The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) was signed into law in December 2015. The bill reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the nation’s 50-year-old education law. ESSA was designed to bring more decision-making back to state education agencies (SEAs) and local education agencies (LEAs — more commonly referred to as school districts) and to ensure that all students are prepared for the future, academically and professionally.