ESSA Accountability System
Overview
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the main federal law for K-12 public education, aims to ensure all children get a quality education. The law requires that states hold public schools accountable for how students achieve. ESSA does give states flexibility—their accountability systems can measure much more than just test scores.
- For more information on New York State’s ESSA Plan, visit the Approved New York State ESSA Plan page.
- For more information on assessment and accountability waiver requests approved by the United States Department of Education, visit the ESSA Assessments and Accountability Waivers page.
- To view recent webinars and other resources on how accountability determinations are calculated, please visit the School and District Accountability Resources and Data page.
Accountability Indicators
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) has established a set of accountability indicators to measure school performance. NYSED developed these accountability indicators with the input of parents, educators, and educational experts, which include:
- student academic achievement;
- progress of English language learners;
- attendance; and
- graduation rates for high schools.
Beginning in the 2025-26 School Year (SY)
The chart below shows the accountability indicators that will be used to calculate accountability determinations in the 2025-26 SY based on 2024-25 SY results, and every school year thereafter, under the approved amendments of the New York State ESSA plan. Please see the Approved New York State ESSA Plan page for the full text of the plan. Note that the Chronic Absenteeism accountability indicator is replaced with the Attendance accountability indicator and the Student Growth and College, Career, and Civic Readiness accountability indicators are reintroduced for accountability determinations calculations.
| Elementary/Middle | High School |
|---|---|
| Weighted Average Achievement | Weighted Average Achievement |
| Core Subject Performance | Core Subject Performance |
| English Language Proficiency | English Language Proficiency |
| Attendance | Attendance |
| Student Growth | Graduation Rate |
| College, Career, and Civic Readiness |
Accountability Support Models
Accountability levels are determined for schools and districts for all students and for student subgroups. Such subgroups include members of racial and ethnic groups, economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, and English language learners. These accountability levels are used to determine which of the following accountability support models a subgroup, school, or district is identified for:
For each of these accountability support models, NYSED has developed tools and resources to support and build capacity around continuous improvement for all schools. The figure below shows the multiple entry points that support models provide for flexible, adaptable practices that promote sustainable structures around improvement planning and monitoring impact.
Related Resources
Required Actions for CSI, ATSI, TSI, and Target District Support Models
Continuous Improvement and Accountability Data Analysis Planning Guide for Analyzing Data Results (Forthcoming)
For additional information on tools and resources for supporting continuous improvement in all schools and districts, please visit the NYSED Accountability Continuous Improvement webpage.
For Charter Schools
A charter school identified for CSI, ATSI, or TSI shall take such actions as are required by its charter authorizer pursuant to Article 56 of the Education Law consistent with the charter agreement that each charter school has with its charter authorizer.
For questions regarding charter schools, please email charterschools@nysed.gov.