Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed by President Obama on December 10, 2015, and reauthorized a lot of the provisions of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) while revising some of the requirements that were difficult for students, schools, and educators. The clear goal became fully preparing all students for college, for careers, or for the military.  ​
Highlights of ESSA that benefit Beverly City School District include the following: ​
  • Requires that all students be taught to high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed.
  • Gives data to educators and their families through annual statewide assessments.
  • Sustains and expands investments in increasing access to high-quality Pre-Kindergarten programs.
  • Maintains strong requirements for educators who are working with students in all grade levels.  
ESSA offers Beverly City School District grants through Title I, Title II, and Title IV, and these grants serve students and educators in achieving academic excellence.
In addition, the law requires that all schools receiving Title I funds must inform parents of their right to ask schools about the qualifications of their child’s teachers. Our school receives Title I funding and we are happy to share this information with you at your request.
Nothing is more important to your child’s education than having a well prepared and highly qualified teacher.  ​
The law requires that all teachers must meet a specific legal definition of “highly qualified” in order to teach in schools that receive Title I funding. The legal definition of a “highly qualified teacher” has three parts. It states that the teacher must have the following:
  1. A four-year college degree
  2. A regular teaching certificate/license
  3. Proof of their knowledge in the subject they teach
New Jersey has some of the most qualified teachers in the country, and we are extremely proud of the quality of the teaching staff at the Beverly City School District. All of our regular teachers have college degrees and many have advanced degrees. The state of New Jersey has always required a teaching certificate/license for all teachers. In addition, every teacher continues learning through professional development activities and our teachers are evaluated each year to make sure that their teaching skills remain at the highest possible level.
Most teachers already meet this legal definition of highly qualified. All teachers hired after the beginning of the 2002-2003 school year were required to meet this definition. According to NCLB, and now ESSA, veteran teachers, hired before the 2002-2003 school year, who do not yet meet the legal definition of highly qualified, had until the end of the 2005-2006 school year to do so. The Beverly City Board of Education strives to maintain the requirements of the NCLB Law that all newly hired teachers meet the highly qualified requirements for their particular position.
To ensure that every child in every classroom has a highly qualified teacher, the state of New Jersey and our school district are working together to help teachers meet the requirements of the federal law by providing several options. We recommended that teachers take the appropriate test to demonstrate proficiency in their particular content area based on the grade and subject. We will continue to offer teachers professional development opportunities of best practices, outstanding teaching models and programs to help our children.
A highly qualified teacher knows what to teach, how to teach, and has a full understanding of the subject matter being taught. We have been diligent in making sure that every teacher in our school is fully qualified and dedicated to teaching your child, as defined by the legal definition required by the federal government.​

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