In a move designed to better align with current state education policy, the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) is set to amend its Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State plan for the 2024–25 school year. This proposed amendment, pending approval from the North Carolina State Board of Education, aims to update the criteria under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965.
The changes focus primarily on the English Language Proficiency section of the plan, aiming specifically to adjust the Progress in Achieving English Language Proficiency Indicator and set new long-term goals. "The amendment aligns the ESSA State plan to State Board of Education policy," according to a document released by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The necessity to minutely fine-tune education standards reflects a broader push to ensure students who are learning English as a second language can meet criteria that more appropriately fit their learning trajectory.
As a result of these amendments, the NCDPI will be revising the State Board Policy TEST-011, which sets out the exit criteria for students to achieve English Language Proficiency. It is a technical update with significant implications; teachers will need to be informed, material will have to be adapted, but in the end, this should signify a system better fitted to the realities of English language learners.
Detailed information about what the changes entail can be found on specific pages of the attached document, namely "Pages 30-33," "Pages 37-40," and "Page 213." Members of the public who wish to familiarize themselves entirely with the nature of the amendments, can do so by accessing the document linked in the NCDPI release. The education department has emphasized that, aside from these specified adjustments to the ESSA State plan, no other changes are to be considered at this moment.
