State Policy

Governors’ education priorities and states legislative trends on school funding, pandemic responses, parent rights and other education topics

Report

The Big Test: The Future of Statewide Standardized Assessments

Authored byLynn Olson, Craig Jerald

The backlash against standardized testing that has changed how states evaluate students

Explainer

State Education Funding: The Poverty Equation

Authored byNicole Katz

A breakdown of each state’s education funding and how equitably it’s being distributed

Commentary

The Hidden Provision Driving Tax Breaks for Private School Tuition

Authored byThomas Toch, Brooke LePage

A federal tax provision allowing families to devote money tax free to private school tuition

Report

Scaling Reform: Tennessee’s Statewide Teacher Transformation

Authored byLynn Olson

Tennessee’s redesign of its teaching profession

Explainer

Education in Governors’ 2023 State-of-the-State Addresses

Governors’ 2023 education priorities in their state-of-the-state addresses

Commentary

The Pandemic and the Teacher Pay Problem

Authored byThomas Toch, Sandi Jacobs

How the pandemic disrupted teacher pension systems

Explainer

Legislative Tracker: 2023 State Bills on Public Support of Private Schooling

Authored byBella DiMarco

Tracking 2023 state legislation on private school choice

Explainer

Legislative Tracker: 2023 Parent-Rights Bills in the States

Authored byBella DiMarco

An interactive tracker of state legislation on parents rights

Explainer

What’s Behind The Legislative Push to Ban Transgender Athletes

Authored byBrooke LePage

State legislators’ efforts to ban transgender athletes from participating in school sports

Rainy-Day Funds

$136.8 billion

Estimated rainy-day funds among states in FY2023
$134.5 billion

Estimated rainy-day funds among states in FY2022

Source: National Association of State Budget Officers

Charter School Laws

45

States, plus DC, that have passed laws allowing public charter schools as of Dec. 2022
3.7 million

Public charter school students in the U.S., 2020-21

Source: National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

NAEP Scores 2022

5 points

Decline in NAEP reading scores between 2020 and 2022
7 points

Decline in NAEP math scores

Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress 2022

Mental Health Laws

38

States that enacted laws providing resources to support mental well-being in K-12 schools last year
16

States that require staff training on recognizing and responding to mental distress in students

Source: Pew Charitable Trust

Explainer

Legislative Tracker: 2023 Parent-Rights Bills in the States

Authored byBella DiMarco

Read More about Legislative Tracker: 2023 Parent-Rights Bills in the States

Explainer

Governors’ Education Priorities in their 2023 State-of-the-State Addresses

Authored byBella DiMarco, Nathalie Kirsch

Read More about Governors’ Education Priorities in their 2023 State-of-the-State Addresses

Explainer

Legislative Tracker: 2023 State Bills on Public Support of Private Schooling

Authored byBella DiMarco

Read More about Legislative Tracker: 2023 State Bills on Public Support of Private Schooling

Explainer

Education in Governors’ 2023 State-of-the-State Addresses

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From the Field

A State’s Strategy for Tracking the Impact of Schools’ Covid-Relief Aid

Read More about A State’s Strategy for Tracking the Impact of Schools’ Covid-Relief Aid

Report

Billion Dollar Question: How Connecticut School Districts Plan to Spend Covid-Relief Funds

Authored byBella DiMarco, Amber Martin, Ashley Robles, Phyllis W. Jordan

Read More about Billion Dollar Question: How Connecticut School Districts Plan to Spend Covid-Relief Funds

Explainer

Legislative Tracker: 2022 Parent-Rights Bills in the States

Authored byBella DiMarco

Read More about Legislative Tracker: 2022 Parent-Rights Bills in the States

Commentary

How to Think About Statewide Standardized Testing in 2022

Authored byScott Marion

Read More about How to Think About Statewide Standardized Testing in 2022

Report

Leaning In: The New Power of Parents in Public Education

Authored byGreg Toppo, Jo Napolitano, Thomas Toch

Read More about Leaning In: The New Power of Parents in Public Education

Explainer

Governors Push for Teachers Pay, Parents Rights, and Job Training

Authored byBella DiMarco, Nathan Kriha

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Report

Smart State Strategies for Building Intensive Tutoring Systems

Read More about Smart State Strategies for Building Intensive Tutoring Systems

Explainer

Education in the 2022 State-of-the-State Addresses

Read More about Education in the 2022 State-of-the-State Addresses

The Churn

The latest leadership changes in the education sector

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Events

Upcoming events at FutureEd and across the education policy world

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FutureEd in the News

Media mentions and our work on other platforms

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