The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is the reauthorization of the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the country’s national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. President Barack Obama signed the bipartisan measure into law on December 10, 2015. ESSA tasks individual states to create a plan to ensure every child is learning and on the path to college and career.
Accountability in 2021
Much is still unknown about how accountability will play out in 2021. However, ISBE has submitted an addendum to its currently approved ESSA plan that serves as a contingency plan if assessment and accountability requirements are not waived in 2021. This addendum is non-binding and if additional flexibilities, including the option to waive assessments becomes available, this addendum would no longer apply. Keeping these caveats in mind, the submitted addendum materials as well as informational resources are linked below.
ISBE wanted to develop a state plan that reflected the ideas of those who are closest to the work and so sought out the voices, values, and vision of stakeholders and practitioners. The participation of diverse educators, communities, and advocates made the Illinois ESSA Plan durable.
The Illinois ESSA Plan represents the belief of ISBE and our stakeholders that the students with the greatest needs deserve the greatest share of our public education resources. Grounding our work in the practice of equity will ensure that we provide all students with the supports they need to succeed from pre-K through high school and onto purposeful lives.
This page tracks the development of the plan itself. For information about Illinois’ active Support and Accountability System, visit
Support & Accountability. For information specifically about Site-Based Expenditure Reporting, visit the
Site-Based Expenditure Reporting webpage.
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