November 2026
News originally published by
Nebraska Department of EducationNebraska Teacher of the Year Final Report
The 2026 Nebraska Teacher of the Year Sarah Hardin provided her final report to the board. Her year has been full of travel and speaking engagements including talks ranging from high schools and colleges across the state to trips to Washington D.C. and Space Camp. The board thanked her for being a great representative of teachers in Nebraska.
ESSA State Plan Amendment
Nebraska is amending its Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan to reflect changes
at both the federal level and within the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE).
Those changes include:
Updating graphics and language to match current terms/documents.
Revising State level Set-Aside changes.
Revising to include the current NDE Strategic goals.
Updating accountability language, related definitions, and exit criteria.
ESEA State plans are formal documents required under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), that
outline how a state will implement federal education programs and meet their requirements.
Mental Health Training Grant
Board members approved the Mental Health Training Grant to support the efforts in recognizing and guiding students experiencing mental health challenges by connecting them to professional support.
Nebraska Statute tasked the NDE to establish and administer the Mental Health Training Grant to support school districts and educational service units in improving their ability to address student mental health crises.
The NDE issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for grants. The grant applications were reviewed by both internal and external school mental health experts. Reviewers scored the applications using a weighted rubric.
School districts and educational service unit were eligible to apply. As a condition of receiving these funds, the district or ESU must execute the required Assurance Statement affirming adherence to all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and professional standards governing the provision of educational and related services to students.
School Mental Health Training Grant Program Awardees
Assessment And Reporting Plan
The Assessment and Reporting Plan and Assessment Technical Report for 2026-2027 provides
information on: the categories of achievement, nationally normed referenced test, confidentiality of student information, technical reports, and national performance data.
State law requires the State Board to adopt a plan for an assessment and reporting system
annually, and submit that plan to the Governor, Clerk of the Legislature, and Chair of the Education
Committee.
Revision of Rule 19 Regarding School Enrollment
Rule 19 involves the Enrollment Option Program, which allows a student entering kindergarten through twelfth grade to attend a different public school district other than the school district they reside in.
The NDE has received input from legislative staff and other partners on a potential opportunity to revise Rule 19 to meet current needs of students, families, and schools.
Based on stakeholder feedback a new draft of Rule 19 was created.
Substantive changes include:
1) Emphasize the standards school districts shall not consider when evaluating an option enrollment application; and
2) Requiring school districts to document their evaluations of IEPs in relation to capacity, and when rejecting an option student application, requiring schools to provide parents with this documentation.
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