Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) sanctions most federal elementary and secondary education programs. The most current iteration of ESEA is the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which replaced the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, and which was passed by Congress in December 2015. ESEA has been due for reauthorization since 2007.

NASSP has worked tirelessly to draft recommendations on how to improve the law for the nation’s middle level and high school principals. Through meetings with legislators and their staff, organized Hill visits with NASSP members, and action alerts through the Principal’s Legislative Action Center, NASSP has provided key members on the House and Senate education committees with principals’ priorities in the new ESEA.

Now that the House and Senate have both voted to reauthorize ESEA by passing the Every Student Succeeds Act (also known as ESSA; view a detailed description of its provisions here), NASSP will continue working with states and the U.S. Department of Education throughout the state plan implementation process.

Legislative or Policy Priorities

• School of Thought Blog Post on ESSA Reauthorization
• Principals Groups Support Every Student Succeeds Act

NASSP Resources

• NASSP Board Position Statements
  • A-F School Rating Systems
  • Competency Based Education
  • Opt-Out Policies for Student Participation in Standardized Assessments
  • High Stakes Assessments 
• NASSP three-part ESSA webinar series with the Learning First Alliance. These webinars help educators understand how ESSA differs from current law, and what they can do as advocates at the state level to ensure they are part of the policy development process. View the archived webinars below.
  • ESSA Title I Provisions
  • ESSA Title II Provisions
  • ESSA Title IV Provisions
• Goodbye NCLB, Hello ESSA PowerPoint Presentation
• Transitioning to ESSA: Frequently Asked Questions
• ESSA Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Survey Guide
• Programs Authorized in the Conference Agreement on S. 1177
• Final Comment Letter in Response to the Every Student Succeeds Act
• Letter Concerning Title II of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to Acting Secretary King
• Letter to Department of Education with Guidance Addressing Education Leadership Under ESSA
• Response to the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Accountability and State Plans
• Stakeholder Engagement Letter to Chief State School Officers
• Title II Regulatory Guidance
• States using the 3% set-aside for school leaders
• Joint Comment Letter on Eligible Use of ESSA Funds
• ESSA Implementation Timeline
• Meaningful Local Engagement Under ESSA – Issue 1
• Meaningful Local Engagement Under ESSA – Issue 2