"The Every Student Succeeds Act" (ESSA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on December 10, 2015. ESSA reauthorizes the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act" (ESEA), which was first enacted as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's "War on Poverty." Since 1965, ESEA has represented the federal government's commitment to providing all of the nation's children with a fair, equitable, and high-quality education. ESSA replaces the most recent ESEA reauthorization, "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB), which had been in place since 2001. While not a complete shift from NCLB, ESSA gives states more discretion over education policy and places substantial restrictions on federal involvement in state-level education systems. As a result, ESSA creates a significant opportunity for state and local policymakers to refocus on how best to improve public schools in America. This issue of "coNCepts" examines ESSA requirements in five key areas--academic standards, assessments, school accountability, school improvement, and teacher quality--and highlights places where adjustments in North Carolina policies are needed in order to remain eligible for federal education funding through ESSA.