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 to governor 06/2013 VT P-12 Flexible Pathways to Secondary School Completion S. 130 Provides state-funded dual enrollment, expansion of Early College programs, expansion of work-based learning, virtual/blended learning. Requires personal learning plans for all students by 7th grade. The definitions section should be of particular interest to ... More... Signed into law 07/2009 OH P-12 Governor's Closing the Achievement Gap Initiative H.B. 1 - Section 3306.31 and 265.70.80 Specifies that the following provisions apply to any district with a three-year average graduation rate at or below 80%. Requires each such district's local board to implement actions prescribed by the governor's closing the achievement gap initiative in each ... More... Signed into law 04/2009 IA P-12, Postsec., Community College Articulation from High School to College and from Community College to Four-Year H.B. 815 Adds several new subsections of law. Requires development and implementation of a plan to provide, at least twice annually to all principals and guidance counselors employed by school districts and accredited nonpublic schools, notice describing how students c... More... Adopted 03/2009 UT P-12 Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program R277-462 Amends definition of Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program ("Program") to add reference to informing and involving parents. Adds definition of counselor-to-student ratio. Defines Student Education Occupation Plan (SEOP) as a developmentally organized ... More... Signed into law 07/2008 LA P-12 High School Dropout Prevention Act of 2008 H.B. 1091 Provides that before a student between the ages of 17 and 18 may drop out, the student and student's parent must attend an exit interview, in which the student and parent provide written acknowledgement that withdrawal from school will likely reduce the studen... More... Signed into law 05/2007 NV P-12 High School Reform A.B. 212 Provides for high school reform. Requires the board of trustees of each school district to adopt a policy for each public school of the school district in which ninth grade pupils are enrolled, to develop a 4-year academic plan for each of those pupils. Requir... More... Signed into law 04/2007 IA P-12 Waivers from Certain Staffing Requirements S.F. 277 (Section 5 and 8) Section 5: Strikes and rewrites section 256.11A. Authorizes the board of directors of a school district to file a request by August 1, 2007 for a waiver from the following requirements for the 2007-2008 school year: a. Apply for a one-year extension of a waiv... More... Signed into law 03/2007 ID P-12 Teen Early Intervention Mental Health and Substance Abuse Specialist Program S.B. 1147 Defines "teens at risk" as public school students in grades 7-12 who have been identified as expressing or exhibiting indications of depression, suicidal inclination, emotional trauma, substance abuse or other behaviors or symptoms that indicate the existenc... More... Signed into law 05/2006 FL P-12 Florida Secondary School Redesign Act H.B. 7087 - Section 19 Defines secondary schools as those serving grades 6-12. Specifies that the following guiding principles must be used in the annual preparation of each secondary school's improvement plan: (a) Struggling students, especially those in failing schools, need th... More... Signed into law 05/2006 FL P-12 Readiness for Postsecondary Education and Workforce Program H.B. 7087 (Section 37) The legislation shifts career and postsecondary planning from 9th grade to beginning in middle school. It is the intent of the Legislature that students and parents set early achievement and career goals for the student's post-high-school experience during th... More... Signed into law 04/2006 KY P-12, Postsec. High School and College Readiness Assessments S.B. 130 Section 1: Requires the state assessment system, by the 2007-2008 school year, to include: 1. A high school readiness examination to assess English, reading, math and science in grade 8; 2. A college readiness examination to assess English, reading, math and s... More... Adopted 02/2006 KY P-12 Individual Learning Plans 704 KAR 3:305 (section 3) Requires districts to implement an advising and guidance process throughout the middle and high schools to provide support for the development and implementation of each student's Individual Learning Plan. Requires districts to evaluate the effectiveness an... More... Signed into law 05/2005 SC P-12, Postsec., Community College South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act H.B. 3155 Adds a new chapter (59) establishing the South Carolina Education and Economic Development Act. Provides for the development of a curriculum organized around a career cluster system that must provide students with both strong academics and real-world problem s... More... Signed into law 05/2005 TN P-12, Postsec., Community College Notification of Potential Career Opportunities S.B. 709 Adds new subsection 49-7-202. Requires the commission, with the assistance of the University of Tennessee system and the state university and community college system, to develop information concerning the potential career opportunities in each curriculum or m... More... Signed into law 04/2005 AR P-12, Postsec. Career Counseling for Students H.B. 2868 Requires each district's student services plan to include a district-level tracking system for students who fail to reach proficiency on state-mandated assessments. Specifies that guidance and counseling services in each district's "student services program" i... More... Signed into law 04/2005 AR P-12 Incentives for Teacher Recruitment and Retention in High-Priority Districts S.B. 1044 (section 31) Includes guidance counselors and librarians in definition of "teacher" or "teachers" in provisions relating to incentives for teacher recruitment and retention in high-priority districts. Clarifies that all teachers not newly signed to work in a high-priority ... More... 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 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