Opportunity to Comment on Draft of ESSA State Plan is Extended to May 28

The Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) is seeking public comment on the first draft of the state plan to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the new federal education law. ESSA provides states with greater flexibility than the No Child Left Behind Act it replaces. States must submit plans to the U.S. Department of Education by Sept. 18 to show how they will implement ESSA.

Alaska’s first draft was shaped by over 4,000 stakeholder comments from nearly 1,000 Alaskans at 40-plus meetings conducted across the state over the last year. DEED now is seeking additional public comment to strengthen the first draft, ensuring that the plan takes full advantage of expanded state and local options and addresses the state’s unique educational needs and priorities.

DEED will gather public comment on this first draft through 8 p.m. on May 28. For the public’s convenience, DEED has created eight feedback forms that address the plan’s various sections. Members of the public may comment on the entire plan or only on the sections that interest them. DEED encourages the public to read the plan’s section(s) before commenting. The plan and all eight feedback forms are available at https://education.alaska.gov/akessa/#c3gtabs-stateplan.