For Immediate Release: May 17, 2016

Contact: Renee Rybak Lang, renee.lang@nasbe.org, 703-740-4841

NASBE Launches Online State Policy Database of College, Career, and Civic Readiness Regulations Governing Education Systems across the United States

Alexandria, Va. – The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is pleased to announce the launch of its State Policy Database, an online collection of regulations and practices that govern state education systems in all states and US territories. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) shifts decision making power back to the states on such things as school improvement, teacher evaluation, and state summative assessments. But few people know who in each state actually gets to make those decisions. In many cases, it is the state board of education. As ESSA implementation gets under way, NASBE’s new database can help education stakeholders navigate important changes in state policy.

NASBE’s database covers key college, career, and civic readiness policies: state academic standards, student assessment requirements, and policies affecting educator effectiveness, such as professional program standards and licensure requirements. In the months to come, it will incorporate policy areas such as education data privacy, school discipline, and health.

What makes NASBE’s database unique is its focus on issues that fall under the authority of state boards of education. Drawn completely from public sources, the NASBE State Policy Database allows users to search, scan, and filter policies by state, topic, keyword, and implementing and adopting authority, making it much easier to find information about a specific state, compare a set of states or issues, and verify who holds authority in a given issue area. Access to information like this is important for anyone seeking greater understanding of education policymaking at the state level.

“States’ biggest policy decisions require them to balance multiple factors,” says NASBE Executive Director Kristen Amundson. “NASBE’s new policy database is designed to help state policymakers learn from each other’s policies. Having a clear understanding of state laws and regulations governing the education system can help all policy actors—be it the state board, department of education, legislature, or governor—assess their role in the process and find ways to work collaboratively and efficiently to ensure all students receive a world-class education. ”

Visit NASBE’s State Policy Database at http://statepolicies.nasbe.org/.