Resources By State Education Commission Of The States

Education Commission of the States is the trusted source for comprehensive knowledge and unbiased resources on education policy issues ranging from early learning through postsecondary education. Subscribe to our publications and stay informed. Need more information? Contact one of our policy experts. Click on a state to view documents that feature the state, including policy reports, state information requests, individual state profiles and more. Then filter the state results by issue, type and education level and use keywords to search within the state collection.

Early Education (P-3), High School, K-12, Postsecondary This 50-state comparison from the Education Commission of the States looks at how each state allocates K-12 and special education funding to school districts. The comparison includes a look at each state's primary funding models, base per-student funding amounts, student enrollment counts, and information about funding for special education, English language learners, economically disadvantaged students, gifted and talented... CitationFischer, A., & Duncombe, C. (2024). 50-State Comparison: K-12 Funding.

Denver, CO: Education Commission of the States. Retrieved from https://www.ecs.org/50-state-comparison-k-12-funding-2024/. The State Education Policy Tracking tool from the Education Commission of the States provides a searchable database of enacted and vetoed K–12 education legislation across all 50 states, with records extending back to 1996. Users can filter by year, state, or policy area to identify how different legislatures have addressed issues such as accountability, assessment, finance, governance, and teacher workforce policy. The tool also offers the ability to track recent sessions in near real time, while allowing for longitudinal comparisons that show how policies evolve over decades. For educator preparation programs, this resource makes it possible to situate local and institutional practices within broader state policy environments.

Faculty and leaders can examine how certification standards, licensure pathways, teacher recruitment strategies, and funding mechanisms are being shaped by legislative action, and use these insights to anticipate and respond to shifts that affect... Achieve Achieve is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization dedicated to working with states to raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability. Achieve has disbanded/shuttered and no longer has an active website. Arts Education Partnership Established in 1995 and now a policy center within the Education Commission of the States, the Arts Education Partnership (AEP) is dedicated to securing a high-quality arts education for every young... AEP is a national coalition of more than 100 education, arts, business, cultural, government, and philanthropic organizations providing research and policy information about arts education. AEP serves partner organizations by providing priority access to research and creating opportunities for communication and collaboration between arts disciplines and across sectors on key education issues.

Center on Education Policy (CEP) The Center on Education Policy (CEP) is a national, independent advocate for public education and public schools. CEP publishes a range of publications, including an annual report on high school exit exams, featuring state profiles and policies. Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) The Council of Chief State School Officers is a non-profit organization of the 57 public officials who head departments of public education in the states, the outlying... Department of Defense Dependents Schools. The primary goal of the Council's work with education indicators is to assist national, state, and local policymakers and leaders in making informed decisions. The policies included in the Key State Education Policies on K-12 Education report are based on the work of Council staff and users in states.

Data Quality Campaign The Data Quality Campaign (DQC) is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization launched in 2005. DQC collaborates with organizations at the national, state, and local levels to increase public understanding of the value of education data, ensure timely access to information, and improve the capacity of and conditions for... The United States has no single national education system. Instead, 50 distinct state systems operate with different priorities, funding mechanisms, and success measures. This arrangement stems from the U.S. Constitution, which grants states primary authority over public education.

The Education Commission of the States was formed in 1965 to help states navigate their responsibilities and serve as a strategic consortium for policymakers. Its creation responded to growing federal influence, strengthening state capacity to lead on education policy. For years, the No Child Left Behind Act imposed prescriptive federal mandates requiring states to meet nationally defined accountability standards. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015 marked a shift, returning substantial authority to states. ESSA dismantled many rigid requirements and let state leaders design their own systems for measuring school performance, identifying struggling schools, and setting educational goals. This renewed state control amplified existing differences.

States now diverge on nearly every major policy aspect. They use vastly different funding models, creating wide resource disparities. They’ve built unique accountability systems reflecting specific values, measuring everything from college readiness to chronic absenteeism. States take widely varied approaches to academic standards, school choice, teacher workforce policies, and what is taught in the classroom. School finance methods determine resources available to students and reflect fundamental decisions about equity and local control. Investment in a child’s education varies dramatically by zip code.

This decade could go down as one of the most consequential in the history of U.S. public education. Between COVID-19 school closures, historic declines in public school enrollment, and the rise in school choice policies, the decisions made by state lawmakers in the coming years will help shape generations to come. Policymakers must have the best data possible to inform their public education decisions. The following analysis from Reason Foundation’s K-12 Education Spending Spotlight brings together the latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Education Statistics and highlights five key insights from our tool and their implications for state policymakers and other stakeholders.

These critical insights include examining and ranking every state’s total K-12 and per student public school funding, the public school enrollment levels in every state and how states continue to hire more non-teaching staff... Nationwide, public school funding increased by 35.8% between 2002 and 2023, rising from $14,969 per student to $20,322 per student after adjusting for inflation, Reason Foundation’s K-12 Education Spending Spotlight finds. In total, U.S. public schools received $946.5 billion in funding in 2023, with New York topping all states at $36,976 per student, followed by New Jersey at $30,267 per student. The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is a nonpartisan organization that provides educational policy research and analysis to state leaders in the United States. With a focus on improving public education and promoting student achievement, the ECS is dedicated to providing states with valuable resources and information to inform their decision-making processes.

This article will explore the role of the ECS in shaping education policy and its impact on the American education system. The Education Commission of the States is a non-partisan organization that helps states develop and implement effective education policy. Established in 1965, the organization provides research, analysis, and expertise to state leaders, offering them the tools and resources they need to make informed decisions about education. The commission also connects state policymakers with experts, practitioners, and researchers, fostering collaboration and innovation in education policy. The commission focuses on a range of education issues, including early learning, K-12 education, postsecondary education, and workforce development. It provides a platform for states to share best practices, learn from one another, and collaborate on solutions to common challenges.

Through its work, the commission aims to improve education outcomes for all students, ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success in the 21st century. The Education Commission of the States (ECS) is focused on addressing key priorities and implementing strategic initiatives to promote excellence and equity in education across the United States. One of the primary areas of focus for ECS is advocating for and supporting state policies that prioritize student success and well-being. This includes initiatives to improve early childhood education, K-12 education, higher education, and workforce development. ECS is also committed to providing states with valuable resources and research to inform education policy decisions. Through their initiatives, they aim to foster collaboration among state leaders, educators, and policymakers to drive positive change in education.

Additionally, ECS is dedicated to promoting equity in education by addressing issues related to access and opportunity for all students, regardless of background or socioeconomic status. Through their work, they seek to create a more inclusive and equitable education system that meets the needs of every learner. Not seeing what you need? Use our request assistance form. To see a list of our reports by release date, please click here or for a list of 50-State Comparisons please click here. State leaders require clear, actionable information to guide decisions that advance economic mobility for all.

The Education-to-Workforce Indicators (E-W) Framework developed by the Gates Foundation and Mathematica can help leaders and communities assess their data systems, identify gaps and opportunities in data collection, and improve their ability to answer... Over the past quarter century, federal and state investments have fueled growth in statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs), which connect individuals’ data over time and across state agencies, focusing primarily on education and workforce... Each election brings not only new leaders, but also key appointments those leaders make. These changes affect policymaking at the state and local level, which is why we track state-level elections each cycle. States often publish data dictionaries or manuals that showcase which data elements their systems collect. This resource links to every public education-to-workforce data dictionary, data manual, or related document our […]

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