The Standard
State education policymakers viewing the school landscape may at first see nothing but a vista that calls for thoroughgoing redesign. However, there are many ways to make sure those who teach and lead our children are better prepared and better supported to do their jobs well.
Policy Update
Allergic reactions in school settings still threaten the lives of students with alarming frequency. This Policy Update outlines state and federal requirements for stocking epinephrine and recommendations for state board members to ensure proper implementation.
Policy Update
States vary in how they respond to parents’ requests to opt children out of standardized testing. This Policy Update compiles information on each state’s response and links to guidance documents.
Education Leaders Reports
Punitive school discipline and zero-tolerance policies impede student achievement, and there are supportive, evidence-based disciplinary strategies to supplant them.
Policy Update
As parents increasingly ask to opt their children out of standardized tests, state boards of education are sometimes unsure whether and how to respond. This Policy Update highlights successful policy strategies for addressing opt out requests and how state boards can use this opportunity to communicate the benefits of testing and improve the public’s understanding of test-based accountability.
State Innovations
In 2014, NASBE awarded stipends to state boards of education in Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, New Jersey, and West Virginia to support Next Generation Science Standards implementation. This piece profiles the work of these six boards and identifies steps toward successful implementation.
Policy Update
"Trends in State Legislation on Student Data Privacy" details the ways in which state legislatures across the country have enhanced protections for student data and expanded the role of state boards in protecting that data. It describes several key elements in legislation introduced or passed this year, and notes several exemplary states.
State Innovations
New Hampshire combines competency-based standards, performance assessment, accountability, and professional development to support deeper learning.
