As states develop their accountability and improvement systems under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) they can choose high-leverage measures of school progress that, when combined with effective policies, hold promise for supporting success for the youth most marginalized by the education system. This paper suggests that to promote equity and improve outcomes, states can: (1) track suspension and expulsion rates, while removing zero-tolerance discipline policies that have proven ineffective in improving youth performance, replacing them with restorative justice practices; (2) incentivize schools to evaluate and improve school climate, which is associated with youth achievement and educational attainment, for all groups of youth, with special attention to those who are most vulnerable; (3) monitor attendance and chronic absenteeism, and create approaches to intervene early and support attendance where needed to increase learning time; (4) use an extended-year graduation rate (e.g., 5, 6, or 7 years), as well as a 4-year rate, to encourage high schools to work with and bring back young people who, for a variety of reasons, could not graduate in 4 years; and (5) measure youths' access to and completion of college- and career-ready courses of study in an effort to open up evidence-based pathways to future success that help youth reach their potential and encourage schools to offer these opportunities to all youth. This report describes how ESSA provides an opportunity for states to better support historically underserved students through the thoughtful selection of specific equity measures in their accountability and improvement systems, as well as through necessary investments in school designs and practices. By embracing this opportunity, states can meaningfully contribute to creating future generations of strong thinkers and good citizens who can thrive and build strong communities.