The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 10, 2015. The purpose of this act was to replace and update the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which was signed into law in 2002. The purpose of ESSA is “to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.” ESSA went into effect for the 2017-2018 school year. Funding is authorized through the 2020 – 2021 school year. Although ESSA retained the annual standardized testing requirements from NCLB, the law moved the federal accountability aspect to state governments. States must still submit an accountability plan to the Education Department, but ESSA also allows for local educational agencies to apply for subgrants for local accountability plans.

More resources:

• US Department of Education – Visit Site
• NYS Education Department – Visit Site