NCFL Applauds Congressional Passage of Every Student Succeeds Act

Two-generation family literacy, family engagement are priorities in bi-partisan effort

Today, the U.S. Senate easily approved a long-overdue measure to reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act, sending the bill to President Barack Obama for a signature. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which was approved by the House of Representatives last Wednesday by a large margin, is a bi-partisan, bi-cameral effort to update America’s public school system.

Among its many benefits for America’s children, families and school systems, ESSA affirms the important role that parents play in the education of their children. “I am pleased to see that family literacy and family engagement are demonstrated priorities in ESSA,” NCFL President and Founder Sharon Darling remarked. “When parents are treated as an integral part of the learning process, children, families, schools and communities all stand to benefit. This bill complements NCFL’s belief that all parents – regardless of socioeconomic or education level – can help their children succeed in school and life,” she added.

Specifically, the bill contains the following provisions:

• The authorization of the Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation (LEARN) Act
• The establishment of Statewide Family Engagement Centers
• The establishment of a minimum set-aside for family engagement in Title I
• A priority for family literacy for migrant education

President Obama is expected to sign ESSA into law before the end of the calendar year.