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Statement from Gov. Bob Wise on Final ESSA Accountability Regulation

WASHINGTON, DC – On November 28, the U.S. Department of Education released final regulations to implement the accountability, data reporting, and state plan provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In response, Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education, made the following statement.

“Over the past decade, starting with the administration of President George W. Bush, federal regulations have played a meaningful role in strengthening the nation’s graduation rate, which has now hit an all-time high of 83 percent. The Obama administration’s regulations implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act continue this bipartisan emphasis on improving high school graduation rates, while leaving the key decisions around interventions and support to states, districts, and schools as called for under the new federal law.

“Although I would prefer an even stronger federal role, these regulations strike a reasonable balance between local flexibility and federal guardrails. I encourage the incoming administration to keep these regulations in place, rather than prolonging uncertainty among states and outdated policy and practices in the nation’s classrooms.”

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The Alliance for Excellent Education is a Washington, DC–based national policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring all students, particularly those traditionally underserved, graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship. www.all4ed.org