Our staff was asked about state artificial intelligence guidelines. Our response includes examples of how states may be developing AI curriculum or folding AI curriculum into existing computer science standards as well as examples of professional development for educators around AI and computer science.

To provide timely assistance to our constituents, State Information Requests are typically completed in 48 hours. They reflect an issue scan versus a comprehensive analysis.

Nearly two million people are incarcerated across federal, state, local and tribal systems in the United States.  

Among those, 95% will be released to rejoin their communities, but many lack access to training and education that will help them transition successfully. Research shows that higher education access in prison increases the odds of securing employment after release, decreases the likelihood of recidivism and contributes to increased levels of hope for learners. 

This Policy Outline highlights three levers policymakers can use to increase access to higher education for people who are incarcerated and shows how several states have begun this work.  

To learn more about this issue:
  • Read this blog post on our 2023-25 Chair's Initiative that aims to expand education access for people impacted by the justice system.
  • Check out our Partnering for Success webinar recording featuring a panel of experts on the topic.
  • Explore this 50-State Comparison that shows barriers to financial aid that students impacted by the justice system face at the state level.
Policy Outline (PDF)

When considering the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we often focus on student learning and teacher shortages. However, a little discussed staffing problem remains unresolved — the declining number of school bus drivers. 

According to one analysis, the number of school bus drivers fell by 14% between September 2019 and September 2021. A 2021 survey administered jointly by the National Association for Pupil Transportation, the National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services and the National School Transportation Association, found that 51% of respondents described their driver shortage as severe or desperate. A 2023 survey of school transportation and administrative leaders found that 65% of respondents are currently experiencing school bus driver shortages. 

The dwindling number of school bus drivers may be cause for concern as a growing body of research ties access to school transportation to chronic absenteeism. Though causes of chronic absenteeism vary, a qualitative study of  the Detroit Public Community Schools District found that families reported transportation to be the most frequent barrier to school attendance. Below we offer examples of executive orders, state agency directives and legislation to address school bus driver shortages. 

Governors’ Actions and State Agency Directives 

Legislative Actions and Enacted Strategies 

Some states have proposed alternative solutions to ensure students have safe transportation options, including rehiring retired bus drivers, sign-on bonuses, higher compensation and better benefits, and removing barriers to licensure.  

Prolonged school bus driver shortages have the potential to limit student attendance, but innovative state approaches to filling these vacancies like those described above could help address this issue in school districts. 

This guest post comes from Alejandra Vázquez Baur, a fellow with The Century Foundation and the co-founder of the National Newcomer Network, a coalition of educators, education leaders, researchers and advocates who are committed to advancing policies that improve the education experiences of newcomer students. All views in guest posts are those of the author.

Conversations about immigrant and refugee students often obscure the fact that federal laws — bolstered by court decisions throughout the past few decades — provide newcomer students with the right to a free public education. Specifically, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1982 Plyler v. Doe decision affirmed the constitutional right of free education for all youth regardless of citizenship status, paving the way for undocumented and newcomer students to attend K-12 schools and work toward academic and economic success in the United States. 

Despite this legal precedent, many students face barriers to realizing that right in schools. Many newcomer students lack proper academic records from their country of origin that would help school and district enrollment officers determine appropriate course placements. While these students bring unique strengths to their school community, some newcomers may have acute social and emotional needs linked to traumatic experiences, increased family responsibilities in a new country, or arriving unaccompanied and being placed with an unfamiliar sponsor. 

While many of these challenges take place at the classroom and school level, state education agencies can consider guidance that helps to consistently implement effective policies and practices across school districts. 

Enrollment 

A recent report from Education Northwest and Next100 found that twenty states and the District of Columbia require or recommend that districts review prior schooling experiences when enrolling newcomer students. Fewer states provide specific guidance, resources and support to help district staff implement standardized enrollment procedures. Adopting clear guidance for schools can help newcomer students have a smoother start to their schooling. 

For example, Mississippi provides a step-by-step intake process and resources for counselors tasked with identifying newcomer students with interrupted formal education. These clear resources from the Mississippi Department of Education help ensure that students experience a smooth transition in all in-state schools and intake counselors collect adequate information to place students on the appropriate academic path.  

Data Collection 

All states collect data on students who qualify as immigrant children and youth under the Every Student Succeeds Act for accountability purposes. However, that data is reported in aggregate form by districts and states. Without disaggregated data, schools and communities cannot know how immigrant students are faring academically, behaviorally or emotionally, and cannot align resources with newcomer students’ needs.  

 Eight states go beyond these requirements and publish their immigrant student data as a part of their regular reporting. North Dakota reports the demographics of English learners by school year, including the number and percentage of immigrant English learners, and the number and percentage of refugee English learners. Further, this data is disaggregated by district, home language and ethnicity. Texas also publishes immigrant student data disaggregated by race. These are important steps to better understanding the experiences, strengths and needs of the newcomer student population in each state. 

Funding 

Finally, states can support newcomer students by allocating dedicated financial resources. Targeted funding is an effective way to address disparities for specific populations of students, including immigrants. There is only one federal government funding source that provides funding explicitly for newcomer students, but a 2022 Next100 report finds that this source — Title III immigrant student funding — is unable to sustainably provide districts with funding that supports newcomer students through their first few years in U.S. schools.  

Some states have taken it upon themselves to create designated funding streams in their budgets. Minnesota offers the Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education grant, which is a competitive grant program designed to assist English learners in improving their reading, writing, speaking and comprehension skills in English and acquiring an understanding of the American government, individual freedom and the responsibilities of citizenship and civic participation. The state funds this grant through its Title II allocation of the Workforce and Opportunity Act of 2014.  

While the charge is immense, states can learn from one another and from relevant stakeholders, like those in the National Newcomer Network, to help schools and districts uphold newcomer students’ right to a free education and support their success in school and beyond.  

Elections bring in new leaders that can impact education policymaking at the state level, which is why we track state-level elections every year. This infographic captures the results of this year’s elections and looks ahead to the 2024 elections.

For more detail on this year’s races and the resulting impact, read this blog post on Ed Note:

If you are looking for more general information about state governance structures, as it relates to education policy, visit our Education Governance Dashboard. It has everything you need to understand how each state approaches the governance and oversight of education, from early learning through postsecondary.

 

 

 

 

 

The author would like to thank our peers with the National Association of State Boards of Education, the National Governors Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures for their assistance with this post.

Now that the results are in from the 2023 general election, we can understand the implications for state education policy across the United States.  

Gubernatorial Elections 

This year, Kentucky, Louisiana and Mississippi held gubernatorial elections.  

In Kentucky, incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear defeated state Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Now in his second term, Gov. Beshear will look to expand his efforts to improve teacher retention and recruitment, increase funding for postsecondary and workforce programs, and remove financial barriers for postsecondary attainment.  

In Louisiana, outgoing Democratic Gov. John bel Edwards was term limited and will be succeeded by Republican Gov.-elect Jeff Landry. Landry secured his victory by defeating Democrat Shawn Wilson in the state's October open primary with a significant enough margin to bypass the general election on Nov. 18. 

Gov.-elect Landry will take office in Jan. 2024 and will inherit several education powers for the state, including the power to appoint key education officials and shape state-level education policy. Landry's campaign centered on teacher retention and recruitment, school choice and high school graduation requirements.  

Mississippi incumbent Gov. Tate Reeves also held onto his office. In his second term, he will likely continue efforts to expand career and technical education, improve literacy and numeracy rates among elementary school students, and recruit and retain teachers. 

Legislative Elections 

While most legislative elections take place on even-numbered years, four states (Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey and Virginia) held elections for both of their legislative chambers this year. Though not the only special election in the country, New Hampshire's special election for its state House of Representatives may lead to further changes in the chamber. 

Seven out of eight chambers remained in the respective party’s control, giving Republicans control of both chambers of the Louisiana and Mississippi Legislatures, and Democrats control of both chambers of the New Jersey Legislature. Notably, the Virginia State House of Delegates flipped from Republican to Democratic control, which gave the Democratic Party control of both the Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates. 

The special election for the New Hampshire House of Representatives left the 400-seat chamber closely balanced with 197 Democratic members, 198 Republican members, two independent members and one member with no affiliation — leaving two additional vacancies. This sets the stage for a potential party shift following the special election on Jan. 23, 2024. 

State Boards of Education 

Two states held state board of education elections while gubernatorial elections in two other states may impact respective state boards.  

In Washington, five board positions are elected by members of Washington State School Directors’ Association. The seats representing the Western region and private schools have been decided, while the seat representing the state’s Eastern region heads to a run-off election on Nov. 10. WSSDA will publicly announce the winners of all three races on Nov. 18 when the run-off is finalized, but the results of the general election are available 

And, in Louisiana, the October open primary resulted in four Republican seats and two Democratic seats. The remaining two state board members will be elected during the general election on Nov. 18. 

In Mississippi and Kentucky, state board of education members are appointed by the governor.  While the incumbents held onto the capitol in both states, it is possible that new state board members will be appointed. 

Visit our Education Governance Dashboard for more information on how state board of education members are selected. 

Ballot Measures 

In addition to changes in leadership, we’ve closely monitored education-related ballot initiatives in several states. These initiatives can significantly impact education policy and funding. 

Passed: 

Failed: 

Looking Forward to 2024 

Look out for our upcoming 2023 elections infographic for a quick guide to this year’s elections as well as a preview of what to expect in next year’s elections. 2024 will see elections for 11 state gubernatorial seats, two territorial gubernatorial seats, four chief state school officers and control of 85 legislative chambers around the country. We continue to track state elections closely to keep you updated on relevant state education policy trends. 

While states battle turnover in school leadership, policymakers are working to increase the number of highly trained, quality principals across their states. In the midst of a changing education landscape, state policymakers are exploring ways to ensure school leaders are equipped to guide today’s students and teachers.  

Our recently updated 50-State Comparison on School Principals compiles approaches states are taking to better prepare, recruit and retain principals. Below, we examine some key findings and new additions to the database that highlight how policymakers are considering these issues.  

 State Standards for Principals 

Past iterations of our 50-State Comparison identified that state standards for principal performance and preparation were essentially universal. Research indicates that positive school outcomes can be bolstered by principals who:  

We found that state standards often align with these qualities and noted a growing emphasis on incorporating equitable practices and cultural responsiveness into measures of leadership performance.  

The update also includes information on certification requirements for school principals licensed out of state. While the interstate teacher mobility compact provides reciprocity for licensed teachers moving between states, no such reciprocity exists at the national or regional level for school leaders. Without reciprocity agreements, some states allow out-of-state applicants to be held to the same standards as in-state principal candidates while others have adopted specific requirements for out-of-state candidates. 

 Certification for Assistant Principals 

In our update, we wanted to examine the role of state policy in addressing the role of assistant principals, so we looked at which states have a specific certification for the role of assistant principal. At least eight states have outlined a specific process for individuals to attain certification to be an assistant principal. Forty states simply require assistant principals to attain the same certification as a principal.  

Despite this type of role growing in popularity, the lack of an individual certification process mirrors findings from the Wallace Foundation that show that assistant principals often serve in roles that lack definition. These positions are often a stepping stone toward principal roles without explicitly preparing individuals for that role.  

 Mentorship Programs 

This update includes a new data point on mentorship opportunities for new or upcoming principals because, according to a 2018 study from Southeast Missouri State University, “mentoring has been identified as one of the most effective ways to enhance the leadership skills of new principals.” However, this area has not been studied conclusively. While hour requirements or specific components of mentorship may vary, more than half of states have established a mentorship program. States approaches to mentorship vary. Some states assign support teams or principal partners to work with a candidate during induction, some offer supervision from a mentor principal or superintendent within the new role, and others require mentorship during required clinical experience or internships.  

 Financial Incentives 

Because we know that teacher compensation is a consideration for retaining teachers, we wanted to look at financial incentive tools policymakers are using to retain principals. We found that seven states have recruitment or retention bonuses available for principals. A 2021 survey from the National Association of Secondary School Principals found that 38% of principals were considering leaving their roles in the next three years. The survey found that while compensation was not the first concern of principals, 52% of principals surveyed said they somewhat agree that they were paid fairly for their work and 19% strongly agreed with that statement.  

While we often discuss the tools that it takes to address teacher recruitment and retention, the conversation about principals’ compensation is often left to the side. While this may not fully explain what work might be taking place at the local level, it points to a potential area of exploration for states looking to retain principals. 

Like teachers, school principal and assistant principal preparedness can affect student outcomes and school culture. As inequitable distributions of high-quality principals persist, state policymakers will continue to address issues along the principal pipeline. 

The author would like to thank his collaborators at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for their contributions to the post, including: 

As the education landscape continues to be impacted by school closures, quarantines and staffing uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, states have been working hard to reduce the long-term effects of related interrupted instruction 

In March 2021, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction State Superintendent Catherine Truitt developed a strategic plan called Operation Polaris to respond to interrupted instruction in the state. As a part of Operation Polaris, the Office of Learning Recovery and Acceleration has shown promising results for students by providing information and support for evidence-based decision-making by public school units. The OLR's collaborative organizational structure includes a Research and Evaluation team, a Program and ESSER Funding Administration team, and an Innovation Strategy team. Each team contributes a vital piece in supporting student learning and ensuring districts receive collaborative support. 

Data Use  

A key element of North Carolina's approach is the use of data insights to empower district leaders. Rachel Wright Junio, director of the OLR, created a matrix to help districts analyze program implementation, identify challenges and align for change during a state-wide convening on learning recovery. Districts and schools could then use this tool in concert with new datasets provided by the Research and Evaluation team. This collaborative approach fosters evidence-based practices, adherence to the implementation process and infrastructure readiness. 

In March 2022, a collaboration between the department of public instruction and the SAS Institute led to a Recovery Analysis Report on the gains the state made following interrupted instruction. Through an analysis of student performances using assessment data from the 2021-22 school year against pre-pandemic expectations, the findings indicate substantial academic recovery across different populations, subjects and grade levels. This new dataset provided historic visibility to various student groups to ensure personalized instruction can occur for all students. 

ESSER Allocations 

The department’s allocation of ESSER funds has empowered districts to tailor resources to their unique needs with the goal of a targeted and impactful response. The state’s COVID-19 allocation expenditure dashboard provides a clear view of how funds are being used. OLR’s ARP ESSER III program supports further district collaborations through learning cohorts. These cohorts enable the sharing of successful initiatives and guide districts in scaling these programs. Learning modules within OLR provide comprehensive guidance and address topics such as monitoring, acceleration, progress and impact. 

Central to North Carolina's approach and its emphasis on data transparency and accessibility is the department’s Strategic Dashboard Monitoring Tool, which offers equitable access to a wealth of education data that empowers stakeholders to make informed decisions. From state-level insights to individual school data, this transparency fosters data-driven decision-making at all levels. For instance, the ability to dissect data revealed previously unaccounted student groups such as military-connected students and highlighted their performance trends based on regional or subject variations. 

“We believe really strongly that over the last two, almost three years, that we’ve really proven the value-add of this agency support model,” Andrew Smith, assistant state superintendent said. North Carolina's journey transcends the immediate challenges of interrupted instruction, embracing innovation to navigate a dynamic education landscape.  

As North Carolina looks ahead, its approach serves as a testament to the potential of collaborative innovation, data-driven insights and a steadfast commitment to empowering every student. This innovative approach provides a blueprint for shaping a more resilient and responsive education system that supports student success. 

As secondary career and technical education programs continue to grow in states, we updated our 50-State Comparison to provide a comprehensive overview of state policies. This is the final post in our series highlighting insights and state policy examples from our research.

We know that strong teachers are crucial to the success of a career and technical education program. However, some schools find filling these roles difficult.  

According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, many states identify CTE as a subject area that frequently experiences subject-specific teacher shortages. Additionally, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that the number schools that had a vacancy they were unable to fill for that school year grew from 4.5% for the 2015-16 school year to 6.5% in 2020-21.  

When unable to find a teacher, the existence of CTE programs can be threatened. In our Policy Brief on teacher shortages, we identified that teacher shortages tend to be found in particular subjects and communities. Other subjects that frequently report shortages include science, math and special education. We also identified that rural and urban school districts are more likely to struggle with teacher shortages. 

Teacher certification processes often have implications for both the recruitment and retention of teachers. In our updated 50-State Comparison on Secondary CTE, we re-examined the certification and licensure requirements for CTE teachers. Similar to our previous update in 2020, we found that the requirement areas for becoming a licensed CTE teacher have many commonalities, but the specifics can vary from state to state with different minimum number of hours, experiences or levels of education.   

Many states are making efforts to bring new teachers into the classroom and ensure they remain in the profession. With recruitment efforts centered on certification, states balance ensuring that standards for teachers to enter the classroom remain rigorous while not so difficult that it keeps qualified individuals from becoming teachers. For example, in 2019, Indiana passed S.B. 438, which created a workplace specialist license. This license provides several options for proving a combination of work experience in a technical occupation area and education to earn a license.  

Additionally, we know that overall compensation is a tool states can use to recruit and retain all teachers. This is applicable to teachers who transition to the classroom from other — often higher paying — careers. In 2020, Idaho passed S.1329, which adjusts the teacher career ladder payment schedule for CTE teachers to incorporate credit for the time they worked in industry. Maine also addressed this concern in 2021 with H.P. 866, which increased the minimum salary of CTE teachers from $37,500 to $40,000. 

In addition to state allocated funds, Perkins V provides federal funds to CTE programs. States receiving Perkins V funds are required to allocate some of those funds to the recruitment and retention of program teachers. According to Advance CTE, some ways states have used these funds to develop pathways for industry professionals to become CTE teachers, create externships and teacher mentorships, revise teacher licensing processes and support these teachers in the process of getting re-certified. Advance CTE also identified that almost three-quarters of states provide professional development for CTE professionals.  

As state policymakers continue to consider ways to strengthen and grow CTE programs to improve outcomes for students, they may also consider which policy levers can strengthen and grow the CTE teacher workforce at the same time.  

This post is a collaboration between Katie Broughton, legislative liaison for the Nevada Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Zeke Perez Jr., senior policy analyst at Education Commission of the States.

When Robert Barsel, a 17-year-old high school senior living in Nevada, began leading peer support groups, he could not have imagined the impact it would have on him. Reflecting back on his experiences, Barsel remarked, “When I started support groups, I viewed it as ‘how am I going to help this one person in front of me so that they can make it through what I had a hard time getting through?’” Little did he know that his efforts would inform legislation and highlight the power of partnering with students in policymaking.  

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Barsel knew that his peers were going to need even more support than before. With in-person meetings out of the question, he began to build and distribute a comprehensive, easy-to-use mental health curriculum alongside professional therapists. Thus, Everyone Has Mental Health was born.  

After releasing the curriculum, Barsel was introduced to Nevada Senator Roberta Lange, and together they sponsored S.B. 313 to bring additional mental health curriculum into Nevada public schools. Senator Lange noted, “It was an honor to sponsor legislation with Robert. His experience and passion related to mental health education is astounding.”  

They met with Jhone Ebert, state superintendent of public instruction with the Nevada Department of Education, and explored how Nevada schools could support access to mental health resources. “Robert’s deep-rooted drive to remove barriers to mental health supports for students is truly exemplary, and his many achievements in this area are a testament to that. I sat alongside Robert as he presented his draft legislation, S.B. 313, at a legislative hearing and was awestruck by his expert delivery and thoughtful, informed responses,” Ebert told us. 

S.B. 313 sought to embed mental health education into Nevada’s schools in three ways. It required health standards to include information relating to mental health and social and emotional learning standards developed by the department of education. It would also require the completion of a course in mental health education to obtain a license to teach and would require completion of a course or professional development in mental health education to renew a teaching license for certain applicants. To provide teachers with ongoing support to address student mental health, school districts and charter schools would also be required to partner with certain entities to provide professional development training in mental health education. 

A focus on student mental and physical health among state policymakers nationwide has continued through 2023. At least 21 governors prioritized efforts to support student mental and physical health in their addresses and at least 166 bills were enacted related to health in education, with a specific focus on mental or behavioral health in 48 of those bills across 26 states.  

Similar to S.B. 313, some state legislation placed a focus on curriculum and mental health education. New Hampshire’s H.B. 505 (introduced) would add “comprehensive mental health education” to the state’s required health and physical education curriculum. Other states have approached mental health by determining students’ mental health needs (like Colorado’s enacted H.B. 23-1003, which provides for a mental health screening program grades six through 12) or by increasing access to services (like Illinois’ enacted S.B. 1709, which requires the Illinois Department of Human Resources to partner with the Illinois Board of Education to increase the provision of mental health care during school days).   

While S.B. 313 was not enacted during the 2023 legislative session, this effort shows how policymakers can learn from and partner with students on issues that impact them. For states working to determine the best ways to begin addressing student mental health in schools, Barsel offers a reminder: “The most important thing is going back to the absolute core of why this matters. I can truthfully say that none of this has worn me down because of how much I care about supporting kids and teenagers and their mental health. I would not have been able to do this if I didn’t have that focus on the front of my mind.” 

Copyright 2025 / Education Commission of the States. All rights reserved.

chevron-downarrow-rightmenu-circlecross-circle