K-12 education: Accountability and performance on the 10th anniversary of ESSA

December 2025 is the 10th anniversary of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), an opportune time to take stock of the state of student achievement in the United States.

On December 8, The Hamilton Project at Brookings will host a virtual event exploring measurement, outcomes, and accountability in public schools. The event will feature a fireside chat with Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright and Matt Barnum of Chalkbeat. The event will also feature a panel discussion with Kirabo Jackson (Northwestern University), Brian Jacob (University of Michigan), and Susanna Loeb (Stanford University), moderated by Brookings’ Jon Valant.

In conjunction with the event, The Hamilton Project will release an analysis and data interactive that examine the relationship between COVID-related disruptions and student learning trajectories.