State education leaders can foster children’s mental health by increasing families’ preparedness and awareness of available resources and activities.
While most states encourage or require schools to test for lead in drinking water, funding to sustain remediation lags—despite significant federal grants designed to boost those efforts.
Challenges persist in attracting and retaining this school-based mental health professionals, but some states, including Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, Michigan, and others, are making progress.
States such as Georgia, New York, Utah, and others have increasingly opted to combat “period poverty" by expanding access to free menstrual products in schools.
To improve literacy, states should invest in comprehensive supports for teachers to equip them to deliver high-quality, evidence-based instruction.
To equip and retain more high-quality school leaders, states can encourage principal internships as a key part of preparation.
Mortality rates from overdose in adolescents rose by 94 percent in 2020, largely due to illicit fentanyl.
In 2022, voters across the U.S. elected 28 new state board members and nine new governors.