December 2025 is the 10th anniversary of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), an opportune time to take stock of the state of student achievement in the United States.
On December 8, The Hamilton Project at Brookings hosted a virtual event exploring measurement, outcomes, and accountability in public schools. The event featured a fireside chat with Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Carey Wright and Matt Barnum of Chalkbeat. The event also featured a panel discussion with Kirabo Jackson (Northwestern University), Brian Jacob (University of Michigan), and Susanna Loeb (Stanford University), moderated by Brookings’ Jon Valant.
In conjunction with the event, The Hamilton Project released an analysis and data interactive that examine the relationship between COVID-related disruptions and student learning trajectories.
For updates on the event, viewers followed @HamiltonProj and joined the conversation using #ESSA to ask questions or emailed [email protected].
Agenda
12:00 p.m. | Welcome
Aviva Aron-Dine, Director, The Hamilton Project, Senior Fellow, Economic Studies, The Brookings Institution
12:05 p.m. | Panel discussion: Accountability and performance in K-12 education
Kirabo Jackson, Abraham Harris Professor of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University
Brian Jacob, Walter H. Annenberg Professor of Education Policy; Professor of Public Policy, Economics, and Education, Ford School, University of Michigan
Susanna Loeb, Professor, Graduate School of Education, Stanford University
Moderator: Jon Valant, Senior Fellow and Director, Brown Center on Education Policy, The Brookings Institution
12:55 p.m. | Fireside chat
Carey M. Wright, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools
Moderator: Matt Barnum, Editor and Columnist, Chalkbeat
