Administrators' ESSA-Aligned Guide to Planning for the New School Year
Administrators' ESSA-Aligned Guide to Planning for the New School Year

We know you have been hard at work making sure everything this school year goes off without a hitch but there may be a few things that still need to be buttoned up. Not to fear! We've assembled a curated list of our best resources aligned to goals outlined by most ESSA plans.
Goal: Boosting Math, ELA, & Reading Achievement
Building foundational reading and math skills and increasing the number of students who meet and master grade level standards on state assessments is an ongoing challenge. Utilize the guides below to take a fresh approach to your instructional programs or refine your current practices.
Frequent, standards-based formative assessments are a critical piece of effective data-driven instruction. Our formative assessment workbook provides a framework for implementing formative assessments throughout the lesson cycle, identifying student skill gaps early, and determining effective interventions. Its planning forms and data-tracking worksheets can be used across multiple subjects and grade levels.
It’s a well-known fact that a strong foundation in literacy is key to future academic success in any subject. This workbook evaluates the many facets of structuring an effective, research-based reading and language arts block and helps you select the appropriate technology tools to support your approach.
Bring the best parts of online learning and traditional instruction together in a blended learning program. Blended programs come in many forms and enable scalable personalized learning. Use this workbook to get your district or school's blended learning program started.
Goal: Address Achievement Gaps, Support English Learners, and Special Education Students
Many states are doubling down on their commitment to educating all students. The resources below provide strategies for meeting the needs of special student populations.
Use this worksheet to plan programs to address the needs of special populations of students.
This collection of blogs addresses topics like back-to-school strategies to support ELLs, preparing ELLs for high-stakes assessments, and more.
This collection of blogs address topics like dyslexia, navigating IEP meetings, ADHD, and trends in special education.
Personalized learning allows educators to meet the varying needs of all learners, improving learning outcomes. This workbook takes the guesswork out of personalized learning by providing a step-by-step plan from development to implementation.
Goal: Support Graduation Rates
A large number of states have posted ambitious short and long-term goals which will mean ramping up efforts to help students who fall behind get back on track. Make sure that your school has a credit recovery program in place so that all students can see a path to graduation.
Our Credit Recovery workbook will show you how to set up a new program or enhance your current credit recovery offering.
For a growing number of schools, a virtual implementation may help your school or district offer more flexible and expansive course options to serve populations in need. Use this workbook to evaluate if a virtual implementation is the best option for your school and get guidance on developing a program and selecting a digital provider.
Goal: Ensure College and Career Readiness
Connecting high school to college and career is a key way that many states are ensuring that the workforce will be better equipped to meet the needs of the future job market.
While No Child Left Behind had a narrow focus on math and ELA – ESSA has given states the freedom to allow schools to create programs that allow students to pursue interests that align with future career goals. One way of achieving this alignment is through a CTE program. This workbook will take a deep dive into the components of an evolving and improving a CTE program to help hone in on a map for improvement and professional development.
Online curriculum can open a world of college and career focused courses to students that their schools may not otherwise be able to offer, including Advanced Placement, CTE, or even SAT, or ACT assessment preparation. Our online curriculum guide discusses several different ways online curriculum can be used, and even includes a worksheet to guide the process of identifying a provider that meets your needs.
Additional Free Resources:
- Marzano-Validated Best Practices for Online Practice
- How to Evaluate EdTech Tools that Support Teaching & Learning
- [Administrator Tips] Using Educational Technology to Lighten Your Teachers’ Workload
Looking for online programs to help your school or district improve outcomes for all students? Check out Edmentum's suite of K-12 evidence-based assessments and digital curriculum and see why almost a million educators partner with us.
This blog post was originally published on June 25, 2018.