As stated by the State of New Jersey Department of Education, the purpose of Title I is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging state academic achievement and state academic assessments.

New Jersey has created its state plan that details how it to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Each state has developed a plan that adheres to the requirements of the federal ESSA statute. 

ESSA replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), enacted in 2002, and it reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965. Under ESSA, some federal requirements remain in place. For instance, all states must set challenging academic standards and they must annually assess students’ progress towards those statewide standards in math, English language arts, and science.

On August 9, 2017, the U.S. Department of Education approved New Jersey's ESSA State Plan. Parent involvement ensured the plan was developed by New Jersey and for New Jersey. The collaborative development process enabled the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) to create a plan that focuses on equity for all students, deep support for the schools that need it most, and the promise that all children attend a school providing the support and skills they need to thrive throughout their K-12 experience and far beyond.

Input from stakeholders before, during and after the drafting of the plan was received in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to:

• Over 5,300 survey responses.
• An ESSA Stakeholder Focus Group with over 80 invited education and community organizations.
• More than 90 meetings organized or attended throughout the state including four listening and learning sessions, during which NJDOE met with more than 140 attendees.
• Over 400 districts represented at in-person ESSA technical assistance sessions.
• Direct communication with individuals representing more than 160 communities throughout the state.

Links regarding New Jersey’s ESSA State Plan can be found on NJDOE’s main ESSA webpage .