Calling the new law a Christmas miracle, President Obama has signed the Every Student Succeeds Act, a bipartisan effort that does away with many flaws of 2001’s No Child Left Behind. While No Child created unrealistic, across-the-board achievement goals in math and reading that punished underperforming schools even when they had made academic progress, the new law gives states and their local school districts more flexibility in handling underperforming schools. The policy change also increases funding for early childhood education.
