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

College, Career, and Civic Readiness

Policy Update

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.

read more
Policy Update

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.

read more
State Innovations

Common Themes, Individual Approaches: Six States’ Experiences with New Science Standards

In 2014, NASBE awarded stipends to state boards of education in Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, New Jersey, and West Virginia to support Next Generation Science Standards implementation. This piece profiles the work of these six boards and identifies steps toward successful implementation.

read more
State Innovations

Deeper Learning in New Hampshire

New Hampshire combines competency-based standards, performance assessment, accountability, and professional development to support deeper learning.

read more
Education Leaders Reports

Deeper Learning: Policies for a 21st Century Education

Provides foundational principles that underlie deeper learning, explores issues, provides state examples, and includes worksheets that boards can use to facilitate discussions and come to solutions that make sense given the unique needs of each state.

read more
The Standard

Summer Learning: Engaging All Students

Schools and teachers work hard all year to ensure that every child gets a chance to achieve. Yet the evidence now shows us that if students do not have meaningful summer learning opportunities, they are likely to lose a significant amount of the content they have mastered. That’s why this issue of the Standard focuses on the critical importance of extending […]

read more
Also from NASBE

Performance Assessments: How State Policy Can Advance Assessments for 21st Century Learning

Performance assessments help policymakers address thorny issues such as policy alignment, accountability, and equity while promoting students' meaningfully learning of high-level skills.

read more
Policy Update

Leading a Standards-Based System: Aligning Policy to Standards

In a standards-based system, learning standards cannot be adopted or implemented in isolation. They must be the hub of all other education system components, permeating all other system functions and serving as the lens through which state board members view all policy design and development.

read more
Project

Early Childhood Education State Network

Learn about NASBE's early childhood education state network and workgroup, two professional learning opportunities for state boards of education.

read more