The Every Student Succeeds Act gives states greater flexibility in designing educational policy, but questions remain about whether and how states will use this opportunity to design truly innovative new policies to support higher levels of student learning. The authors describe how educational leaders in four states--California, Iowa, New Hampshire, and Vermont--worked collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to design ambitious and forward-looking educational policies prior to the passage of ESSA. Policy makers in all four states described engaging in an extensive process of stakeholder engagement, which influenced policy design and fostered support for implementation.