The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reverses a trend toward centralization of education policy and instead provides greater authority to the states. This study explores states’ interpretation and early implementation of ESSA’s equity-related provisions. Using a qualitative case study approach, we find wide variation in the design and implementation of equity-related provisions. We provide an overview of implementation efforts and highlight states that are making significant strides and those that are lagging behind. Our findings highlight the need to build capacity at the state and district levels and to better understand the role of state education agencies in implementing ESSA.
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