ESSA Every Student Succeeds Act

ESSA Every Student Succeeds Act What happens when a law shifts power from Washington to your local school board—and to kids in detention or foster care? Meet ESSA, the law quietly rewriting the American school day. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS BROADCAST 1. What ESSA is and why it replaced No Child Left Behind 2. How states now control accountability and standards 3. Required annual testing in grades 3-8, once in high school 4. Why transparent school report cards matter for parents 5. How ESSA protects disadvantaged and high-need students 6. New flexibility for federal funding and interventions 7. Why the "highly qualified teacher" mandate was dropped 8. How juvenile justice credits now transfer to home schools 9. Foster care enrollment protections built into ESSA 10. Why advocacy groups still watch state ESSA plans closely ESSA, the Every Student Succeeds Act, became the primary K-12 education law in 2015, replacing No Child Left Behind's rigid, test-only model. It shifts real authority to states, letting them design accountability systems, set standards, and choose interventions for struggling schools while preserving core equity protections for disadvantaged students. This episode explores how ESSA reshaped testing, funding flexibility, and teacher evaluation, plus its lesser-known reach into the justice system: juvenile detention credits must now transfer to home schools, and foster youth get stronger enrollment protections. Advocates continue tracking state ESSA plans to ensure flexibility doesn't erode equity for English learners, students with disabilities, and other high-need populations. It's a law still being written state by state. Learn more about ESSA Every Student Succeeds Act by visiting: https://kidlaw.org/2026/02/20/essa-every-student-succeeds-act/ SOCIAL & WEB LINKS Kidlaw Official Website - https://Kidlaw.org PODCAST LINKS Buzzsprout Link: https://kidlaw.buzzsprout.com Apple Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kidlaw/id1896798336 Spotify Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/033liLtlloBnXvjIJac6Z3?si=cbfc7e412df24c3c CONTACTS mcoogan@acnj.org - Mary Coogan - Host of Let's Talk Kids | CEO of ACNJ npeckman@acnj.org - Nina Peckman, Esq. - Staff Attorney vjabon@acnj.org - Viggo Jabon - Multimedia Specialist at ACNJ Carter@DiedreMoire.com - Maxine E Carter - Producer #ESSA, #EveryStudentSucceedsAct, #EducationLaw, #NoChildLeftBehind, #K12Education, #SchoolAccountability, #EducationPolicy, #JuvenileJustice, #FosterCareEducation, #EnglishLearners, #StudentsWithDisabilities, #EducationEquity, #Kidlaw, #ACNJ, #SchoolReportCards, #TeacherQuality, #EducationReform Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ), Kidlaw, Kidlaw.org, ACNJ.org, Let's Talk Kids, and any other ACNJ affiliated websites, podcasts, video channels or similar DO NOT provide any legal advice and users of this web site should consult with their own lawyer for legal advice. This broadcast (the "Broadcast") is a general service that provides educational information over the Internet. We are not a law firm and our employees, executives or management are not your attorney or acting as your attorney. The information contained in the Broadcast is general information and should not be construed as legal advice to be applied to any specific factual situation. If you believe or are unsure whether your particular situation requires legal advice or legal information, you should consult a lawyer.