Modernizing the State Education Agency: Different Paths Toward Performance Management - As both the federal government and states face unprecedented challenges in raising standards and increasing outcomes for all students, state education agencies (SEAs) have the opportunity to take a new approach; one focused less on compliance and more on performance management. This report outlines what states at the forefront of this change are doing to improve their lowest-performing schools. (Center on Reinventing Public Education, September 2012)...

State Education Agency Funding and Staffing In the Education Reform Era - State budget cuts have affected state education agencies (SEAs), which are responsible for supervising elementary and secondary education in each state and which play a crucial role in advancing education reform. The authors of this report set out to determine the status of SEAs’ operating budgets, staffing, and expertise in the wake of ARRA and whether SEAs have the capacity to support key education reforms? Findings indicate that while funding appears slightly better this year than last, few states expect to see increases and while many states have adequate expertise to carry out reforms, they are lacking in the staff levels and fiscal resources for these activities....

State Education Agencies as Agents of Change: What It Will Take for the States to Step Up on Education Reform - State schools chiefs are largely responsible for implementing many of the mandates handed down at the state and federal level. Many chiefs say they lack the capacity to fully tackle these challenges, particularly adequate funding and personnel. This report highlights four key findings: State education agencies are overly focused on compliance; there is a lack of transparency; federal funding can hinder SEA operations; there are bureaucratic obstacles to reforming the state agencies. (Center for American Program, July 2011)...