ESSA State Plan

On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law, reauthorizing the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) and replacing the most recent reauthorization of ESEA, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). With few exceptions, ESSA took effect at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year. The law includes provisions to help improve outcomes for all students receiving elementary and secondary education, including the following:

States must establish high academic content standards, and schools must teach all students those standards to help prepare them for college and careers
States, districts, and schools must share information with families, students, and communities regarding annual statewide assessments that measure students' progress toward these high standards
States and districts must establish systems of accountability and support for all schools, and provide particular support to the lowest-performing schools, schools with low-performing student groups, and schools with low graduation rates

Massachusetts ESSA State Plan

Massachusetts' original ESSA State plan was approved by the United States Department of Education (USDE) in September of 2017. In late 2023, acknowledging that much had changed since ESSA went into effect, the USDE urged all states to revise and update their ESSA plans to document progress since original plans were approved. Following a stakeholder engagement process, Massachusetts provided an updated plan to USDE in July 2024. After USDE's review, Massachusetts submitted minor revisions to its plan in October 2024, which were ultimately approved in early 2025.

Massachusetts Consolidated State Plan Under ESSA — Approved January 15, 2025

See this memo for more information about the 2024 revisions and the revision process.

If you have any questions about the plan, please email elementarysecondaryed.act@mass.gov .

Last Updated: January 17, 2025