Families with young children face a variety of barriers to securing convenient, affordable and high-quality child care before kindergarten. These barriers are especially pronounced for families who cannot afford the high cost of tuition. While several public funding streams exist for pre-K and child care, the demand for care far exceeds available funding.

States play a prominent role in funding early care and education systems using both federal and state funding streams. To support varying options for early care, states are exploring innovative funding mechanisms and policy approaches. This Policy Brief details federal and state funding sources and strategic approaches to increase capacity and access.

School leaders are vital to the success of students, staff and entire schools as a central support for every person in the building. However, investment in the school leadership profession is oftentimes overlooked as other issues take center stage.

That said, state policymakers have an opportunity to elevate school leadership as a proven way to improve student outcomes, school culture and to build a strong and lasting teacher workforce.

This Policy Brief identifies recruitment and professional development as two main focus areas for states interested in supporting their principal pipelines and developing effective school leaders. It also offers strategies to improve school leader recruitment and retention through innovative state-level examples.

Access to postsecondary programs in prison has substantial benefits for both reentering individuals and their communities, but the majority of incarcerated people don’t have access to programs that can set them up for a successful transition.

State policymakers can play an important role in ensuring incarcerated learners have access to the programs and support they need to succeed. To elevate state policy responses to barriers faced by these learners, Education Commission of the States convened a community of practice with a diverse set of stakeholders to investigate state policy questions and learn about students’ experiences.

Explore this Policy Guide to see how governance structures, financial aid and student supports play a key role in supporting student success and which considerations are top of mind for state policymakers interested in this work.

At the start of 2024, the Arts Education Partnership and Education Commission of the States brought together teams from California, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon and Wisconsin to create a professional learning network focused on advancing preschool through fifth grade STEAM education. This network was an innovative space for state leaders to collaborate, learn and brainstorm state policy ideas for implementation.

This Policy Guide is a culmination of over a year’s work in the network and serves as a resource for other states interested in starting or navigating STEAM education implementation.

Dive into this resource to find:

• Reflections from state participants.
• How to get started in this process and navigate barriers.
• Tips for building a well-rounded team.
• Policy considerations and questions for developing effective STEAM ecosystems.

Learn more about STEAM education with these resources:

1. STEAM Resource Guide.
2. Who’s Who in STEAM Education Governance.
3. Key Lessons From Effective K-12 STEAM Education Organizations.

 We extend a special thank you to our state participants for their time and contributions that made this resource possible.

Students have a number of existing and emerging physical and mental health needs that require specific approaches, and schools play a key role in supporting student wellbeing. Health and wellness has been at the top-of-mind in governors’ State of the State addresses and has seen a lot of activity in our legislative tracking the last several years.  

Given the importance, state policymakers are adapting comprehensive health supports to provide a well-rounded foundation of support in health education, mental and behavioral health, and nutrition services.  

This Policy Snapshot reviews trends in recent legislation and in governor’s State of the State addresses from 2022 to 2025 and highlights examples of enacted policy related to K-12 student health and wellness as a reference for state leaders interested in taking similar action.   

Find more information and legislative examples on: 

• Physical health. 
• Mental and behavioral health. 
• Nutrition. 
• Health professionals. 
• An emerging trend in the space. 

To learn more, check out our related resources: 

1. Elements of Student Health Support. 
2. Addressing Health Disparities Through School-Based Health Services.