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Every Student Succeeds Act

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

A History of ESEA

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was first signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Nearly 40 years later, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) into law in 2002 which reauthorized the original ESEA. In December 2015, the U.S. Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a new law to replace NCLB. President Obama subsequently signed ESSA into law on Dec. 10, 2015.

ESSA Timeline SnippetClick to enlarge and view the full timeline of the ESEA Bill

Roadmaps to Navigate ESSA

National PTA, our constituent associations and advocates across the country are seeking to empower all families to be active participants in the state and local implementation of ESSA to ensure equity and opportunity for all students. Click on the Roadmaps below to learn how you can get involved in ESSA implementation at the state, local and school level:

ESSA Stakeholder Engagement New!

The U.S. Department of Education released a new guide for states to use while developing their education plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). While ESSA requires meaningful stakeholder engagement, the new guide does not compel states to include a description of how they are engaging stakeholders while developing their plans. National PTA is extremely disappointed that stakeholder engagement is no longer prioritized in the new guide.

To assist state and local PTA members as they work to ensure state leaders include a description of how different stakeholders have been meaningfully engaged in the implementation of the new state education plans, National PTA has put together this stakeholder toolkit, which contains template letters, sample graphics and messaging you can use when talking to state leaders.

Additional ESSA Information

For additional information and resources, click on the following below: