The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) gives educators a fresh opportunity to think through how to ensure that all students achieve at high levels, especially kids from low-income families and kids of color. The new law continues with four principles that had been in earlier iterations, all of which have important implications for students from…

The states have always been central to the American public school systems, and they have been sharply expanding their authority over local school districts since the 1980s, when they adopted education reforms that increased course requirements (especially in science and math), mandated uniform testing, and put in place higher teaching standards. A…