Over the past month, the Department of Education has put out a number of guidance documents about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). These are interpretations of the new law that do not carry the same weight as formal regulations. However, most states and districts tend to follow the Department's suggestions.

For the Catholic school community, the most important parts are the footnotes! The guidance documents repeatedly mention forthcoming guidance that will detail equitable services for non-government students, teachers, and schools. You may remember this promised guidance from the Breaking News section of last week's CE News -- before the end of the Obama Administration, we will see our issues specifically addressed.

Here are the recent guidance documents:

Title II (teacher professional development)

Title III (English language-learners)

Title IV (Student Support and Academic Achievement Grants)

Early Learning Programs (See Appendix A for opportunities)

In anticipation of the forthcoming equitable services guidance and as preparation for full implementation of the law next school year, be sure to check out my webinar with Sr. Dale of NCEA and the USCCB's ESSA Transition Toolkit