Public Policy and Political Action on Behalf of Catholic Schools

The Association's mission statement and the expectations of its members call NCEA to provide leadership in shaping public policies and encouraging political actions that acknowledge and support the important role of Catholic schools in the United States, that affirm and support the rights of all parents to choose Catholic schools for their children, and advocates for the equitable participation of Catholic school students in federal education programs.

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Every Student Succeeds Act

The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) is the reauthorized version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known since 2001 as No Child Left Behind.

The new law, ESSA, will be fully implemented during the 2017-2018 school year. The consultation process for the 2017 school year will take place during the current year and all consultation should be based on the new provisions in ESSA.

This new ESSA contains provisions that provide significant improvements regarding equitable services to students and teachers in religious and private schools. Specific references to private school students and personnel in the law are found in these sections of the law:

Section 1117 of ESSA contains the provisions that pertain to the participation of students enrolled in private schools. All of the general provisions are listed in this document and serve as a blueprint for obtaining equitable services for private school students and other educational personnel.

Title VIII of ESSA contains the Uniform Provisions language that pertains to the participation by private school students and other educational personnel. Sections 8501 -8506 provide more explicit language regarding the new provisions.

The Federal Programs page contains specific information for each title under ESSA with links to the guidance documents.