ESSA Unsafe School Choice Option LEA Requirements
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Section 8532, requires any state that receives ESSA grant funds to establish a statewide policy concerning unsafe schools. Under the ESSA Unsafe School Choice Option (USCO), local education agencies (LEAs) must allow a student to attend a safe public elementary or secondary school within the LEA, including a public charter school, under either of the following conditions:
- The student attends a persistently dangerous public elementary or secondary school.
- The student becomes the victim of a violent criminal offense while in or on the grounds of the public elementary or secondary school that the student attends.
A local policy must include the transfer process for students attending a persistently dangerous school, as identified by TEA, and for student victims of criminal violence.
McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act is a federal law that ensures immediate enrollment and educational stability for homeless children and youth. The term “homeless children and youth” means individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason. Students who are homeless are not required to provide proof of residency before enrolling.
Benefits to Students:
- Coordinate services between students, families, and community agencies
- Provide transportation for eligible students to the school of origin
- Provide free lunch
- Provide school supplies
- Provide tutorials for eligible secondary students
- Provide credit recovery opportunities for eligible secondary students
School Report Cards provide a subset of the information available in the TAPRs (AEIS reports) on the performance of students at public schools.
The U.S. Department of Education requires each state to publish annual Federal Report Cards with specific district- and campus-level data. Every district that receives Title I, Part A funding is responsible for distributing the state-, district- and campus-level report cards to each of its campuses, the parents of all enrolled students, and the general public.
