ESSA Talent Plan Toolkit

"To reach the goal of every Texas student prepared for success in college, a career or the military, districts must ensure all students have access to the most effective teachers. Title I, Part A, Sec. 1112(b)(2) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) that receive Title I funds to create plans to “address any disparities that result in low-income students and minority students being taught at higher rates than other students by inexperienced, out-of-field, and ineffective teachers."

The ESSA Talent Plan Toolkit has been designed to mirror a continuous improvement process so that this structure allows for two things to occur:

1. The talent planning process fits within a district's annual continuous improvement process.
2. The district's continuous improvement process results in decreased disparities in low income and minority students being taught by inexperienced, out-of-field, and ineffective teachers compared to other students.

Notifications

Newly Identified Cohort B 24-25 LEAs

• For the 2024-25 school year, newly identified Cohort B LEAs will be required to submit an ESSA Talent Plan. If an identified LEA had a past plan in place, the LEA should review their past plan locally, consider opportunities for revision, and implement the identified strategies accordingly using the updated ESSA Talent Plan template.
  • Download ESSA Talent Plan Template
• The agency will notify an LEA based on the identification of disproportionate gaps in student growth for low-income students and minority students compared to other students by December 2024. Only LEAs with student growth gaps greater than 10 percent will receive a notification. If your LEA receives a notification, your LEA has student achievement gaps greater than 10 percent and your LEA will be required to submit a plan to the agency in 2024-25.

Currently Identified Cohort A 23-24 LEAs

• Current Cohort A 23-24 LEAs will continue to implement the LEA ESSA Talent Plan developed during the spring semester of the 23-24 school year. ESC ESSA Talent Plan Leads will check in on the progress of the plan every 3-4 months.

General Information

• Districts that are identified may be eligible for priority points in various funding/grant programs through TEA (GYO, Principal Residency Grants, Mentorship Allotment, Teacher Leadership grants, etc.) to provide further support in effective talent management.
• The Texas ESSA Talent Plan Toolkit webpage supports the creation of talent plans under this process. ESC Talent Plan teams can provide training on the talent planning process to interested districts.
• For further clarification on the calculation of disproportionate student growth rates between low income and minority students and other students, download the Student Growth Rate Disparity Calculation document.
  • View Student Growth Rate Disparity Calculation Document