March 22, 2016

• ESSA Update and ASCD's Annual Conference 
• Did You Know?

ESSA Update and ASCD's Annual Conference 

ASCD spotlights Title II and Support for Educators (PDF) in its newly released FAQ on the implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The second in a series of ESSA FAQs, this resource details how ESSA supports educator development, and includes information about new professional learning opportunities for educators.

ESSA expands the allowable use of Title II funds for professional development to include teachers of every subject—as opposed to only teachers of “core subjects”—as well as all other school staff, from principals to librarians to paraprofessionals. It also explicitly requires Title II–funded professional development to include ongoing job-embedded activities that improve instruction, allowing educators to collaborate and immediately apply what they learn. In addition to maintaining Title II programs such as the Teacher Quality Partnership Grants and Teacher and School Leader Incentive Grants, ESSA creates new professional development opportunities for educators such as state-developed teacher, principal, and school leadership academies to help meet the need for educators in high-need schools. See the ESSA Title II and Support for Educators FAQ document here (PDF).

Find ASCD’s first ESSA FAQ on student health and other resources at www.ascd.org/essa.

Educators attending ASCD’s 2016 Annual Conference and Exhibit Show, April 2–4 in Atlanta, Ga., can learn more about ESSA by attending the conference’s policy sessions. All policy sessions will be held in the Georgia World Congress Center.

Saturday, April 2
 •   ASCD Education Policy Update (8:00–9:00 a.m.; Building A, Level 3, Room A304): During this session, educators will learn the latest news regarding ESSA implementation and which education policy decisions will be in the hands of states and districts.

Sunday, April 3
 •   Social Emotional Learning (SEL): From Policy to Practice (3:00–4:00 p.m.; Building B, Level 4, Room B402): In this session, ASCD and the Rennie Center will share the results of their recent research on SEL policies and practice, and participants will learn how states and districts are helping schools address SEL in the classroom, how they measure SEL growth, and what opportunities and challenges educators face in supporting SEL development.

Monday, April 4
 •   ASCD Forum: Learning for All = Teaching for All (8:00–9:30 a.m.; Building A, Level 3, Room A316): During this session, educators will share insights about culturally responsive teaching that embraces racial, ethnic, and income diversity, leveraging diversity for the benefit of the whole child.
 •   Accountability for the Whole Child (10:00–11:00 a.m.; Building A, Level 4, Room A407): In this session, educators will learn about ASCD's recommendations for next-generation school accountability and hear examples of pioneering states and districts that are moving to a new, more comprehensive, whole child–focused approach to accountability.

Lastly, ASCD’s Government Relations team is hosting its first ever Educator Advocates Find the Sign Activity at Annual Conference! To participate—and be eligible for great prizes such as free registration and hotel accommodations for ASCD’s 2017 Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy and Netflix gift cards so you can binge-watch Veep and House of Cards—simply follow these steps:

1. Look out for the ASCD Educator Advocates and Government Relations signs at Annual Conference. Follow #EdAdvBecause on Twitter to find out where the signs will be next. Hint! They will definitely be at all four sessions mentioned above.

2. Take a selfie with either sign and share it with a note about why you think educators are key advocates, using #EdAdvBecause on Twitter. Don’t have Twitter? No problem! E-mail your selfie to the Government Relations team at gr@ascd.org.

Each shared selfie counts as an entry, getting you even closer to a prize. And if you’re attending conference with friends that are not Educator Advocates, they can play too! All they have to do is follow steps 1 and 2, and then visit www.ascd.org/educatoradvocates to sign up as an Educator Advocate, before midnight on Monday, April 4.

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Did You Know? 

The first ESSA negotiated rulemaking panel to discuss specific Title I issues is now underway in Washington D.C.—agenda available here (PDF)—and Capitol Connection will provide meeting highlights next week.

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