BUILDING SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT FOR 

EXCELLENT TEACHING AND LEADING

AN OVERVIEW OF THE 2016 NON-REGULATORY 

GUIDANCE FOR TITLE II, PART A
The Every Student 

Succeeds Act, signed on 

December 10, 2015, builds 

on our progress and 

solidifies many of the 

reforms the Department has 

championed for the last 

seven years. 
EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT

 Purpose: To provide SEAs a high-level overview of the Building 

System of Support for Excellent Teaching and Leading guidance 

issued on September 27, 2016

 Format: Presentation followed by question and answer 

 Available at: www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/index.html

WEBINAR PURPOSE AND FORMAT

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EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT

 Ensures that low-income and minority students are not 

being taught at disproportionate rates by ineffective 

teachers 

 Supports improved teaching and learning through the 

implementation of human capital management 

systems

 Supports innovative and evidence-based approaches to 

teacher, principal and other school leader recruitment, 

preparation, support and development 

TEACHERS AND SCHOOL LEADERS

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EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT

 Title II, Part A guidance is one of several guidance 

documents that have been, or will be, released in 2016.

 ED has already issued guidance answering some of the most 

pressing questions regarding the transition to the new law, as 

well as guidance on changes in the law that impact some of 

our most vulnerable students:

– Students in foster care

– Homeless students

– English learners

– Schoolwide guidance

GUIDANCE

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TITLE II, PART A

Historically, Title II funds have been used to:

 Support class-size reduction

 Fund professional development for 

teachers

THE BIG PICTURE

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TITLE II, PART A GUIDANCE

The Non-Regulatory Guidance seeks to:

 Support states and districts to use these funds 

more strategically and for greater impact

 Clarify and explain new opportunities

 Highlight some allowable uses

 Serve as initial guidance

THE BIG PICTURE

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HOW THE GUIDANCE IS ORGANIZED

 Part 1: Support for Educators

 Part 2: Educator Equity

 Part 3: Strengthening Title II, Part A 

Investments

THREE MAIN SECTIONS

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PART I: SUPPORT FOR EDUCATORS

NEW AND IMPORTANT ALLOWABLE USES

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Transformative School Leadership

Strong Teacher Leadership

Meaningful Evaluation and Support

Induction and Mentorship

Multiple Pathways to Teaching and Leading
PART I: MULTIPLE PATHWAYS

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HIGHLIGHTS

 NEW: Teacher, principal and other school leader Academies

 Optional set-aside by states to develop and support them

 When designating a State authorizer, the authorizer can be a 

new or existing non-profit organization, State Educational 

Agency, or other public entity (sec. 2002(3)).

 Academies can be new or existing traditional or alternative 

preparation programs, or a public or other nonprofit entity. (sec. 

2002(4)).

 Teacher and school leader residency programs (sec. 2002(5)).

 Alternative routes to teaching and leading (sec. 2101(c)(4)(B)(iv)).

 Reform of preparation standards and approval, 

certification, licensure and tenure (sec. 2101(c)(4)(B)(iv)).
PART I: INDUCTION AND MENTORSHIP

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HIGHLIGHTS

 Recommended practices, resources and “strategies in action” 

included throughout the document

 Some recommendations to consider:

1. Requiring that all beginning teachers and principals receive 

induction support during their first two years. 

2. Requiring a rigorous mentor/induction coach selection 

process.

3. Requiring regular observation by mentors/induction coaches 

and opportunities for new teachers to observe classrooms.
PART 1: MEANINGFUL EVALUATION & 

SUPPORT

HIGHLIGHTS

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 Encourages comprehensive human capital management 

systems, including educator evaluation and support systems

 Characteristics of well-designed systems:

 Continually improve instruction

 Meaningfully involve educators and other stakeholders

 Be valid, reliable and fair

 Include multiple measures

 Be transparent

 Help ensure educational equity
PART 1: STRONG TEACHER LEADERSHIP

HIGHLIGHTS

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 Leveraging teacher leadership and expertise

 Important:

 Title II, Part A funds may be used to support “time banks” or 

flexible time for collaborative planning, curriculum writing, peer 

observations, and leading trainings (which may involve using 

substitute teachers to cover classes during the school day)

 Title II, Part A funds may also be used to compensate teachers 

for their increased leadership roles and responsibilities.

 Additional Recommended strategies:

 Peer-led professional development

 Learning communities

 Multiple career paths
PART 1: TRANSFORMATIVE SCHOOL 

LEADERSHIP

HIGHLIGHTS

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 Ongoing professional learning for principals and other 

school leaders

 State-level school leader set aside

 Optional 3% to support state activities to support 

principals and other school leaders

 Develop alternative pathways to school leadership

 Help LEAs recruit and retain effective leaders

 Develop and implement evidence-based* mentoring, 

induction and other professional development opportunities

*The definition for “evidence-based” is elaborated in Appendix A of the 

guidance document and later in this presentation
PART 1: TRANSFORMATIVE SCHOOL 

LEADERSHIP

HIGHLIGHTS

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 Principal Supervisors

 Employees or officers of an elementary or secondary 

school, LEA, or other entity operating a school who are 

“responsible for the daily instructional leadership and 

managerial operations in the elementary school or 

secondary school building.” 

 (ESEA section 8101(44))
PART 1: SUPPORTING A DIVERSE 

EDUCATOR WORKFORCE

HIGHLIGHTS

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 Recommended Strategies

 Partnering with preparation providers including local 

community colleges, Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs), 

Minority Serving Institutions, and alternative route providers, to 

build a pipeline of diverse candidates

 Providing ongoing professional development aimed at 

cultural competency and responsiveness and equity coaching, 

designed to improve conditions for all educators and students, 

including educators and students from underrepresented minority 

groups, diverse national origins, English language competencies, 

and varying genders and sexual orientations

 Providing time and space for differentiated support for all 

teachers, including affinity group support
PART 2: EDUCATOR EQUITY

 SEA tools to ensuring equitable access:

 To help ensure the purposes of Title II, Part A are met, an SEA 

may require an LEA to describe how it will provide students from 

low-income families and minority students with greater access to 

effective teachers, principals, and other school leaders in its 

local Title II, Part A application. (ESEA sections 2001 and 

2102(b)).

 Proposed educator equity requirements in regulations

 Attracting and retaining excellent educators in high-need 

schools

 Recommended strategies such as “teacher time banks,” 

differential and incentive pay, and development opportunities to 

improve school working conditions

 Supporting early learning

ENSURING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO EFFECTIVE EDUCATORS

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PART 3: CYCLICAL FRAMEWORK FOR 

MAXIMIZING INVESTMENTS

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PART 3: STRENGTHENING TITLE II, PART 

A INVESTMENTS

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Total State Allocation

for Title II, Part A 

(100%)

Not less than 95% for LEA Subgrants 

(ESEA section 2101(c)(1))

NEW: SEA may reserve up to 3% of the amount for 

LEA subgrants for State-level principal and school 

leader support (including preparation academies)

(ESEA section 2101(c)(3)) 

Remainder for LEA Subgrants

(ESEA section 2101(c)(3)) 

Up to 5% for State Activities

(ESEA section 2101(c)(4))

NEW: SEA may reserve up to 2% of total State 

funding for teacher, principal, or other school 

leader preparation academies 

(ESEA section 2101(c)(4)(B)(xii))

Up to 1% of total State funding for State 

Administration 

(ESEA section 2101(c)(2))

Remainder for other State Activities 

(ESEA section 2101(c)(4))
PART 3: CONSULTATION

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 SEAs and LEAs are required to conduct 

meaningful consultation:

 Seek advice from stakeholders

 Coordinate the activities with other related 

strategies, programs or activities in the State or LEA

 Equitable participation of private school teachers 

and consultation with private school officials during 

the development of Title II, Part A programs
PART 3: CONSULTATION

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 Some recommended strategies for consultation:

 Conduct outreach and solicit input from stakeholders

 Be flexible and consider holding meetings outside 

the hours of the school day and using a variety of 

communications tools

 Seek out diverse perspectives

 Consider the concerns identified during consultation, 

and revise plans when appropriate.
GUIDANCE ON “EVIDENCE”

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 Title II requires certain interventions be evidence-based to 

the extent that the state determines that evidence is 

reasonably available

 Appendix A of the guidance provides the definition of 

evidence-based intervention, as well as additional 

information about the four levels of evidence outlined in 

statute:

 Strong Evidence

 Moderate Evidence

 Promising Evidence

 Demonstrates a Rationale
Questions?

Resources

 About this guidance: OESEGuidanceDocument@ed.gov

 General ESSA questions: ESSA.Questions@ed.gov

 Main ESSA Web Page: www.ED.gov/ESSA

 ESSA Resources Web Page: 

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/index.html

 Evidence-Based Guidance: Using Evidence to Strengthen Education 

Investments, 

www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/guidanceuseseinvestment.pdf

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TITLE II, PART A

RESOURCES