Special Report

ESSA on the Runway

April 4, 2018
The Every Student Succeeds Act—the first major rewrite of the nation’s main K-12 law in more than a decade—becomes a classroom reality this coming school year. With it comes the chance for greater sway over policy for states that have long chafed at what they viewed as an overly expansive federal role in K-12 education. But ESSA, which was enacted in 2015, also ushers in new responsibilities for states and districts, while retaining and updating federal mandates on student testing, school improvement, and other areas of K-12 accountability. This special report, “ESSA on the Runway,” analyzes the state of ESSA implementation on the eve of the law’s operational debut, from teaching and testing to the political pain points that may shape just how successful that rollout proves to be. This report takes a multifaceted look at just how ready those states, districts, and schools are to bringing ESSA's changes in for a successful landing when the law goes into full effect for the 2018-19 school year.