The Every Student Succeeds Act, signed in 2015, is a federal K-12 education law that replaced the No Child Left Behind Act. The law maintains a focus on equity for all students, while giving states and local school districts much more ownership over systems of school accountability and support.
ESSA requires states to develop comprehensive plans for accountability and support, identify schools for support and improvement (Comprehensive and Targeted), and publish school report cards reflecting performance. Iowa’s system for accountability and support under ESSA was developed with broad public input, fits the state’s context, and focuses on helping schools find solutions that work for them.