The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was passed in December 2015 with bipartisan congressional support. It replaced the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2002 and reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. Despite some key changes in the law, the purpose remains the same: to ensure all students have equitable access to high-quality educational resources and opportunities, and to close educational achievement gaps.

As part of the reauthorization, all states were required to develop a state plan for how states will identify what schools are in need of the most comprehensive and targeted support. Throughout the 2016-2017 school year stakeholders from across the state collaborated with the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to develop, within the legal confines of ESSA, the ESSA accountability system described in this document.

Annually, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) issues Accountability Profiles that enable schools and districts to review their progress toward achieving the intent of the law. School and district data for specific indicators are compared to annual targets and standards and reported by student group to identify gaps.

 

 

2015-2016 Annual Progress Target Accountability Profiles