For the first time, the nation’s most important federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), prominently features early childhood education. State and local leaders now have ample flexibility and opportunity to focus on early education as a foundational element of ESSA while advancing their state’s vision and goals for early learning. In “Opportunities in ESSA for Improving Early Education,” early learning expert Harriet Dichter goes title by title to explain how ESSA addresses access, quality workforce development, and support for the successful transition into elementary school.