State boards of education are different in every state and have diverse policy authority. Some are created by the state constitution and others by statute. Some of their members are elected; some are appointed. In many states, it is the state board who selects the state education chief. In others, it is the governor.
Use the chart and visualization below (click to enlarge and download) as a quick reference for state education governance structures and state board authorities. Both resources are updated annually.
