The only organization dedicated solely to helping state boards advance equity and excellence in public education.

Policy Updates

March 2020Volume 27, No. 1

Developing Policy to Prevent Youth Suicide

State boards of education can be leaders in addressing youth suicide by collaborating on model policies that help ensure students have the proper supports and learning environments to thrive.


November 2019Volume 26, No. 6

Tackling the Lack of School-Based Lead Testing

This NASBE analysis explores why many school districts are not testing for lead and how state policymakers can take active measures to change that.


November 2019Volume 26, No. 5

Harnessing Service Learning to Build Social, Emotional and Academic Skills

Service learning opportunities help develop students' social, emotional, and academic skills.


September 2019Volume 26, No. 4

Supporting Educators through Employee Wellness Initiatives

By creating opportunities and infrastructure for employee wellness programs, state boards of education and other policymakers can foster the physical and emotional well-being of teachers and school leaders. 


April 2019Volume 26, No. 3

Governors Draw Roadmap toward Common Ground on State Education

In 2019, almost all governors spoke on education concerns in their "state of the state addresses," including school funding, career and technical education, postsecondary funding and financial aid, early childhood education, and teacher pay.


April 2019Volume 26, No. 2

Gauging Support for Social and Emotional Skill Building

To help state boards of education and other policymakers learn how to communicate most effectively on policies related to SEL, NASBE commissioned Edge Research to conduct a survey of community influ­encers in Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, and Washington to gauge their understanding of SEL.


February 2019Volume 26, No. 1

Examining Chronic Absence through a Student Health Lens

To understand the drivers of chronic absence, state boards of education should examine data on student health in their state. This policy update suggests questions for state boards to ask and actions they can take to address chronic absence. 


December 2018Volume 25, No 11

Involving Students in State Education Governance

This analysis outlines the advantages to having a student at the state board table, not the least of which is having direct input from the very people that education policies are meant to benefit, increasing stakeholder engagement, and developing civically engaged youth leaders.