This guidance is intended to assist State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools in understanding, implementing, and expanding preschool programs supported with funds under Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). This non-regulatory guidance has been revised to…

Interdisciplinary research provides new insight beyond a singular epistemological and methodological framework. Such collaboration can help increase readership outside a narrow disciplinary angle. Likewise, working with scholars outside one's field can help address new questions using a multidimensional approach. However, working within an…

A growing number of states are launching community school initiatives to ensure family and community engagement, provide enriched and expanded learning, and offer integrated supports for students. Several states are providing technical assistance to support the high-quality implementation of community schools, either through the state education…

While U.S. voters delivered a significant change in the 2024 federal elections, they opted for steady leadership at the state level. No state board of education shifted in partisan control, and only five seats saw a shift in political party out of 27 races that were contested in the general election. This policy update looks at the results of…

Far too often, conversations about diversifying the teacher pipeline are left to district and school leaders. Conversely, too little conversation is grounded in the kinds of policy changes at the state level that are foundational to giving local and district leaders the tools to attract, recruit, and retain a diverse teacher workforce. This…

The federal American Rescue Plan Act's (ARP) ESSER III aid requirements include a new maintenance of equity (MOEquity) provision for state educational agencies (SEAs) and local educational agencies (LEAs). MOEquity provisions ensure, "if funding reductions are needed," that state and local per-pupil funding is not disproportionately…

The Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) is the third piece of legislation Congress has enacted to provide economic relief in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. The first two pieces of legislation provided relief for small businesses, money for COVID-19 testing, funding for unemployment benefits, and nutritional assistance.…

The New Mexico Public Education Department's (PED) mission is to ensure all students in New Mexico receive the education they deserve and that students are prepared for college, career, and lifelong learning. To do this, the department is focused on supporting sustained learning and outreach to districts, charter schools, tribal education…

State early childhood administrators are planning to strategically invest the federal appropriations in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) to address disruptions in children's care and learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. State leaders must consider how this one-time funding can be used effectively while understanding the context around…

The purpose of this document is to answer frequently asked questions related to the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) program under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA Act), Pub. L. No. 116-260 (December 27, 2020) (CRRSA EANS) and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP Act), Pub. L.…

State and local education agencies have been provided $176.3 billion of funding through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER II and ESSER III), which is a one-time funding opportunity to strengthen and support the educator workforce so that educator shortages do not continue to plague our nation's schools. In a recent…

Imagine a public K-12 school system where Native students and communities can thrive. The Washington Tribal Education Sovereignty then Justice Toolkit is designed to support Tribal leaders engaging in consultation and government-to-government communication with local and state education agencies. The toolkit includes: Part 1: Applying educational…

Many state funding programs are intended to reach directly to students, but in reality funds must go through school districts, which have considerable freedom in how they allocate resources. As such, states have a strong interest in ensuring that districts invest in strategies that are backed by evidence and create opportunity for all students.…

Through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), states received an amount of federal funds to address the educational needs of students during and after the pandemic. The stimulus funds created both opportunities and challenges for state educational agencies (SEAs). This brief highlights how the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) has used several…

States across the country are urgently building and initiating systems to improve schools, including those identified as low-performing under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). With their state ESSA plans approved by the U.S. Department of Education in 2017-2018, state education agencies (SEAs) are moving forward to carry out the vision,…