Policy Update
States are issuing guidance with an eye toward equity to help schools implement continuous learning for all students and adapt to a variety of needs and circumstances amidst widespread school closures from COVID-19.
State Innovations
The usage of vaping products among middle school students has increased at alarming rates. Federal and state policymakers are addressing this crisis, including in Kansas, where the state board of education acted quickly to engage stakeholders on curbing youth vaping.
Policy Update
This NASBE analysis explores why many school districts are not testing for lead and how state policymakers can take active measures to change that.
Policy Update
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.
Policy Update
In 2018, state boards of education discussed and adopted policies to increase accountability for student data protection and to increase transparency of schoolwide data through data dashboards. This analysis highlights changes in state policy that cover data protection requirements, test administration and security, records retention, and confidentiality protocols.
Policy Update
This analysis examines how leadership changes brought about by the 2018 elections will affect state boards.
Policy Update
With the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), states can include a student growth indicator as a measure of school quality in their accountability systems. Most of them do. Nine states also saw this as an opportunity and added a separate growth measure for the bottom quartile and quintile of students.
State Innovations
Four state boards are improving STEM learning through revised standards, special diplomas, and promotion of partnerships.
