WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today announced the approval of North Dakota's consolidated state plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

"North Dakota's plan meets the law's requirements, so I am glad to announce its approval," said Secretary DeVos. "I want to thank Superintendent Baesler, Governor Burgum and all other stakeholders who helped craft a plan to improve education for North Dakota students."

Allowing states more flexibility in how they deliver education to students is at the core of ESSA. Each state crafted a plan that it feels will best offer educational opportunities to meet the needs of the state and its students. The following are some of the unique elements from North Dakota's plan:

• Creates a "Choice Ready" framework that will measure how effectively schools are preparing students for success after high school, with the goal of having the state's graduation and "Choice Ready" rates to be the same.
• Uses a survey incorporating student responses to measure the extent to which students are being engaged cognitively, behaviorally and emotionally, in addition to the quality of that engagement.

"North Dakota crafted our ESSA plan after extensive engagement with stakeholders in our state," said State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler. "North Dakota ESSA plan stakeholders created a formula of accountability based on our state's values that struck a balance of high expectations of proficiency and growth for all students. This plan reflects what's best for the students in North Dakota. We are excited to implement an accountability system that was written with supports and interventions to best meet the needs of students in our state and improve academic achievement for all students over time."