Ed Note

Our blog features education research and policy trends, promising practices from states and partners, and anecdotes from our work with state leaders across the country.

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Early Education (P-3)

A group of young students sit in front of their teacher mimicking the teacher's movements while playing a game.

March 26, 2024

Michigan’s Caring for MI Future Through Expanded Child Care Access

Every family deserves access to quality early learning and care — regardless of their zip code, economic status or their children’s ages. But, in Michigan (like nearly every state across […]

Postsecondary

A professor lectures to seven undergraduate students of diverse racial backgrounds in a lecture hall during the day.

Feb. 20, 2024

Paying for College: The Latest Trends in Performance-Based Funding

Performance-based funding is a funding approach where state appropriations are allocated based on how a postsecondary institution performs on a defined set of measures. These formulas are designed to incentivize […]

Postsecondary

A stack of books, a gavel and a graduation cap sit on a table inside a library to represent expanding education access and graduation opportunities for people impacted by the justice system.

Feb. 13, 2024

Expanding Education Access for Justice-Impacted Students

Nearly two million people are incarcerated across federal, state, local and tribal systems in the United States. Among those, 95% of people will be released to rejoin their communities, but […]

Postsecondary

Two students sit next to one another at a wooden table in their college's library during the day. They are both writing in journals. At the lower left corner of the image is text which reads "guest post".

Jan. 30, 2024

How Carnegie Classification Updates Could Affect State Higher Education Policy

Since 1973, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has served as the predominant framework to classify American colleges and universities. It was originally created for researchers as a […]

High School K-12

An elementary school teacher with dark brown hair and a matching beard greeting a group of students standing in a line at the door to their classroom. The teacher high-fives the student standing at the front of the line.

Jan. 25, 2024

Keeping Students Safe: Designing Policies and Practices That Work

A rise in the number of school shootings over time has increased focus on school safety, adding to other longstanding school safety concerns, like fighting or bullying. In addition to […]

Early Education (P-3)

Jan. 18, 2024

Building Comprehensive Prenatal-to-3 Systems of Care in States

The science is clear that the prenatal to age three period profoundly affects a child’s future learning, behavior and well-being. However, these early years often bring substantial challenges for families […]

Early Education (P-3)K-12 Postsecondary

Jan. 16, 2024

How ECS Can Support Your 2024 Legislative Session

The new year brings new opportunities for us at Education Commission of the States to support your efforts to create and strengthen education policies for your state! To kick this […]

Early Education (P-3)K-12

Jan. 11, 2024

Early Grade Literacy: Is Third Grade Retention Effective?

In 2023, 14 governors noted the importance of literacy in their State of the State addresses. Ten governors specifically highlighted efforts to improve early grade literacy for kindergarten through third […]

K-12

Dec. 19, 2023

The Road to Attendance: Chronic Absenteeism and School Bus Driver Shortages

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 […]

K-12

Dec. 7, 2023

How Can States Support Immigrant Students’ Education?

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 […]

K-12 Postsecondary

Nov. 9, 2023

How Will 2023 Election Results Impact Education Policy?

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 […]

K-12

Oct. 31, 2023

Addressing School Principal Preparation at the State Level

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, […]

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Michigan’s Caring for MI Future Through Expanded Child Care Access

Paying for College: The Latest Trends in Performance-Based Funding

Expanding Education Access for Justice-Impacted Students

How Carnegie Classification Updates Could Affect State Higher Education Policy

Keeping Students Safe: Designing Policies and Practices That Work

Building Comprehensive Prenatal-to-3 Systems of Care in States

How ECS Can Support Your 2024 Legislative Session

Early Grade Literacy: Is Third Grade Retention Effective?

The Road to Attendance: Chronic Absenteeism and School Bus Driver Shortages

How Can States Support Immigrant Students’ Education?

How Will 2023 Election Results Impact Education Policy?

Addressing School Principal Preparation at the State Level