Summary: For a little more than two years, states have been implementing a federal law called the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a bipartisan federal education law that the Wall Street Journal characterized as “the largest devolution of federal control to the states in a quarter-century.” ESSA enhances state’s ability to close “opportunity gaps,” which occur when one group of students consistently receives more educational inputs than another group. In this podcast, economist Art Rolnick explains how investing in early childhood education can pay off in big ways for the states, by closing opportunity gaps before they become achievement gaps. Through research, he has quantified the economic benefits to states. We also talk with Utah state Senator Howard Stephenson (R), who shares how working with incarcerated youth in his state changed his perspective on the value of early childhood education programs. For more on early childhood education and closing opportunity gaps, review NCSL’s research. Additional Resources Transcription of Episode 29
