Sec. Duncan urges state board members to ditch textbooks, communicate better about standards and tests; Ind. State Board of Educaton to vote on new English, math standards; Tenn. legislature considers separating student test scores from teachers’ evaluations, licenses; and more…   View Full Post

Maryland Board asks feds for delay in using test scores for teacher evaluations; Nevada State Board lowers math cut scores; bill to create nonpartisan, direct elections for Utah State Board advances; and more…   View Full Post

Florida Board of Education adopts common core modifications; Missouri State Board of Education takes financial control of unaccredited district; Kansas bill would limit the collection of student data; and more…   View Full Post

W.Va considers five-year limit on state board school takeovers; FCC to double funding for school, library broadband program; Nevada state board votes to lower cut scores on math exams; more…   View Full Post

Md. State Board of Education approves new student discipline regs., makes suspensions a last resort; Ore. delays decision on common core textbooks for 2 years; Ill. State Board seeking $1B increase in state education funding; more…   View Full Post

Should Ala. education board members attend meetings electronically?  Ill. drops proposal to eliminate class size caps for students with disabilities; Florida State Board of Education considers changes to Common Core standards; more….   View Full Post

Iowa state board to consider 3rd-grade reading mandate; Nebraska’s ed. board revises public-comment rules; Not all states receptive to computer-only GED; NASBE offers members new online strategic planning tool; more…   View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Alabama adopts measure to count computer science as math credit; Utah leaders weigh expanding computer courses; $120M in Race to the Top grants go to 5 school groups; more… View Full Post

In this week’s NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Kansas State Board chooses assessments developed at Kansas University; Nebraska board considers standards for fine arts; Wisconsin proposal calls for daily exercise in elementary schools; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Rhode Island State Board may be re-reorganized; North Carolina court rules virtual charters require state board approval; Weight of student test scores on teacher evaluations could drop in Ohio; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Utah state board gives lawmakers its list of priorities; Texas on path to drop algebra II as requirement for most graduates; Virginia to issue letter grades to schools; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Alabama State Board replaces NCLB-era graduation exam; Massachusetts to phase in Common Core-aligned exams; States work to improve students’ reading ability by 3rd grade; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Kansas State Board wants cost estimates before voting on new tests; What grade should mean passing for the performance-based teacher license?; School districts push back against pressure to cut recess; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: State board in California approves alternative science plan for middle schools; Oklahoma board releases school letter grades; Alabama looks at moving to digital textbooks; NASBE poll question, “How should financial literacy content be linked to high school graduation requirements? “; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Virginia State Board approves improvement plan for struggling district; State board in Indiana mulls changes to school grading system; Michigan may replace school rating by colors with letter grades; CDC issues guidance for handling food allergies in schools; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Kansas State Board discusses education financing with the state legislature; Florida board holds Common Core hearings; Educators take a new look at viability of tablets in schools; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: South Carolina board opposes end to class-size limits; Wyoming State Board of Education stands up for the Common Core; Maryland using Facebook to help combat cyberbullying; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: South Dakota State Board of Education allows district control over teacher evaluations; Indiana State Board revisits school grading system; Utah using social media as Common Core professional learning tool for educators; NASBE launches new series with a brief on Social-Emotional Learning; more…   View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Maryland State Board of Education moves to continue with state assessments; Mississippi State Board chooses a new superintendent; Massachusetts prepares for trial of online, Common Core-aligned exams; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Education SmartBrief: Florida State Board elevates interim commissioner to permanent status; State board in Pennsylvania adopt common standards; U.S. Education Department issues guidance on Common Core-aligned assessments; more…   View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Washington State Board approves first county request for charter schools; California SBOE to replace state exams ahead of Common Core; New Virginia law allows for state-operated district for struggling schools; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: California State Board adopts the Next Generation Science Standards; New York schools now have authority to address cyberbullying; Some standardized tests take on different meaning in Minnesota; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Process for electing state board could undergo changes in Utah; New high-school diploma approved by state board in Colorado; Report highlights transition to common core assessments; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Missouri State Board approves changes in oversight of struggling schools; Tennessee links teacher licenses to student test scores; Almost two-thirds of Americans have never heard of the Common Core State Standards; Pennsylvania gets NCLB waiver; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Kansas State Board addresses concerns over student privacy; Ohio state board may investigate cursive writing standards; Utah links some school funding to students’ reading proficiency; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Utah State Board votes to transfer management of education trust; Florida board hires an interim state chief; Iowa State Board rejects stricter school start-date proposal; Eight California districts get NCLB waivers; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Iowa State Board weighs new rules on early start waivers; National Teacher of the Year poses questions at NASBE conference about the future of education; Indiana governor pulls state out of PARCC consortium; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Indiana state board halts change to third-grade reading exam; South Dakota state board endorses school-counseling system; Proposal would overhaul teacher evaluations in Michigan; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Florida state board adopts temporary changes to school grading system; Washington State Board of Education recommends adopting new science standards; Michigan prepares to implement common core; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Kansas State Board asks  lawmakers to increase education spending by 20 percent; Half of states to take Duncan’s offer to delay of teacher-rating systems; Accessibility of common core tests identified as concern of federal panel; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: High-stakes tests to get second look by Rhode Island State Board of Education; Indiana State Board of Education seeks to guarantee funding for takeover schools; Resource aims to make Next Generation Science Standards accessible to all; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Vermont and Maryland state boards adopt the Next Generation Science Standards; Tennessee board approves new teacher pay plan; U.S. Education Department issues guidance on pregnant, parenting students; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Florida state board calls for review of school grading system; Missouri board asks preschools for voluntary student assessments; Which areas of the U.S. have the highest high school graduation rates?; more… View Full Post

This Week in the State Ed SmartBrief: Kansas State Board of Education approves Next Generation Science Standards; North Carolina State Board adopts new rules with three paths to graduation; Utah State Board calls for legislative session to deal with school grading system; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Kentucky State Board of Education adopts the Next Generation Science Standards; New Jersey takes over Camden City schools; Senate Democrats offer NCLB reauthorization bill; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Wyoming State Board of Education considers education director choices; State Board in Virginia looks at testing waiver applications; Data show increased enrollment in advanced math and science classes; Court rules Colorado does not have to change its funding formula; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Maryland State Board of Education adopts new policies to protect students from head injuries; State board in Massachusetts supports conditions for charter expansion; Three more states get NCLB waivers; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Colorado adopts new competency-based graduation requirements; Utah State Board of Education calls on lawmakers to support common core; Is E-Rate outdated?; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: The North Carolina State Board approved the addition of a special seal on high school diplomas indicating the student’s college or career readiness; The West Virginia State Board return full control to the McDowell County school board, more than 10 years since the state took over the […]

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: New Jersey State Board of Education reduces weight of test scores in teacher evaluations; West Virginia board starts to tackle how to implement new education laws; NIEER report finds pre-k funding is in decline; South Dakota to reexamine state education funding formula; more… View Full Post

This Week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Maryland State Board updates its school safety guidelines; State Board in Mississippi includes graduation rates to school grading system; Indiana bill cuts teaching license from requirements for superintendents; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Connecticut State Board raises teacher training standards; Kansas State Board adopts new social studies standards; States work together to address concerns about new GED diploma; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Utah State Board advances cursive writing policy; President’s budget emphasizes pre-k, STEM; Districts buying tablets for students instead of PCs; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Virginia State Board of Ed approves new special education diploma rule; Tennessee raises the bar for honors distinction; Oregon bill would ban seclusion rooms; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Oklahoma State Board may make it easier for native-language teachers to gain licensure to teach their languages; Maine extends AP class access online; Indiana voucher program upheld by state’s top court; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Utah moves ahead with plan to change assessments; Engineers’ report declares U.S. schools need $270 billion in physical plant upgrades; State chiefs tell Duncan district waivers would cause conflicts; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Kansas State Board tells governor, lawmakers, that it has sole education policymaking authority in face of legislative opposition to Common Core standards; Nebraska State Board votes to take a second look at the Common Core, which it has not joined; Ohio board names governor’s education adviser the new state […]

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: NJ State Board of Education unveils teacher and principal evaluation system; Board in Ohio trims choice for state chief to two candidates; State teacher evaluation plans slow to receive federal approvals; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Massachusetts State Board places one of Boston’s oldest charters on probation; Georgia board, governor remove local school board members; Thousands of teaching jobs may be lost to sequestration; Teachers call for greater support with common core; more… View Full Post 

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: State Board in Ohio nearly set to choose new chief; Alabama state board renews superintendent’s contract; Indiana lawmakers consider bill to make state school takeovers easier; more… View Full Post

This week in the State Ed SmartBrief: Kansas State Board of Education adopts new seclusion and restraint rules; State board in North Carolina calls for end to corporal punishment; Test scores get additional weight in some Maryland teacher evaluations; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Wyoming state board starts search for state chief; Third-graders’ reading ability a legislative target in 32 states; more… View Full Post

This Week in the State Ed SmartBrief: Missouri State Board of Education outlines 2013 priorities; Tennessee may limit virtual charter enrollment; U.S Department of Education guidance: Schools must make “reasonable modifications” for students with disabilities seeking to compete in after-school sports; more… View Full Post

This week in the State Ed SmartBrief: Illinois State Board of Education looks at raising cut scores on assessments; Maryland State Board to update student discipline policies; New Hampshire education board maintains new charter school moratorium; more… View Full Post

This week in the State Ed SmartBrief: State Board of Ohio adopts new rules on seclusion and restraint; Kansas state board considers new accreditation requirements; New Congress faces backlog of education bills; more… View Full Post

This week in the State Ed SmartBrief: Washington State Board of Education sets hearing date on charter rules; Rhode Island governor nominates 9 to newly constituted state board of regents;  California officials want to suspend some exams; more… View Full Post

This week in the NASBE State Ed SmartBrief: Kansas State Board faces a packed agenda; Indiana State Board approves special education at a taken-over school; New York districts prepare for teacher evaluation overhaul; more… View Full Post

In the last State Ed SmartBrief of 2012: Mississippi State Board approves rules for charter schools; PARCC issues technology standards to help with common core assessments; See results from our year-end poll question – What do you think is the biggest education issue going into 2013? View Full Post

This week in the State Ed SmartBrief: Florida State Board of Ed. chooses departing Indiana chief for new commissioner;  Kansas State Board adopts handwriting standards; Nebraska board approves social studies standards; more… View Full Post

This week in the SmartBrief: Indiana state board approves alternative teacher certification plan; Hawaii board questions student transportation overhaul; Five States launch extended learning time pilot; NASBE releases 2012 study group report Born in Another Time: Ensuring Educational Technology Meets the Needs of Students Today – and Tomorrow; more…   View Full Post

The NASBE State Ed SmartBrief is up! Missouri State Board of Ed. extends oversight of long-struggling district; Kansas board to review report on elementary science education; Wyoming may delay implementation of teacher evaluation system; more… View Full Post

This week in the State Ed SmartBrief: Michigan State Board of Education recommended changes to a bill that would place “failing” schools taken over by the Education Achievement Authority under the authority of the governor instead of the state board; Idaho State Board repeals measure to require online learning as graduation requirement; South Carolina board […]

This week in the State Ed SmartBrief: Georgia State Board warns online charter about special education student instruction; Kansas State Board looks at defining college- and career-ready; Wyoming State Board petitions legislature for delay in reform implementation; more…   View Full Post

This week in the State Ed SmartBrief: Vermont State Board of Education picks three finalists for state chief; North Carolina moves to replace its student information system; Education initiatives had mixed results in election; more… View Full Post  

Virginia State Board adopts plan to close math achievement gap; Illinois releases school report cards; Five states seek early learning grants; more… View Full Post

Elections could bring changes to many state boards; Idaho’s laptop initiative hits snag; Expanded cyberbullying law to take effect in North Carolina; more… View Full Post

The NASBE State Ed SmartBrief is up! Kentucky SBOE hears testimony on restraint and seclusion; New Hampshire state board places moratorium on new charter schools; Have you checked out the new issue of the NASBE State Education Standard “Implementing the Common Core”?; more…   View Full Post

The SmartBrief is up! Missouri State Board revokes Normandy district’s accreditation; Kansas State Board approves council to coordinate P-16 education; Connecticut task force looks to curb special ed. costs; more…   View Full Post

NASBE State Ed SmartBrief is up! Ohio state board sets 3rd grade reading benchmark; North Carolina board approves 25 new charter schools; Virginia to revise school accountability system to meet terms of NCLB waiver; more…   View Full Post

NASBE State Ed SmartBrief is up! California State Board to decide fate of 8th grade algebra; Connecticut state board approves funding for pre-k tuition at magnet schools; Almost 900 districts apply for Race to the Top grants; New Hampshire to apply for NCLB waiver; more…   View Full Post

South Dakota State Board approves school accountability system; Arizona links teacher pay to student test scores; Poll question – Should the traditional school calendar with a long summer break be replaced by year-round schooling with shorter breaks spread through the year?   View Full Post

Vermont State Board Seeks Chief Candidates; Ohio Delays Release of School Report Cards; Race to the Top Rule Changes; Teacher Evaluation Laws Compared; more…   View Full Post

The latest in state education policy news from across the country, featuring this week’s poll question “Should common standards be developed for all subject areas?”

The NASBE State Ed SmartBrief now posted.