Elementary Secondary Education Act

The United States Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and then it was signed into law on December 10, 2015, amending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. ESSA increases state authority on standards, assessments and interventions, and adds specific restrictions to the United States Secretary of Education involvement in state decisions.

As a parent, you have the right to know information on the qualifications of any teacher or instructional assistant who is instructing or providing instructional support to your child. This information includes the following:

  • Whether the teacher has met State qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;
  • Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which State qualification or licensing criteria have been waived;
  • Whether the teacher is teaching in the field of discipline of their certification; and
  • Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

If your child attends a school with a Title I program, you will receive timely notice that your child has been assigned or has been taught for 4 or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet applicable State certification or licensure requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher has been assigned. At any time, you may view the certification status of any Florida teacher on the by doing a Public Search on the Florida Department of Education License Verification webpage. In addition to the information that parents may request regarding professional qualifications of instructional personnel, parents have the right to know information on the level of achievement and academic growth of their child and results of each of the State academic assessments. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s school.

The School District of Indian River County is dedicated to meeting the educational needs of our students and has the utmost confidence that your child is receiving the highest quality education.