May 2025 — Volume 25, No. 2
Transitions

Our refereed journal, the State Education Standard, includes articles by subject-matter experts, who provide insight into education policy issues that are significant for state boards of education. An editorial advisory board comprising state board members reads and comments on drafts of each major article of the Standard prior to its approval for publication.

Read Other Issues of The State Education Standard

NASBE Staff
President and CEO: Paolo DeMaria
Editorial Director: Valerie Norville
Communications Director: Renée Rybak Lang
Editor: Joseph Hedger

Officers
Chair: Keven Ellis, Texas
Chair-Elect: Byron Ernest, Indiana
Past Chair: Sarah Moore, Arkansas
Secretary-Treasurer: Fern Desjardins, Maine

Area Directors
Central: Steven Isoye, Illinois
Northeastern: Erin Benham, Connecticut
Southern: Matt W. Donaldson, Georgia
Western: Matt Hymas, Utah
New Member Representative: Elizabeth Tegtmeier, Nebraska

Ex Officio Members
National Council of State Board of Education Executives (NCSBEE) President: McCall Flynn, Montana
National Council of State Education Attorneys (NCOSEA) President: Rachel Bosovich, Iowa

Editorial Advisory Board
Deborah Bremer, Kansas
Kerry Casey, Missouri
Claudine Keenan, New Jersey
Amber Northern, Virginia
Patricia Nugent, Illinois
Judith Pritchett, Michigan
Denham Ward, Maine

The State Education Standard is published periodically by the National Association of State Boards of Education, 123 N. Pitt Street #350, Alexandria, VA 22314. Published by NASBE under Creative Commons license CC By-ND 4.0. ISSN 1540-8000. The opinions and views expressed in this journal do not necessarily represent those of NASBE.

Change is a challenge, and it is a built-in, recurring feature of K-12: preschool to kindergarten, elementary to middle school, middle to high school, and high school to postsecondary life. Each juncture presents new demands. Many students readily rise to meet them, but others face barriers that they need added adult support to overcome. State policymakers have a role in ensuring that schools work together to prepare students to transition well.

The authors in this issue of the Standard address the perils confronting students at each crossover.

Articles

Asian elementary age girls wearing graduation caps and gowns smile while standing inside school.

Sustaining Gains at the Pre-K to Kindergarten Transition

By Robert C. Pianta and Christina Stephens

Better alignment in policy and practice can ensure that the skill boosts from pre-K persist throughout the elementary years.

Portrait of a child boy getting off the school bus

Supporting Students in the Middle Grades

By Creed Dunn, Judy Frank and Allyson Morgan

Academic success, engagement, attendance, and postsecondary preparation hinge on smooth transitions at the center of K-12.

Lower part of teenage girl in casual shoe walking up outdoor colorful stair,teenage lifestyle successful concept

Promoting Students’ Well-Being during the Transition to High School

By Briana A. López and Aprile D. Benner

Academic success in ninth grade requires supports for healthy social and emotional development.

a female construction worker stands behind a builder's level on a building site. Behind her a co-worker walks across the development .

Prioritizing the Measures of K-12 Success That Matter Most

By Ryan Reyna

State leaders can drive real system improvements by rewarding K-12 schools for helping students succeed after high school.

Girl With Backpack Entering To Computer Classroom.

FAFSA as a Pathway to Postsecondary Education

By Alessandra Cipriani-Detres, Anika Van Eaton and Elizabeth Wood

Learning from early adopters of universal FAFSA can help other states design and implement effective policies.

Walking, happy and girl with friends at university for learning, bonding and talking with fun. People, school and group of gen z students commuting outdoor ready for education at college campus.

How Illinois Gets Students Ready for College and Careers

By Emily Rusca

State leaders build coherent policies and frameworks to help communities guide students through their postsecondary paces.

Children cross the obstacle

Supporting Students with Disabilities in Transitioning to Adulthood

By Jennifer K. Migliore, Jessica Ellott, Kimberly J. Osmani and Lydia Dempsey

A collaborative approach can improve students’ outcomes.

Opinion

A group if University students sit on the grass outside on

Connecting Students and Policymakers in North Carolina

By Ian House

NC Student Voice Connect involves students in policy development through frequent, short, anonymous digital surveys on pressing issues.

Featured Items

Diverse multiethnic kids students having break and using smartphones, sitting at desks in classroom, children playing games and checking social media at school

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Curbing Cell Phone Use in Classrooms

State boards are well positioned to create guardrails to help school districts make informed decisions on cell phone policies.

The child hands drawing the American flag. Concept of independence day, July 4.

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Civic-Ready Students

More and better civics will inspire students to become better citizens who will be equipped to participate, preserve, and defend America’s democracy and engage in reasoned, respectful discourse.

Annual Conference 2025

Registration is now open for NASBE’s 2025 Annual Conference, the only conference designed specifically for state boards of education.

Upcoming Events

October 10, 2025 — Webinar
How States Can Inspire Student Civic Engagement
October 27, 2025 — Annual Conference
Annual Conference 2025

From the States

States Face Challenges Building a School Mental Health Workforce

Challenges persist in attracting and retaining this school-based mental health professionals, but some states, including Virginia, Ohio, Colorado, Michigan, and others, are making progress.
States Address Access to Menstrual Products in Schools

States such as Georgia, New York, Utah, and others have increasingly opted to combat “period poverty" by expanding access to free menstrual products in schools.