In September 2016, 10 states gathered in New York City and made a commitment to take advantage of the opportunities in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to elevate school leaders as their primary agents for school improvement. Each state established a team made up of staff from the state education agency, the states’ largest urban districts, and Urban League affiliates.
In New York, each team committed to work collaboratively on creating a model to employ ESSA funds to focus on the development of state school improvement plans and emphasize the role of principals and other school leaders. To create an effective plan, the teams started by defining their ESSA Title I and Title II state and district strategies guided by evidence-based practices and by listening to and learning from their colleagues in other states in the ESSA Leadership Learning Community (ELLC).
Many resources have been developed in order to support the work of ELLC states including an evidence review on School Leadership Interventions from the RAND Corporation and CCSSO’s Elevating School Leadership in ESSA Plans Guide.
During the most recent gathering in New York City, CCSSO interviewed three state chiefs to learn more about their strategies to support school leadership through their ELLC work and what plans they have for the future.
Check out these videos featuring Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary, Pedro Rivera, Ohio Department of Education Superintendent, Paolo DeMaria, and Nebraska Department of Education Commissioner, Matthew Blomstedt on what their states are working on.
Knowledge in Action: School Leadership in Nebraska
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