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Student Learning

Students across the country have opportunities to learn through different modalities. States look to provide innovative options for varying student needs, including competency-based education, remote learning and services to alleviate interrupted instruction. With multiple learning modalities and possibilities of long-term school closures, states also look to flexible assessment and accountability systems.

This page catalogues policies affecting learning, assessment and interruptions to student learning.

Recently Published Resources

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Policy Levers to Advance Credential Transparency

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Policy Brief

Six Policy Priority Areas Prepare State Leaders for Impact

As state education leaders face changing contexts, Education Commission of the States developed six policy priority areas to serve state policymakers' most critical needs. These policy priority areas will inform our organization’s work over the next two years.

Governors’ Top Education Priorities in 2025 State of the State Addresses

In a critical year for state education policy, State of the State addresses offer time for new and incumbent governors to outline policy priorities and elevate successes. For the past […]

State Information Request: Cell Phone Use Policies

A state legislator asked for information on cell phone use policies in schools. Our response offers an overview of state and local policies on cell phone use in schools and […]

Ed Note Blog Posts

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Early Education (P-3)

How Children’s Cabinets Can Meet the Needs of Families and Youth

The pandemic laid bare the lack of social safety nets in states, necessitating innovative solutions but also illuminating systemic problems. For example, when regular service-delivery routines for youth and families […]

K-12

A State Policy Vision for Arts Literacies Integration

The importance of meaning making in childhood was one of the foundational learnings from the Arts Education Partnership’s work on The Arts and Literacies resource. Specifically, meaning making supports students […]

Postsecondary

Rural Perspectives: Enhancing Education and Training Support for Rural Residents

Rural communities are not a monolith; their diversity creates unique assets and opportunities that require unique policy solutions. One of the best ways to understand the diversity of those challenges — […]

K-12

How Nevada Is Keeping Students and Teachers Digitally Connected

The dramatic shift to digital learning at the start of the pandemic called for bold, innovative state policies to ensure that all students were being served regardless of where they […]

Postsecondary

Lessons Learned From National Transfer Reform Efforts

Through decades of higher education evolution, credit transfer has been top of mind for policy makers, institutional leaders and students. From common course numbering to reverse transfer to broader pathways work, policy efforts and national initiatives […]

K-12

Innovations in Distance Education When Broadband Is Not an Option

State leaders are at a pivotal moment: Let’s reimagine learning while addressing inequitable access to broadband internet — not just now, this summer or next year, but for the long term. According to Common Sense media, about 1 in 4 students do not […]

K-12

States Address Special Education During COVID-19

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 14% of students in the United States receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Students who receive special education […]

K-12

What’s Next for School Accountability?

Little did we know, the final year of ESSA implementation would be intertwined with a wave of unprecedented challenges to the education system. On Monday, February 22, the U.S. Department […]

K-12

The Other Branch: Exploring Gary B. v. Snyder

If you’re looking for more up-to-date information, please see our most recent post on this topic, "The Other Branch: Outcomes of Gary B. v Snyder" published July 2020. This post […]

K-12

The Other Branch: Exploring Trinity Lutheran v. Comer

What is the proper relationship between church and state? How does this relationship apply to and impact public goods, such as education? And what would something as mundane as recycled […]

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Policy Levers to Advance Credential Transparency

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur.

Policy Levers to Advance Credential Transparency

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur.

Policy Levers to Advance Credential Transparency

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur.