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Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Every student should have access to a quality public education, regardless of where they live, how they learn, or how much money their parents make.

What is ESSA?

The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) works to support equal opportunity for disadvantaged students and eliminate barriers to student success. ESSA requires all paraprofessionals working in a Title I funded school to meet certain proficiency in reading, writing and math.

Download the Navigating ESSA (PDF)

How Do I Qualify for Positions at Title I Schools?

If you would like to be considered for positions at Title I schools, you will need to upload documents in your application that show you meet these requirements. There are two ways to do this:

Method 1: College Courses Taken

If you have already taken college courses or have a degree.

  • Say “yes” to the appropriate ESSA question on your application, then
  • Upload your college transcript that shows one of these:
    • Completion of college credit courses with a “C” grade or better that show you have college-ready reading, writing, and math skills; or
    • Completion of two years of college courses (72 quarter credits or 48 semester credits) at 100 level or higher; or
    • Completion of an Associate’s degree or higher

Method 2: Use Exam Scores

If you have not already taken college courses, you may submit exam scores.

  • Say “yes” to the appropriate ESSA question on your application, then
  • Upload your Accuplacer exam with passing scores:
    • Next Generation Reading at or above 225
    • Next Generation Writing at or above 225
    • Next Generation Math: Arithmetic at or above 240
    • If you already took the EMBARC exam, ETS ParaPro exam or another exam that shows you have college-ready reading, writing and math skills, talk to us before you take the Accuplacer exam (you may not need to take it).

ESSA FAQs