Washington — U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today announced the approval of Ohio's consolidated state plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

"Ohio's plan met the requirements of the law, and so I am happy to approve it," said Secretary DeVos. "This plan should not be seen as a ceiling, but as a foundation upon which Ohio can improve education for its 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 Ohio's approved plan as highlighted by the state:

• Places special focus on vulnerable student populations (such as students in foster care and homeless students) by helping schools identify barriers to achievement and strategies to promote improvement.
• Provides strategies to assist struggling schools with implementing evidence-based strategies.

"Ohio embraced this opportunity to engage with stakeholders across the state to review and refine basic aspects of education policy and identify key elements of a road map for student success," said Paolo DeMaria, Ohio's Superintendent of Public Instruction. "Ohio's ESSA state plan provides support to struggling schools and places special focus on our most vulnerable students."