Youth Today
Education is not one size fits all. Nor does it stop when the traditional academic year ends. Each student has different needs, which vary depending on geographic location and time of the year. U.S. education policy needs to reflect the evolving landscape of K-12 students across the country, taking into account traditional academic year studies and after-school and summer learning opportunities.
Allowing education departments within each state the flexibility to deliver education as they deem appropriate is at the core of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Signed into law in 2015, ESSA represents a step forward in how we think about education and how it is prescribed. The Act includes key provisions to help students and schools achieve success, including, but not limited to: critical protections for disadvantaged and high-need students; high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers; statewide assessments to measure student progress; and, importantly, it taps into evidence-based strategies for continued progress — like summer learning.