Tier 4 evidence: ESSA's hidden gem

In its guidelines for turning around low-performing schools, the Every Student Succeeds Act requires states to choose interventions that have already been shown to be effective. However, other sections of the law allow investments in Tier 4 strategies: programs and practices that are informed by research but which haven’t yet been fully developed and evaluated. In short, state leaders don’t have to pick a school improvement strategy off the shelf — ESSA gives them a valuable opportunity to design, implement, and refine their own programs and practices. © 2018, © 2018 by Phi Delta Kappa International.