Background: The need for cross-sector collaborations to implement system-level improvements in early childhood care and education brings increased demand for comprehensive and practicable means of evaluating such collaborations. Objective: This mixed-methods study evaluates a statewide collaboration formed to develop a strategic plan for a…

Educators and researchers often think of program design and program evaluation as separate endeavors, even intentionally creating a firewall between them. But what if designers and evaluators worked together, combining their insights to strengthen both the program and the study of it? In the work of evaluating a statewide professional learning…

Utah Leading through Effective, Actionable, and Dynamic (ULEAD) Education is required to report on successful K-12 practices in Utah and other states and propose policy changes to remove barriers to implementation successful practices. These practices should result from ULEAD's innovative research reports and repository development. There have…

Registered Apprenticeship and secondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs share the common goal of providing students with hands-on training paired with technical, classroom instruction to prepare them for living wage, in-demand careers. When these systems are aligned, they can strengthen one another through a reciprocal relationship.…

To support state education agency (SEA) leaders in establishing a statewide vision for serving the whole person, WestEd drafted and piloted the guide, "Serving the Whole Person: An Alignment and Coherence Guide for State Education Agencies," in collaboration with several SEAs. This case story describes Delaware Department of Education…

In 2020, AUCD and the Think College National Coordinating Center (NCC) conducted a national survey that examined how individual DD Councils were supporting postsecondary education for students with IDD at the state level. As this brief explains, DD Councils in many states deliver diverse forms of support, including direct funding for programs,…

This arts-based inquiry explores historical and contemporary configurations of state-sponsored transnational teachers, or those who teach overseas in programs that are financially and/or programmatically supported by their home government. In the U.S., some examples of state-sponsored transnational teaching programs include the Peace Corps, the…

This brief explores the lessons learned from the 2016 Parents and Children Thriving Together: Two-Generation State Policy Network (PACTT Network), a collaboration between the National Governors Association (NGA) and the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). Through this initiative, five states explored how to use the two-generation approach to…

This Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Nutrition Education (SNAP-Ed) Plan Guidance" provides instructions for developing and submitting State nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program plans, commonly referred to as State SNAP-Ed Plans. It describes Food and Nutrition Service (FNS)…

An abundance of opportunities to innovate in public education have emerged post-pandemic and the rules for defining how schooling works are up for grabs like never before. Yet, school districts are struggling to keep teachers on the job and schools open, much less address the mental health and academic toll of the pandemic. How can school systems…

A response to Stosich et al.'s (2018) article reviewing ways in which states have taken up performance assessments, this commentary seeks to extend the focus and use of performance assessments to preservice teacher education. As such, the authors describe statewide initiatives in New Hampshire that are working to integrate performance assessments…

This Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) Plan Guidance provides instructions to SNAP-Ed State and implementing agencies for developing and submitting State nutrition education and obesity prevention grant program plans, commonly referred to as State SNAP-Ed Plans, and preparing and submitting the…

In 2018, state leaders in Maine determined that their efforts to support children and their families were hampered by the lack of coordination among key stakeholders--early education and care providers, public school educators, and health and social services providers. Addressing these challenges would require new forms of collaboration both among…

The State of Maryland has always prided itself on being a leader in higher education. In 2012, the Career and College Readiness and College Completion Act (CCRCCA) set an ambitious goal: that 55% of Marylanders would have at least one degree by 2025. Reaching this goal requires increasing college access and completion across a wide variety of…

Education Commission of the States (ECS) researched Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) policies in all states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to provide this comprehensive resource. States create their SLDS through a variety of means. The main methods examined in this 50-State Comparison are: statute/legislation, executive order,…