States as change agents under ESSA

Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), federal education mandates will be decreasing, which means states will have more flexibility and authority than they’ve had in decades. State education agency (SEA) leaders are confronting great change and great opportunity as many agencies move away from a focus on compliance with federal regulations, state statutes, and programmatically dictated uses of funds and toward a broader focus on supporting districts and schools in improving outcomes for all students. As the definition of – and responsibility for – success changes in this new environment, the roles of state agencies deserve reconsideration. The authors explore which roles are essential for SEAs to lead, which roles SEAs might possibly take on, and which roles are unsuitable.