From the ECS State Policy Database - Highlighted Policies

This database is made possible by your state's fiscal support of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Most entries are legislative, although rules/regulations and executive orders that make substantive changes are included. Every effort is made to collect the latest available version of policies; in some instances, recent changes might not be reflected. For expediency purposes minimal attention has been paid to style (capitalization, punctuation) and format. To view the documents, click on the blue triangle next to the topic. Please cite use of the database as: Education Commission of the States (ECS) State Policy Database, retrieved [date]. Status/Date State Level Summary 21st Century Skills Accountability Accountability--Accreditation Accountability--Measures/Indicators Accountability--Reporting Results Accountability--Rewards Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions Accountability--Sanctions/Interventions--Takeovers Accountability--School Improvement Adult Basic Education Assessment Assessment--Accommodations Assessment--College Entrance Exams Assessment--Computer Based Assessment--End-of-Course Assessment--Formative/Interim Assessment--Performance Based/Portfolio Assessment--Value Added At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention) At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Alternative Education At-Risk (incl. Dropout Prevention)--Drugs/Alcohol Attendance Attendance--Compulsory Attendance--Statutory Ages (Upper and Lower) Attendance--Truancy Background Checks Bilingual/ESL Business Involvement Career/Technical Education Career/Technical Education--Career Academies/Apprenticeship Cheating Choice of Schools--Charter Schools Choice of Schools--Charter Schools--Finance Choice of Schools--Choice/Open Enrollment Choice of Schools--Innovation Schools Choice of Schools--Tax Credits Choice of Schools--Vouchers Civic Education Civic Education--Character Education Class Size Counseling/Guidance Curriculum Curriculum--Arts Education Curriculum--Drivers Education Curriculum--Excusal Curriculum--Financial Literacy/Economics Ed. Curriculum--Foreign Language/Sign Language Curriculum--Geography Education Curriculum--Health/Nutrition Education Curriculum--International Education Curriculum--Language Arts--Writing/Spelling Curriculum--Mathematics Curriculum--Physical Education Curriculum--Science Data-Driven Improvement Desegregation Economic/Workforce Development Education Research Equity Federal Finance Finance--Adequacy/Core Cost Finance--District Finance--Equity Finance--Facilities Finance--Federal Finance--Funding Formulas Finance--Performance Funding Finance--Resource Efficiency Finance--State Budgets/Expenditures Finance--Taxes/Revenues Finance--Taxes/Revenues--Alternative Revenues Governance Governance--Deregulation/Waivers/Home Rule Governance--Regional Entities Governance--School Boards Governance--School Boards--Training Governance--Site-Based Management Governance--State Boards/Chiefs/Agencies Health Health--Child Abuse Health--Mental Health Health--Nutrition Health--School Based Clinics or School Nurses Health--Suicide Prevention High School High School--Advanced Placement High School--College Readiness High School--Dropout Rates/Graduation Rates High School--Dual/Concurrent Enrollment High School--Early Colleges/Middle Colleges High School--Exit Exams High School--GED (General Education Development) High School--Graduation Requirements Instructional Approaches--Constructivism Instructional Approaches--Grading Practices Instructional Approaches--Homeschooling Instructional Approaches--Single-Sex Education Integrated Services/Full-Service Schools International Baccalaureate Leadership Leadership--District Superintendent Leadership--Principal/School Leadership Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Certification and Licensure Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Compensation and Diversified Pay Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Evaluation and Effectiveness Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Preparation Leadership--Principal/School Leadership--Recruitment and Retention Mentoring/Tutoring Middle School Minority/Diversity Issues--African American Minority/Diversity Issues--American Indian / Alaska Native / Native Hawaiian No Child Left Behind No Child Left Behind--Adequate Yearly Progress No Child Left Behind--Assessment No Child Left Behind--Choice/Transfer No Child Left Behind--Consequences for Schools No Child Left Behind--Finance No Child Left Behind--Parent Involvement No Child Left Behind--Reauthorization Issues/Waivers No Child Left Behind--Report Cards No Child Left Behind--School Support No Child Left Behind--Supplemental Services Online Learning--Digital/Blended Learning Online Learning--Virtual Schools/Courses P-16 or P-20 P-3 P-3 Child Care P-3 Content Standards and Assessment P-3 Early Intervention (0-3) P-3 Ensuring Quality P-3 Evaluation/Economic Benefits P-3 Family Involvement P-3 Finance P-3 Governance P-3 Grades 1-3 P-3 Kindergarten--Full-Day Kindergarten P-3 Preschool Parent/Family Partnerships--University/School Postsecondary Postsecondary Accountability Postsecondary Accountability--Accreditation Postsecondary Accountability--Diploma Mills Postsecondary Affordability Postsecondary Affordability--Financial Aid Postsecondary Affordability--Textbooks Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees Postsecondary Affordability--Tuition/Fees--Undocumented Immigrants Postsecondary Faculty Postsecondary Faculty--Compensation Postsecondary Faculty--Intellectual Property Postsecondary Faculty--Teaching Assistants Postsecondary Faculty--Tenure Postsecondary Finance Postsecondary Finance--Efficiency/Performance-Based Funding Postsecondary Governance and Structures Postsecondary Institutions--Community/Technical Colleges Postsecondary Institutions--Private/Independent Postsecondary Online Instruction Postsecondary Participation--Access Postsecondary Participation--Admissions Requirements Postsecondary Participation--Outreach Postsecondary Students--Foster Youth Postsecondary Students--Graduate/Professional Postsecondary Students--Low-Income Postsecondary Students--Minority Postsecondary Success Postsecondary Success--Completion Postsecondary Success--Developmental/Remediation Postsecondary Success--Retention/Persistence Postsecondary Success--Transfer/Articulation Proficiency-Based Approaches Promising Practices Promotion/Retention Public Involvement Reading/Literacy Remediation (K-12) Scheduling/School Calendar Scheduling/School Calendar--Day/Class Length Scheduling/School Calendar--Extended Day Programs Scheduling/School Calendar--Summer School Scheduling/School Calendar--Year School Safety Signed into law 08/2009 ND P-12 School Procedures to Help in Identification and Location of Missing Children S.B. 2161 Relates to school enrollment procedures to aid in the identification and location of missing children. When a child enrolls in a public or nonpublic school, licensed day care facility, home education, licensed day care center, licensed child care facility, hea... More... Signed into law 05/2008 OK P-12 Lockdown Drills; Electronic Bullying, Threatening Behavior S.B. 1941 Adds provision for annual review of school district and higher education institution emergency plans; revises requirements for school district lockdown drills (from one per year to two per year). Prohibits any lockdown drill from being conducted at the same ti... More... Signed into law 03/2008 VA Postsec. Prevention of Violence on Campus S.B. 539 Requires each public college or university to have in place policies and procedures for the prevention of violence on campus, including assessment and intervention with individuals whose behavior poses a threat to the safety of the campus community. The board ... More... Signed into law 03/2008 VA Postsec. Parental Notice of Mental Health Treatment H.B. 1005 Amends and reenacts § 23-9.2:3, relating to providing notice to parents of dependent student's receipt of mental health treatment on the campus of a public institution of higher education. Requires the Board of Visitors or other governing board of any public i... More... Signed into law 03/2008 VA Postsec. Safety/Emergency Management -- HIgher Education H.B. 1449 This bill requires that the following three actions be taken by each of the Commonwealth's public higher education institutions: • The board of visitors or other governing body will develop, adopt, and keep current a written crisis and emergency management pl... More... Signed into law 08/2007 IL P-12 Green Cleaning Schools Act H.B. 895 Creates the Green Cleaning Schools Act. Requires the Green Government Coordinating Council, in consultation with other agencies and interested stakeholders, to establish and amend on an annual basis guidelines and specifications for environmentally-sensitive c... More... Signed into law 05/2007 OK P-12 Lockdown Drills S.B. 103 Requires a minimum of three lockdown drills at public schools; states purpose; requires conformance to certain plans and procedures; requires all students and employees to participate; directs state board to adopt rules to implement the provision. http://webse... More... Signed into law 06/2005 CO P-12 Child Fatality Prevention Act H.B. 1280 Defines "unexpected and unexplained death" as a death that, prior to investigation, appears to have been caused by trauma, suspicious or obscure circumstances, or child abuse or neglect. Includes death from vehicular trauma, fire, drowning, abuse, suicide and ... More... Signed into law 06/2005 FL P-12, Postsec., Community College Hazing H.B. 193 Enacts the Chad Meredith Act. Specifies conduct that constitutes hazing at high schools with grades 9-12. Creates new felony and misdemeanor offenses of hazing at such high schools. Requires court to impose condition of 4-hour hazing education course and autho... More... Signed into law 05/2005 DE P-12 Anti-Terrorism School Safety Emergency Procedures S.J.R. 1 Requires the Department of Education and the Department of Safety and Homeland Security to revise and update the state's school safety emergency procedures in light of the increased threat of terrorist attacks. Requires revisions and updates of said procedures... More... Signed into law 07/2004 LA P-12 Early Intervention Program for At Risk Children H.B. 956 Authorizes the creation of an early intervention pilot program in certain parishes, to address the underlying causes of behavioral problems and school performance problems related to behavior. Authorizes local boards, law enforcement agencies, courts with jur... More... Signed into law 05/2004 VT P-12 School District Student Misbehavior H.B. 629 Defines bullying: Bullying" means any overt act or combination of acts directed against a student by another student or group of students and which: (A)  is repeated over time; (B)  is intended to ridicule, humiliate, or intimidate the student; and (C)  occurs... More... Signed into law 04/2004 VT P-12 Harassment in Schools H.B. 113 Requires boards to adopt policies prohibiting harassment and hazing, including sexual harassment. The stated intent is to: the intent of the General Assembly to: (1)  clarify the definition of harassment; (2)  encourage education and training of teachers and s... More... School Safety--Bullying Prevention/Conflict Resolution School Safety--Disaster/Emergency Preparedness School Safety--Sexual Harassment and Assault School/District Structure/Operations School/District Structure/Operations--District Consolidation/Deconsolidation School/District Structure/Operations--Facilities School/District Structure/Operations--Food Service School/District Structure/Operations--Libraries School/District Structure/Operations--Personnel (Non-Teaching) School/District Structure/Operations--School Size School/District Structure/Operations--Shared Services School/District Structure/Operations--Transportation Social/Emotional Learning and Non-Cognitive Skills Special Education Special Education--Finance Special Education--Inclusion (Mainstreaming) Special Education--Transition Special Populations--Corrections Education Special Populations--Foster Care Special Populations--Gifted and Talented Special Populations--Homeless Education Standards Standards--Common Core State Standards State Longitudinal Data Systems State Policymaking State Policymaking--Task Forces/Commissions STEM Student Achievement Student Achievement--Closing the Achievement Gap Students Students--Athletics/Extracurricular Activities Students--Mobility Students--Records/Rights Teaching Quality Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Alternative Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Assignment Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Highly Qualified Teachers Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Natl. Bd. for Prof. Teach. Stds. Teaching Quality--Certification and Licensure--Special Education Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay--Pay-for-Performance Teaching Quality--Compensation and Diversified Pay--Retirement/Benefits Teaching Quality--Evaluation and Effectiveness Teaching Quality--Induction Programs and Mentoring Teaching Quality--Preparation Teaching Quality--Professional Development Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention--At-Risk Schools Teaching Quality--Recruitment and Retention--High-Needs Subjects Teaching Quality--Reduction in Force Teaching Quality--Teacher Attitudes Teaching Quality--Tenure or Continuing Contract Teaching Quality--Unions/Collective Bargaining Technology Technology--Devices/Software/Hardware Technology--Funding Issues Technology--Teacher/Faculty Training Textbooks and Open Source Urban