NAfME is hosting a free webinar on Wednesday, August 24 at 7:00 EST/6:00 CST to present tools that districts can use to seek Title IV funding for music programs under ESSA. Registration is available here.

The Title IV funding process requires that districts conduct needs assessments. The webinar will focus on how NAfME's Opportunity to Learn standards can serve as a template to conduct a needs assessment for arts programs. This document can also be a useful tool for campus-level advocacy, as it lays out national best practices for staffing, scheduling, and curriculum.

The TN Department of Education is accepting stakeholder feedback on the Every Student Succeeds Act through Monday, August 15. There is a longer survey for a variety of education stakeholders and a shorter version specifically for parents and students.

Education Stakeholder Survey

Parent/Student Survey

Please consider adding your voice to the responses.

The Tennessee Arts Commission has released several sets of talking points that may serve as useful references when responding (here and here).

NAfME has submitted comments on the Department of Education's proposed accountability regulations under ESSA. These include:

• Requesting more broad definitions for indicators states can use to measure school quality and student success, including access to the arts at all grade levels.
• Opposing the continued requirement that states rate schools using a single summative categorical rating.
• Advocating for added language clarifying that academic interventions should not result in loss of access to music instruction.
• Requesting measures of access be used in school improvement plans.

The full comments are available here.

Additionally, Lamar Alexander, chair of the Senate education committee, has been critical of the timeline for implementation of accountability requirements and has also expressed concerns about other regulatory language regarding ESSA.