Which statement about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is true?

Which statement about the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is true?

• A. It removes standards for college and career readiness.
• B. It eliminates accountability for low-performing schools.
• C. It requires only federal-level testing with no state involvement.
• D. It replaced No Child Left Behind in 2015 and emphasizes equal opportunity and accountability.

Answer: (D)

ESSA shifts the responsibility for accountability and instructional standards back toward states while keeping a federal floor of expectations. The true statement highlights that ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind in 2015 and places an emphasis on equal opportunity and accountability. In practice, this means Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to give states more control over setting standards, designing state accountability systems, and identifying schools that need support, all with a focus on reducing disparities and ensuring that historically underserved students have real opportunities to succeed. At the same time, it preserves annual testing requirements and uses data to drive improvement, but the framework is state-defined rather than a single federal mandate. This differs from the other options because ESSA did not remove standards for college and career readiness, nor did it eliminate accountability, nor did it require only federal-level testing with no state involvement.

ESSA shifts the responsibility for accountability and instructional standards back toward states while keeping a federal floor of expectations. The true statement highlights that ESSA replaced No Child Left Behind in 2015 and places an emphasis on equal opportunity and accountability. In practice, this means Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to give states more control over setting standards, designing state accountability systems, and identifying schools that need support, all with a focus on reducing disparities and ensuring that historically underserved students have real opportunities to succeed. At the same time, it preserves annual testing requirements and uses data to drive improvement, but the framework is state-defined rather than a single federal mandate.

This differs from the other options because ESSA did not remove standards for college and career readiness, nor did it eliminate accountability, nor did it require only federal-level testing with no state involvement.