WASHINGTON— U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today announced the approval of Texas’ consolidated state plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

"Texas’ plan met the requirements of the law, therefore I have approved it," said Secretary DeVos. "I look forward to seeing how Texas embraces the flexibility afforded by ESSA to innovate on behalf of the Lone Star State’s 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 Texas' approved plan as highlighted by the state:

• Maintains rigorous, yet achievable goals for all student groups in Texas, while creating stronger alignment between all state and federal program areas.
• Creates strong support and interventions to assist low-performing schools
• Strengthens the alignment of federal funding with priorities within the Texas Education Agency’s strategic plan

“In Texas, we are committed to ensuring every child is prepared for success in college, a career or the military,” said Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath. “Our state plan reflects a commitment to reinforcing public education outcomes for more than five million schoolchildren while continuing to strengthen the economic future of Texas.”