The Every Student Succeeds Act promotes flexibility and creativity. But the federal government tells states they have a responsibility to make sure the new approaches work.

Can the successor of No Child Left Behind better equip high school students for college or a career?

Some schools have already been piloting programs that research shows are promising in helping close the achievement gap, and their efforts suggest directions others can take under ESSA in pursuit of innovative practices.

If all goes as planned, ESSA will yield systems that comprehensively tackle improvement, responding to shortcomings with thoughtful and productive interventions.

With the federal government calling for standardized testing reform, can assessment shift from a limited measure to a valuable tool for learning?