2020 TRENDING TOPICS
in Education
State legislative activity on early childhood education has focused on investments to improve access and quality, as well as alignment across early childhood government agencies. Policymakers are also considering social and emotional learning and literacy development in the early years.
State legislative activity in K-12 funding has focused largely on modifying existing revenue sources and equitably allocating resources to high-need student populations. Policymakers have also examined restructuring how states allocate funds to districts for school facility improvements.
State legislative activity on school climate issues has spanned a variety of topics, from physical or building safety and emergency preparedness to student mental health supports and fair disciplinary systems. Policymakers are also inquiring about the development of culturally responsive curricula.
Issues around teaching capture a significant amount of state legislative activity each year. As teacher shortages garner national attention, policymakers are especially focused on teacher recruitment and retention, as well as certification and licensure, professional development and compensation.
While free college continues to capture policymaker attention, there has also been state legislative activity around mandating FAFSA completion for high school graduation, balancing demand with available aid and providing financial support for near-completers to get a college degree
State legislative activity has focused on developing explicit connections between education and workforce. Policymakers are examining ways to facilitate cross-sector collaboration to improve the quality and outcomes of programs, as well as the exchange of data between sectors.
Topics are identified based on Education Commission of the States’ bill tracking and information requests, in addition to governors’ stated priorities.