State Education Policy Tracking We compile information on education policies from We have been researching education legislation for more than 25 years. Summaries early childhood through of enacted and vetoed legislation — from early postsecondary education learning through postsecondary education and from the early 1990s through 2016 — are and workforce, so state accessible on our website. policymakers can make Our one-of-a-kind State STATE EDUCATION POLICY TRACKING informed decisions. Education Policy Tracking 15,580 resource, launched in 2017, allows users to search 1,680 enacted and vetoed legislation across more than 45 education issues and 275 sub-issues. Search results BILLS PAGE SUMMARIZED VIEWS can be filtered by state and/ or issue and sub-issue, or by keywords found in the bill titles. In 2018, our staff summarized 1,680 bills for this resource. The State Education Policy Tracking resource received more than 15,580 pageviews in 2018. In 2018 we began closely STATE EDUCATION POLICY WATCH LIST monitoring policy action 3,930 in a few issue areas and updating a new resource, 850 the State Education Policy Watch List, with pending, enacted and vetoed bills. We BILLS PAGE tracked about 850 bills from TRACKED VIEWS introduction related to need- and merit-based financial aid, postsecondary governance, career and technical education, dual enrollment, and teacher certification and licensure. The State Education Policy Watch List resource received more than 3,930 pageviews in 2018. 2 www.ecs.org | @EdCommission 50-State Comparisons State Information Requests Our issue-specific50-State Comparisons allow One of the most unique and valued ways we policymakers to compare their states' laws assist state education leaders is by responding against other states on topics such as teacher to State Information Requests with personalized license reciprocity, open enrollment, statewide research, typically within 24 hours. admissions, K-12 governance structures and In 2018, our policy staff completed over820 many others. personalized responses to State Information In 2018, we updated several existing 50-State Requests. These requests came from every Comparisons and compiled multiple new ones state and the District of Columbia, and the top in key policy areas: categories include: • Charter School Policies • High school graduation requirements. • States' School Accountability Systems • Dual enrollment. • Academic Credit for Military Experience • Teacher preparation (certification/ • Governors’ Top Education Priorities in licensure). 2018 State of the State Addresses • Teacher pay. • State Summative Assessments • School finance. • Instructional Time Policies • Career and technical education. • School Leader Certification and • Assessments. Preparation Programs • Accountability. • State Kindergarten-Through- • School choice. Third-Grade Policies • Postsecondary financial aid. • Transfer and Articulation Policies • Postsecondary governance. • State Policies on School Discipline • School safety. • Teacher Leadership and Licensure Advancement We maintain an online database • Open Enrollment Policies with summaries of education-related • Developmental Education Policies proposals from governors' State of the State addresses. The database was updated with information from the 2018 State of the State addresses; and users can view the content by state, issue and year, from 2011 to present. 3 www.ecs.org | @EdCommission www.ecs.org | @EdCommission We regularly issue relevant Your education policy blog. and timely resources that provide education Our blog, Ed Note, provides timely education leaders with , policy updates. Through 77 blog posts in 2018, concise state education leaders learned new strategies factual information on for approaching issues from STEM in early the full spectrum of state learning to supporting adult learners through postsecondary education. Top five viewed education policies. blogs in 2018: • "Supporting Students With Disabilities by Preparing Arts Teachers" • "Why the 2018 Elections Matter for Education" • "How Does Arts Education Fare in the Final Round of State ESSA Plan Submissions?" • "How Is the Opioid Epidemic Affecting Schools and Students?" • "Suicide Prevention in Schools: What Are States Doing to Prevent Youth Suicide?" Reports In 2018, we released 34 reports on key policy issues ranging from preschool through postsecondary education and the workforce. All reports can be accessed by clicking on the thumbnail images. 4 www.ecs.org | @EdCommission How Students Use Federal, State and Using State Data Systems Institutional Aid to Pay for College: Teacher Evaluations to Report Information on A Primer for State Policymakers Arts Education Work-Based Learning: Model Open Enrollment Quick Guide Teacher Development and Advancement Policy Components Math Pathways: Expanding Suspension and Expulsion Targeted Teacher Recruitment Options for Success in College Math Approaches to State Alternative School Rethinking Dual Enrollment to Reach Workforce Development Discipline Strategies More Students Systems Preparing Educators and School STEM Dual Enrollment: Model Restraint and Seclusion Leaders for Effective Arts Integration Policy Components Initiatives From Preschool to Third School Leadership: A Primer for Tuition-Setting in Grade: A Policymaker’s Guide State Policymakers Postsecondary Education Increasing the Supply of Qualified High How States Fund Pre-K: School Teachers for Dual Enrollment Postsecondary Tuition A Primer for Policymakers Programs: An Overview of State and Capping and Freezing Regional Accreditor Policies Developmental Education: An Guiding Questions for State School School and District Leadership Introduction for Policymakers Improvement Efforts High School Diploma Options That Engaging the Arts in the Opening Credits: An Introduction to Meet Federal Graduation Rate Broader Education Policy PLA Policies Calculation Requirements Landscape Redesigning State Financial Aid: Governance in Early Funding Transparency Under ESSA Principles to Guide State Aid Childhood Education Policymaking Transitions and Alignment From ArtScan at a Glance Preschool to Kindergarten Governors’ Top Education Priorities Creative Youth Development: in 2018 State of the State Addresses Transforming the Learning Environment 5 www.ecs.org | @EdCommission www.ecs.org | @EdCommission 2018 Election Tracking Our state relations team closely monitored We provide unbiased the impact of the 2018 elections on state education leaders, including governors, those advice on policy plans, in legislative chambers, chief state school consult on proposed officers and state board members. legislation and testify at We published our findings as resources, legislative hearings as including an interactive map and a sharable infographic. third-party experts. 6 www.ecs.org | @EdCommission 2018 State Visits We visited 46 states and DC. State Relations Visits Testimony We visited We provided 39 states. testimony in 28 states and DC. Technical Assistance Presentations We provided We gave technical presentations assistance in 16 in 11 states states and DC. and DC. 7 www.ecs.org | @EdCommission www.ecs.org | @EdCommission We bring education leaders together within and across states to The 2018 National Forum on Education Policy, held in Washington, D.C., convened pivotal interact, collaborate and education leaders — governors, legislators, learn from each other. state commissioners, higher education leaders, teachers and business leaders — all focused on transforming policy and advancing student success. The three-day event also brought some of the nation’s top education speakers and included sessions on topics ranging from preschool through postsecondary education and workforce readiness. The 2018 National Forum on Education Policy convened 596 registrants, including 28 Steering Committee Members and 80 Commissioners. Five ancillary meetings were held in conjunction with the 2018 National Forum on Education Policy: • Executive Directors of State Boards of Education with 19 attendees from 17 states. • Governors’ Education Policy Advisors with 20 attendees from 20 states. • Strong Start to Finish with nine attendees from eight states. • State Teachers of the Year with 34 attendees from 33 states. • Legislative Education Staff Network with 40 attendees from 30 states. 8 www.ecs.org | @EdCommission We hold the Winter Commissioners Meeting annually. This convening presents an opportunity for Commissioners and our staff to build relationships, engage in rich discussions and prepare for the year ahead. In 2018, 141 registrants, including 27 Steering Committee members and 41 Commissioners, attended the Winter Commissioners Meeting in New Orleans. A State Longitudinal Data Systems Thinkers Meeting, with 16 attendees from 11 states, was held in New Orleans in conjunction with the Winter Commissioners Meeting. Other Convenings In 2018, we convened several small groups of education leaders from across the states to discuss — and learn about — specific education policies. These opportunities allow attendees to examine details and best practices, through sharing lessons and celebrations from each other’s states. A few highlights include: • ESSA Thinkers Meeting in Chicago with 16 attendees from 11 states. • Financial Aid Redesign meeting in Denver with eight attendees from four states. • Scaling AP Computer Science to Meet State Workforce Needs meeting in Denver with 35 attendees from 14 states. • STEM Dual Enrollment Policy Academy in Indianapolis with 30 attendees from