The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965, signed by President Lyndon Johnson, was a civil rights law that provided education funding to states and attempted to ensure that every student had access to an education. The law expired every three to five years, requiring Congress to reauthorize it. ESEA was reauthorized in 2002 when No Child Left Behind was signed into law, aimed at addressing the achievement gap. In December 2015, ESEA was reauthorized. Read about the new law, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and how it differs from No Child Left Behind at this link.