The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was passed in 1965 as part of President Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty.” The Act emphasizes equal access to education and establishes high standards and accountability. The law authorized federally funded education programs that are administered by the States. In 2015, Congress amended ESEA and reauthorized it as The Every Student Succeeds Act.
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Public Law PL 114-95, passed in 2015, reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The purpose of the Act is to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close the achievement gap. ESSA supports standards-based education based on the belief that setting high standards and goals can improve an individual student’s educational achievement.