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Comparing Accountability Systems Under ESSA to NCLB and NCLB Waivers

ESSA Accountability Provisions

On December 10, 2015, President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, legislation to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). ESSA replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the previous version of ESEA, and also supersedes the ESEA waivers created by the U.S. Department of Education to provide states with flexibility from certain requirements of NCLB.

The following chart compares school accountability systems under NCLB, ESEA waivers, and ESSA. Or, learn more about ESSA’s accountability requirements by reading our accountability primer or watching a special edition of Federal Flash..