State Policy

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

Governors’ Education Priorities in their 2024 State-of-the-State Addresses

In their 2024 State-of-the-State addresses, governors laid out plans for private-school choice, increasing teacher pay, harnessing the power of AI, and more.

The Big Test: The Future of Statewide Standardized Assessments

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

State Education Funding: The Poverty Equation

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

The Hidden Provision Driving Tax Breaks for Private School Tuition

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

Scaling Reform: Tennessee’s Statewide Teacher Transformation

Tennessee’s redesign of its teaching profession

The Pandemic and the Teacher Pay Problem

How the pandemic disrupted teacher pension systems

State Policy

Legislative Trackers

Nationwide summaries of state legislative action on key education issues

Legislative Tracker: 2024 State Private-School Choice Bills

Tracking 2024 state legislation on vouchers, education savings accounts, and other education scholarships

Legislative Tracker: 2024 State Student-Absenteeism Bills

Tracking 2024 state legislation on initiatives to identify, prevent, and address chronic absenteeism in schools

Legislative Tracker: 2023 Parent-Rights Bills in the States

An interactive tracker of state legislation on parents rights

State Policy

By the Numbers

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

State Policy

All Work

Legislative Tracker: 2024 State Student-Absenteeism Bills

Read More about Legislative Tracker: 2024 State Student-Absenteeism Bills

Governors’ Education Priorities in their 2024 State-of-the-State Addresses

Read More about Governors’ Education Priorities in their 2024 State-of-the-State Addresses

Legislative Tracker: 2024 State Private-School Choice Bills

Read More about Legislative Tracker: 2024 State Private-School Choice Bills

Education in Governors’ 2024 State-of-the-State Addresses

Read More about Education in Governors’ 2024 State-of-the-State Addresses

How California’s Schools Are Spending Billions in Federal Pandemic Relief

Read More about How California’s Schools Are Spending Billions in Federal Pandemic Relief

Legislative Tracker: 2023 Teacher-Pay Bills in the States

Read More about Legislative Tracker: 2023 Teacher-Pay Bills in the States

Legislative Tracker: 2023 Parent-Rights Bills in the States

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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