12 for 2012 - 12 for 2012 is an ECS “read of the field,” built on our scrutiny of new reports and research, and our analysis of emerging drivers of change. The 12 policy areas do not represent an exhaustive list of the critical issues for the coming year, nor is this report intended to dictate your education policy priorities for 2012. Rather, 12 for 2012 is intended to stimulate thinking around how best to craft the “2.0” of powerful policy across the states. (ECS, 2012)...

Hess' Hot Button Issues and What He'd Like to See You Do About Them - Here what Rick Hess had to say about state policymaking at the ECS National Forum on Education Policy....

Return on Investment: Where should leaders invest? - Access related research titles from the ECS Research Studies Database. Links embedded in titles will take you to each study's major findings and recommendations....

Achievement Gaps: How do state standards, assessments, curriculum influence acheivement? - Access related research titles from the ECS Research Studies Database. Links embedded in titles will take you to each study's major findings and recommendations....

Education Issues Do Well on Ballots MS Word - On November 5, voters in 22 states decided education-related ballot issues, which ranged from programs for students and how they are taught to bond issues and ways to increase education dollars. This article discusses two of the most common issues – finance and bilingual education. (Gloria Zradicka, State Education Leader, Education Commission of the States, Fall 2002)...

75 Examples of How Bureaucracy Stands in the Way of America's Students & Teachers - Bureaucratic systems, policies and practices that have been built up over decades in inner-city school districts have often led to fewer resources that actually reach the classroom, prevented teachers from receiving the support they need to meet individual student needs, and disheartened many people in and around these systems, giving them little faith that conditions will improve. This paper identifies 75 examples of how bureaucracy hampers educational reform and progress. (Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, August 2012) ...

Perspectives on the Key K-12 Education Legislation of 2012 for Indiana - This document is a summary of 14 key K-12 education bills that were enacted by the 2012 Indiana legislature. The acts of legislation included in this report were selected by the Center for Evaluation & Education Policy (CEEP) at Indiana University for their significance and potential long-term impact on the K-12 education delivery system in Indiana. This summary includes commentary and perspectives from statewide education and advocacy associations on the new laws. (CEEP, May 2012)...

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: An American Agenda for Education Reform - This paper responds to a question: What would the education policies and practices of the U.S. be if they were based on the policies and practices of the countries that now lead the world in student performance? It is adapted from the last two chapters of a book to be published in September 2011 by Harvard Education Press. Other chapters in that book describe the specific strategies pursued by Canada (focusing on Ontario), China (focusing on Shanghai), Finland, Japan, and Singapore, all of which are far ahead of the U.S. The research on these countries was performed by a team assembled by the National Center on Education and the Economy, at the request of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)....

Federal and State Roles and Capacity for Improving Schools - The potential reauthorization of ESEA provides an opportunity to reevaluate the roles of the federal government and the states with respect to improving schools and boosting student achievement. This report considers alternatives. (RAND Education, 2011)...

Making Education Dollars Work: Issue Briefs - Issue briefs prepared for the 2011 Governors Education Symposium. Sessions addressed include "Advancing Education Reform with Limited Resources", "Improving Postsecondary Completion and Productivity", "Preparing Career- and College-Ready Students", and "Measuring and Evaluating Effective Teaching." Included in the briefs are promising practices and ideas for action. (NGA Center for Best Practices, 2011)...

How the World's Most Improved School Systems Keep Getting Better - Based on over 200 interviews with system stakeholders and analysis of some 600 interventions carried out by these systems this report identifies the reform elements that are replicable for school systems elsewhere as they move from poor to fair to good to great to excellent performance. There is also an executive summary.(McKinsey & Company, November 2010)...

Public Elementary and Secondary School Student Enrollment and Staff Counts from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2007-08 - Report presents findings on the numbers of public school students and staff in the United States and other jurisdictions in school year 2007-08. (Amber Noel, Jennifer Sable, Chen-Su Chen, National Center for Education Statistics, November 2009)...

Governors Speak MS Word PDF - Beginning each January, governors summarize accomplishments, present challenges and propose solutions. This Stateline article provides examples of what governors have had to say this year on a number of education-related topics, including teacher compensation, high school quality, finance, early childhood, charter schools, kindergarten and health. (Kathy Christie, Phi Delta Kappan, April 2005. Reprinted with permission)...

Our Schools and Our Futures: Are We Still At Risk? - The landmark 1983 report, A Nation at Risk, identified glaring deficiencies in the nation’s education system and issued recommendations to improve schools. This brief examines what progress has been made in the 20 years since the release of the original report, concluding that the Excellence Committee failed to effect lasting change in large part because it underestimated the resistance to change in entrenched groups in the K-12 public education system and the nation’s colleges of education. The report contains recommendations for school reform based on the principles of accountability, choice and transparency. The full report can be purchased through the Hoover Institution. (Education Next, 2003)...

Overview and Inventory of State Education Reforms: 1990 to 2000 - This report discusses state constitutional, statutory, and regulatory frameworks which provide legal authority for states, local governments, and school districts. This authority allows revenues to be raised for education, and sets conditions for spending those funds. In addition, the report discusses state support for various school choice options. (David Hurst, Alexandra Tan, Anne Meek and Jason Sellers, National Center for Education Statistics, July 2003)...

A Nation at Risk - This legendary report was commissioned by the U.S. Secretary of Education in 1981 and suggests that the United States is running the risk of losing its premier status among nations as a result of the perceived shortcomings of its public education system. The report presents statistics that the authors believe suggest shortcomings in American education and provides recommendations touching upon a number of areas, including high school graduation requirements, standards and expectations of students, structure of the school calendar, teaching, and school and elected leaders. (National Commission on Excellence in Education, April 1983)...

Stateline 2002 Highlights and 2003 Predictions MS Word - In 2002, state legislatures enacted nearly 2,000 significant education bills and policies. This "Stateline" article reviews some of the actions taken by states on these issues. (Kathy Christie, Phi Delta Kappan, December 2002. Reprinted with permission.)...

States Wrap Up the Year, Statistical Data Included MS Word - This Stateline article describes the financial impact the events of September 11 have had on state budgets throughout the country and how education, in particular, is faring. (Kathy Christie, Phi Delta Kappan, December 2001)...