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

State Education Standard

May 2018Volume 18, No. 2

Fresh Start on School Improvement

Through the Every Student Succeeds Act, state policymakers can reset how they address low-performing schools and provide support by capitalizing on the added flexibility and approaches already adopted in many states and districts.


January 2018Volume 18, No. 1

Stepping Up for Early Childhood Education

The impact of early childhood education is undeniable. Yet access to high-quality early education across the country remains uneven, and many children still enter elementary school unprepared.


September 2017Volume 17, No. 3

Building on State ESSA Plans

After submitting their plans for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2017, states face challenges in ensuring the implementation of their plans keep faith with the spirit of ESSA.


May 2017Volume 17, No. 2

Aligning a Standards-Based System

The Every Student Succeeds Act gives state boards of education an opportunity to reevaluate, improve, and align education policies to student learning standards to drive a comprehensive system of improvement for all schools.


January 2017Volume 17, No. 1

Charter Schools

State boards of education must think more systematically about how charter schools fit into their overall vision for education and offer guardrails for decision making.


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September 2016Volume 16, No. 3

The Future of Schools

As they look to the future of schools, state boards of education must ask the “what if” questions necessary to shape policies that can help ensure students have the opportunities to enter their own futures with confidence.


May 2016Volume 16, No. 2

The Power of Data

Data collection is a tool that serves states’ students, educators, and policymakers. States must learn to leverage “the power of data” in education while fulfilling the obligation to protect student privacy.


January 2016Volume 16, No. 1

Measuring Up: Recalibrating Systems of Assessment

Given the policy reset reflected in the newly minted Every Student Succeeds Act, state boards of education now face greater responsibility for assessments and determining their role in state accountability systems.