Encouraging schools to use strategies backed by research is a key driver of improvement. This notion has been embedded in federal education law since 2002, but most clearly in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Passed in 2015, ESSA requires each state’s lowest-performing schools to implement “evidencebased” improvement strategies, but gives states and districts flexibility in how the rule is applied. i According to ESSA, “evidence” can be as stringent as multiple scientifically rigorous studies showing that the strategy is effective, or as simple as a researchbased rationale for why the strategy will likely improve student outcomes.
