Great organizations have a clear sense of what they want to accomplish and how they are going to get there. For state boards of education, this vision and roadmap are typically articulated in a strategic plan. The best plans are living documents that guide state board actions or multiple years; lesser plans gather dust. What separates the two? The…

When the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) began rethinking Career and Technical Education (CTE) in Nebraska in the early 2000s, it first developed the Nebraska Career Education Model to provide a framework for career awareness and for structuring CTE courses and programs. The model defined six major career fields: agriculture, food, and…

Writing is a cornerstone in the K-12 experience. Students write to demonstrate, support, and deepen understanding of themselves, their relationships, and their world--and to succeed on achievement tests in all subjects. Writing proficiency sets students up for postsecondary success and workforce participation. It facilitates their social and civic…

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) and the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are deeply committed to ensuring that every student in the state has access to a high-quality education, and they have combined this commitment with an openness to innovation. After just one year of School…

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) gives state boards of education a tremendous opportunity to revamp education policy. The federal government will have dramatically reduced influence over issues related to standards and accountability systems. States will have increased freedom to revise state standards and assessment systems, change the…

Parents, educators, advocates, and state policymakers alike want excellence in teaching and learning every day for every educator and student. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) gives states renewed authority as well as leverage to make this vision a reality. The role of state boards of education in this process cannot be underestimated. State…

One of the core priorities of the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), articulated in its most recent strategic plan, focuses on educator capacity. In 2012, BESE passed new program approval standards for educator preparation programs across the state. The standards ushered in new expectations for the 80 sponsoring…

This article addresses West Virginia's public schools, and their long struggle with student achievement levels in reading and math. Levels are significantly below the national average and there are poverty-based achievement gaps within the state. In 2013, a cross section of educators and education policy leaders from a range of experiences,…

The "Race to the Top" competitive grant program initiated a wave of teacher evaluation reform, which scholars and policymakers have long identified as critical to improving teacher quality and student performance. State boards of education (SBEs) and state education agencies (SEAs) took different approaches to these reforms, and as a…

Bill Thompson, Director of Facilities for Lockport Township High School in Illinois, first considered starting a green cleaning program after his janitors became dizzy when using a traditional chemical floor stripper. Thompson started introducing green products gradually at Lockport Township High, and now almost all of the cleaning agents used at…

Teachers, principals, superintendents and school board members must be vigilant. The race is on to ready their schools for more rigorous standards that demand new kinds of teaching and computer-based testing. They have two years to complete the necessary professional development, upgrade and expand their technology infrastructure, and prepare…

Implementation of Common Core State Standards (CCSS), now adopted in a large majority of states, requires significant support. To realize the potential of these new college- and career-ready standards, states must focus significant attention on how to prepare educators for implementation. Key among the strategies is high-quality, sustained…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) represent an unparalleled opportunity for students with disabilities. But this opportunity will be realized only if states, districts, and schools approach the implementation of these standards with forethought and careful planning, particularly for students with disabilities. The CCSS were developed for all…