A standards-based model of reform has dominated public education for 30 years. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), it will continue to dominate education policy. Is that model working? State boards of education share an intrinsic interest in this question. While there are many ways to investigate it, one approach that shows promise treats standards-based education as a testable theory and offers empirical tools that show policymakers, administrators, and teachers how well it is functioning in their state, district, school, or classroom.