32 Civil Rights and Education Groups Respond to Proposed School Accountability Regulations

Media 08.1,16

WASHINGTON – Today, 32 civil rights and education groups filed joint comments on the U.S. Department of Education’s proposed accountability regulations under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).   

The groups repeated their advocacy to ensure that ESSA holds states and districts accountable for increasing student achievement, particularly for marginalized communities. As the comments state, “For too long, students of color, low-income students, English learners, students with disabilities and other historically marginalized students have been denied the equal educational opportunity that is their right and our collective responsibility. The measure of this regulation, as with any other action taken to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, must be whether or not it advances the interest of these American students.” 

The groups highlighted 16 areas of support or concern within the proposed regulations, including measures of student success, equity in student achievement and educational opportunity, and action when schools are underperforming. They called the regulations “a good first step toward ensuring that all students are counted and that parents and communities can hold their schools accountable for meeting the needs of their students.”

Click here to read the letter.

The full list of signers is below.

·         The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

·         American Association of University Women (AAUW)

·         American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee

·         Children’s Defense Fund

·         Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates

·         Democrats for Education Reform

·         Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)

·         Easter Seals

·         Education Law Center – PA

·         Education Reform Now Advocacy

·         Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

·         Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

·         MALDEF

·         NAACP

·         NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.

·         National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities

·         National Center for Learning Disabilities

·         National Center for Special Education in Charter Schools

·         National Council of La Raza

·         National Disability Rights Network

·         National Down Syndrome Congress

·         National Indian Education Association

·         National Urban League

·         National Women’s Law Center

·         New Leaders

·         PolicyLink

·         Southern Poverty Law Center

·         Teach For America

·         Teach Plus

·         The Education Trust

·         TNTP (The New Teacher Project)

·         UNCF

 

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