The sector of the economy frequently referred to as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is the subject of much national interest and debate. While there is general consensus across various stakeholders such as policymakers, educators, and industry that STEM education and careers are essential to maintaining an innovative and…

The sector of the economy frequently referred to as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) is the subject of much national interest and debate. While there is general consensus across various stakeholders such as policymakers, educators, and industry that STEM education and careers are essential to maintaining an innovative and…

Chronic absence is a national crisis, dragging down achievement for students across the country. Attendance Works defines chronic absence as missing 10 percent or more of school days for any reason--excused or unexcused as well as suspensions. The purpose of this brief is examine the role of state policy and action in ensuring chronic absence is…

As the state of Georgia considers revising its K-12 funding formula, Education Resource Strategies (ERS) recommends the state implement a weighted student-funding formula (WSF) system in order to create resource use flexibility for districts and to remove the marginal inequity found in its current funding system. Additionally, such a change would…

The third-grade year is considered a pivotal point in a child's educational career, as a critical shift in learning takes place--one where basic reading skills are established and can begin to be utilized for more complex learning. State policymakers are well aware of the importance of ensuring that all students are reading at grade level by the…

There is widespread concern that the rising costs of higher education are making college unaffordable for many students and their families. Federal and state support is central to promoting college affordability; however, persistent state budget constraints have limited funding for public colleges. GAO was asked to study state policies affecting…

In California as elsewhere, state policy anticipates that aspiring teachers will follow a uniform, multistep path into the profession. It assumes they will complete a preparation program and earn a preliminary credential, take a teaching job and be assigned probationary status, complete a two-year induction program (the Beginning Teacher Support…

In the absence of reliable estimates of national K-12 staffing, Jim Simpkins and Marguerite Roza compile data from several national sources to determine historical K-12 staffing ratios. Their analysis finds that staffing ratios across K-12 education have risen precipitously over several decades and, despite the impact of the Great Recession,…

This paper is a project report of a policy analysis of state attendance information available to public schools. Current state attendance information rarely expands beyond compulsory attendance law. It is vague, non-existent or difficult to find. Research provides strong links between student attendance and achievement. Informed school leaders…

Teacher effectiveness has been guided by at least three pieces of national legislation, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA, 1965), the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB, 2001) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, 2009), also referred to as the Stimulus or Recovery Act. With the expectation that the nation's…

Although there has been significant progress in the long term, achievement gaps among the nation's students persist.Many factors have contributed to the disparities in outcomes, and societal changes can explain progress, or lack thereof, over the past few decades.This is well documented in the 2010 Educational Testing Service (ETS) report…

In 2015, states continued to invest heavily in career and technical education (CTE), as leaders and policymakers sought to strengthen their state economies, fill the talent pipeline with well-prepared workers in key industries, and provide meaningful educational and career opportunities for citizens at every learner level. More than 125…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) devolves many decisions to states about how to design their accountability system and the measures to use in these systems in order to meet new goals of college and career readiness. Because few states presently have adequate measures for the new goals, they will need to develop the measures along with…

In this revised version of the National Alliance's model charter school law, the policies outlined would increase the focus of state-level charter school laws on creating high-quality charter schools while holding underperforming schools and authorizers accountable. This report draws on best practices in state policy that have led to the growth of…

"Challenge to Lead 2020 Goals for Education: Refreshed 2016" offers six critical goals. They were designed to help SREB state leaders connect measures of student achievement to essential state policies. Each goal includes background information and the steps states need to take to meet each goal in the years ahead.