What matters most in education is what teachers do in the classroom to enhance student achievement. For this reason, state and district leaders must take steps to ensure that principals and teachers have effective textbooks, software, professional development, and programs. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) moves away from the compliance-oriented approach of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and gives states great authority to decide which programs and practices they will implement, especially in low-performing schools. Programs that meet ESSA evidence standards represent a wide array of approaches and usually differ markedly from ordinary textbooks or traditional professional development. Several are one-to-one or one-to-small group tutoring programs, using either teachers or paraprofessionals as tutors. This article presents: (1) Why Do ESSA Evidence Levels Matter?; (2) How Can States Ensure Proven Programs Really Work?; and (3) More Cost-Effective Spending, Benefiting More Students.