Dive Brief:
- The Broader Bolder Approach to Education initiative (BBA), a project of the nonprofit Economic Policy Institute, is re-launching ahead of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) implementation.
- The program's national coordinator Elaine Weiss writes in the Washington Post that initiative embraces a "no excuses" position that previously sparked debate.
- Weiss argues that BBA guidelines will help lawmakers decide how best to improve performance and measure accountability in schools.
Dive Insight:
Much of BBA's focus is on dismantling entrenched disparity by investing in early childhood education, increasing access to afterschool activities, and supporting for children's mental and physical health.
That kind of holistic approach in schools has been embraced recently, with schools like Rochester's Beacon School gaining traction. In Oakland, California, the Hayward Unified School District uses a holistic "community schools" approach that includes offering health and social services to not only students, but entire families.
But a strict "no excuses" approach could require caution. Recently, some institutions like the Success Academy charter network in NYC have come under fire for harsh disciplinary tactics. A new video recently surfaced, showing a teacher berating a student. The child's mother told the New York Times that she was so upset by what she saw that she has removed her daughter from the school.