Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) includes key provisions aimed at promoting student and school success:

• It promotes equity by ensuring essential protections for disadvantaged and high-need students across the country.
• ESSA requires that all students receive education aligned with rigorous academic standards to prepare them for success in college and careers.
• The law ensures that educators, families, students, and communities receive vital information through annual statewide assessments, which track students' progress toward these high standards.
• It supports and fosters local innovations, including evidence-based and community-driven interventions led by local educators and leaders.
• ESSA continues to expand access to high-quality preschool programs through this administration's historic investments.
• The act maintains the expectation for accountability and action, focusing on improving the lowest-performing schools where student progress has stalled or where graduation rates have remained low over time.