The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law December 10, 2015, reauthorizing the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act and revising many provisions of what was known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). The Elementary and Secondary Education Act is the United States’ national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.
- ESSA provides Louisiana with an opportunity to collaborate with educators, parents, business and community leaders to create an improved K-12 education system that provides all students with equal access and opportunity to high-quality learning.
- Under federal law, the State Education Agency is responsible for creating and submitting a plan that complies with ESSA and with applicable laws and rules in Louisiana. The Department of Education thus creates the plan, but only BESE creates the rules, regulations, and policies that make the plan effective.
- Louisiana received approval of its plan from the USDOE on August 15, 2017.
- In October 2017, BESE incorporated Louisiana’s ESSA plan into state policies.
For details on the plan development process and stakeholder engagement opportunities, view the resources below.
Super App
Super App is a comprehensive application that allows school systems to plan for their needs, access formula funds, and apply for competitive funds on one timeline. When approved, school systems can access federal formula and competitive dollars and meet the federal requirement for each school system's ESSA plan (20 USC §6312). This application includes funding for the core components of school improvement at Comprehensive Intervention Required (CIR) and Urgent Intervention Required - Academics (UIR-A). To learn more about CIR and UIR labels, refer to the list of struggling schools.
School System Labels
LABEL | CRITERIA | TARGETED SUPPORT | ||
UIR-Academics | Schools that have earned a score for one or more student groups that is equivalent to an “F” for at least two years | Professional learning, coaching and support in the implementation of High-Quality Professional Learning (HQPL) Structures, individualized coaching support, and funding for implementation of High-Quality Curriculum (HQIM) | ||
CIR-Academics | Schools that have been D- or F- rated for 3 consecutive years, or 2 years for new schools; and/or schools that have a graduation rate less than 67%; and/or schools identified as UIR for the same student group for 3 consecutive years | Professional learning, coaching and support in the implementation of High-Quality Professional Learning (HQPL) Structures, individualized coaching support, and funding for implementation of High-Quality Curriculum (HQIM) | ||
CIR/UIR-EL | Schools that have UIR-A labels for English Learners | Professional learning for teachers who support English Learners via partners in the Professional Learning Partner Guide or using the Alternate Evidence-Based Option. | ||
CIR/UIR-SWD | Schools that have CIR or UIR-A labels for students with disabilities | Professional learning on high-quality curriculum for teachers of students with disabilities. | ||
Academically Unacceptable School (AUS) | Schools that are F-rated | Strategic and intentional individualized coaching and support to implement intensive interventions for school improvement. | ||
RSD | Schools labeled AUS for 4 or more consecutive years. | The Recovery School District develops and implements interventions, actions, and strategies to address weakness of identified failing schools as outlined in RS 17:10.8. Such as: Reconstitution Plans, Transfer to the RSD, and Conditional Supervisory Memorandum of Understanding. | ||
The LDOE reviews responses to designated questions within the Super App to approve the CIR and UIR strategies and grant competitive funds. Please note: Only school systems with CIR/UIR-A sites (with the exception of Strong School Systems and Computer Science) will be considered for competitive funds to meet the federal requirement for each school system's ESSA plan (20 USC §6312).
Super App Process
Original Application Planning | LEA planning | LEAs will use the Strategic Planning and Budgeting Workbook to plan and strategize funding requests based on each CIR/UIR-A site’s needs and priorities. |
Original Application Launches in October Deadline to Submit: Annually in January | Approval of CIR/UIR-A Strategy | The LDOE will review responses to designated questions within the Super App to approve the LEA's CIR and UIR strategies and grant competitive funds. Please note: Only school systems with CIR/UIR-A sites (with the exception of Strong School Systems, Computer Science, and CLSD 2024) will be considered for competitive funds to meet the federal requirement for each school system's ESSA plan (20 USC §6312). |
Amendment 1 Opens late April Deadline to meet substantial approval: Annually in June | Approval of Super App | The LDOE will review the LEA’s initial budgets for formula and competitive funds to ensure that each expenditure is allowable under the specific grant. |
Subsequent Amendments | eGMS Approvals | The LDOE will review the LEA’s subsequent budgets for formula and competitive funds to ensure that each expenditure is allowable under the specific grant. |
School systems and lead agencies use annual all-in-one workbooks to create and submit successful applications. For CIR/UIR-Academics plans to be approved and funded, LEAs must ensure that within the Super App, all approval and funding criteria are met as described in the CIR/UIR-A Requirements & Eligible Expenditures section of Super App.
The Redesign Allocations download box includes a list of Redesign 1003 awards and funded priorities.