A new year brings us new opportunities to share our in-depth education policy research that we provide here at Education Commission of the States (ECS). Whether you’re deeply familiar with our work or are learning about us for the first time, let me tell you about some of the ways we can support you, your state and your students.
Are you looking for state or national perspectives on the most pressing education policy issues?
At ECS, we convene education leaders and policymakers to learn from one another’s experiences and provide insight on the kind of research that states and state leaders may need. For example, our Partnering for Success webinar series brings together field experts and national partners to share collaborative state actions.
We also write reports to provide you with up-to-date insights into state actions. We anticipate data privacy to be a trending topic in 2023, so we’ve interviewed leaders in three states to share some key principles on data privacy. Check out our recent Special Report, State Strategies to Protect Student Data Privacy to learn more.
If you’re interested in ongoing issues, we have plenty of resources on school funding. We recently reviewed state plans and appropriations and conducted interviews with state leaders to write four case studies on Innovative State Strategies for Using ESSER Funds.
Do you need information on recent state policy changes?
Though much of our analysis is rolled into our policy reports, you may also want to explore our State Education Policy Tracking tool. With this tool, we track and analyze legislation on all education issues, from early learning to postsecondary workforce bills. In 2022, we read almost 8,000 bills and summarized over 1,200 enacted pieces of legislation.
We invite you to use our instructional video below to learn how to navigate the tool for your needs.
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Interested in comparing different state approaches on one policy area?
Take a look at our 50-State Comparisons. Our 50-State Comparison on teacher recruitment and retention compiles state-specific data related to teacher shortages and provides a national comparison of state policies to recruit and retain teachers across the teacher pipeline. Our 50-State Comparison on dual enrollment outlines five key areas of dual/concurrent enrollment programs: Program basics; student access; course offerings and limitations; finance; and program quality.
Additionally, you can learn from top leadership in each state by following along with our analysis of education proposals in governors’ State of the State addresses. Be the first to get insight into governors’ education priorities for the upcoming year. We will update the resource as each governor’s speech is complete.
Whether you’re bringing together a task force in your state or need a pressing research question answered, we have the tools and research to support your work. Reach out to your ECS state liaison to learn how we can support your state and stay up to date on future convenings and reports by following us on social media or signing up for one of our newsletters.
