSA funding for broad SEL initiatives might come at the expense of money for arts education.

Purpose Public policies can influence how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) provide services to students with disabilities. Specifically, this article is intended to provide background information and critical analysis regarding the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) as it relates to speech-language pathology practice and provision of services to students with disabilities within the schools. Method The authors reviewed legislation text, publications from national education and speech and language organizations, and critical educational policy and research articles to examine the role that SLPs can play in the implementation of ESSA for students with disabilities. Results SLPs and other education professionals utilize ESSA to improve access to a well-rounded, college- and career-focused education for all students. ESSA state plans may not fully maximize equal opportunities for students with disabilities. There are additional ways that SLPs can capitalize on ESSA to expand and improve their service provision to students with disabilities, including SLPs broadening their understanding of the role ESSA plays in facilitating positive practices for students with and without disabilities. Conclusions SLPs, teachers, and other stakeholders can improve the impact of ESSA on students with disabilities by helping to improve accountability systems for the educational outcomes of students with disabilities, supporting funding allocation for students with disabilities and struggling learners in the general education setting, and assisting local education agencies to better align ESSA with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

In the United States, school occupational therapists serve as related service providers under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and specialized instructional support personnel (SISP) for all students under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Since ESSA was enacted in 2015, there has been limited research on school occupational therapists’ understanding and application of their professional expertise to support all students. Given the gap in research, this study focused on facilitators and barriers to school occupational therapy practitioners’ participation in Connecticut public school settings. A convenience sample identified five school occupational therapists. Participation involved engagement in a 6-week program, including 10-minute asynchronous learning activities and 30-minute synchronous virtual meetings. Methods included a pre/post-intervention survey, a weekly questionnaire, and a thematic analysis of recordings. Findings indicated that program course content and activities led to improved insight on ESSA. The program revealed the following themes: there are benefits in ESSA involvement, further education on ESSA is warranted, engagement in ESSA occurs more than realized, and barriers may not be as significant as initially perceived. Qualitative findings identified themes for school occupational therapists to increase their participation in ESSA.

Advocating for All Children

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers states increased flexibility in how they identify, rank, label, and support underperforming schools. Initial reviews of state ESSA plans, however, suggest that identification and labeling policies have remained relatively unchanged. In this study, we analyze all state ESSA plans to systematically determine how states’ identified Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools and the criteria they set for those schools to exit CSI status. We describe our findings through the theory of institutional isomorphism, noting the many ways states responded similarly to ESSA. We close by considering what the lack of innovation in response to ESSA flexibility might mean for the future of educational policy and the implications for schools identified as underperforming.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was designed to remedy the wrongs of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Yet Andrew Saultz, Jack Schneider, and Karalyn McGovern explain that, so far, it has failed to fundamentally alter how the federal government interacts with schools. They discuss the need for federal authority over issues of equity in education and how federal authority has expanded over time, leading to the accountability movement, which, under NCLB, required schools to provide quantifiable measures of student achievement. Although ESSA was touted as a return of control to the states, states are still held accountable for testing requirements, reporting data, and sanctioning underperformance. The authors recommend instead a model of rigid flexibility, in which centralized offices might require certain activities but allow schools some choice in determining specific goals.

Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, public schools across the United States were subject to a change in the nation’s primary educational legislating power with the effective repeal of 2002’s “No Child Left Behind” Act with the enactment of the “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA). States have been, and will continue to be, required to develop new “basic programs operated by state and local educational agencies” to “provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.”In conducting a case study on the legislation, the author set out to thoroughly understand the priorities of the law, identify gaps between what the law intends for state to state educational goals and what schools can realistically provide, and then to identify existing nonprofit programs that can act as supplemental interventions to meet the goals ESSA emphasizes. case study also was able to identify some gaps in existing programs and considers some important implications of ESSA that should be taken into account when looking at state educational standards and closing respective achievement gaps, including what was referred to as The Skewed Value Hypothesis, which relates closely to the concept of standardized test score pollution.

With the introduction of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, physical education is now considered a part of a “well-rounded education.” One of the critical features of ESSA is the growing expectation for states to establish accountability systems that monitor student learning. In 2018, a group of researchers conducted a study to examine the status of state-level accountability systems in physical education. Based on the findings, critical elements for robust accountability systems of student learning were identified. The purpose of this article is to discuss recommendations for policymakers and school leaders to develop and implement robust state-level accountability systems to inform policy, standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment in physical education. To better advocate for the societal value of physical education, robust accountability systems must become the norm, and student learning should be evident.