The only organization dedicated solely to helping state boards advance equity and excellence in public education.
Policy Updates
Promoting Student Achievement through Improved Health Policy
Education and health outcomes are linked. Yet despite a growing body of evidence tying health to academic achievement, many school systems have not established and coordinated policies, processes, and practices that will improve both health and learning of all students. State boards of education have a role to play in facilitating this effort.
Addiction Trends Require States to Change School Medication Policies
State boards of education have a long history of establishing policies to govern safe medication administration, but as new and potentially controversial school health emergencies arise, state boards will need to nimbly amend and expand school emergency medication policies. This policy update highlights states that have recently acted.
Aligning Leadership Preparation Programs with Student Learning Standards
This Policy Update outlines the importance of aligning principal preparation programs with the high expectations set for our school leaders and the policy levers that may help facilitate this integration.
Aligning Teacher Preparation with Student Learning Standards
This Policy Update highlights the mismatch between the skills taught in many teacher preparation programs and those needed to help students achieve rigorous learning standards. State boards of education have a role to play here.
Coordinating an Improved Response to Allergic Reactions in School
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.
Opt Out Policies by State
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.
Responding to Opt Out Requests: The Opportunity for State Boards
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.
Trends in State Legislation on Student Data Privacy
"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.