State education agencies (SEAs) play a unique and essential role in supporting schools and school districts as they develop prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery protocols for their emergency operations plans (EOPs). With input from a broad array of stakeholders and experts, SEAs are positioned to aid schools and school…

This resource provides a national comparison of state policies and activities related to secondary career and technical education (CTE). The entities or agencies where states house their CTE directors include K-12, postsecondary, workforce and independent CTE agencies. "Which Entity Houses the State CTE Director? 50-State Comparison:…

When the COVID-19 pandemic drove schools online in March 2020, state education leaders were left without access to data needed to understand how best to support students. The pandemic revealed the strengths and limitations of state education data systems while inspiring new strategies for collecting, reporting and using data. In 2021, DataSmith…

As part of its effort to make universal prekindergarten (UPK) available to four-year-olds, California has recently expanded transitional kindergarten (TK) in its public schools. TK will be a full pre-K grade level in all districts by the 2025-26 school year. Other states that seek to broaden access to early care and education (ECE) can learn…

The Multistate Longitudinal Data Exchange (MLDE) facilitates data sharing between states from K-12 education, higher education, and labor agencies. Its goal is to provide practitioners, policymakers, and researchers with a comprehensive data source to understand educational and career trajectories, including how these trajectories can cross state…

This qualitative dissertation examines how teacher preparation programs take up policy messages from two state agencies. These questions guided the study: (1) What are the messages about RTI and MTSS from the California Department of Education [CDE] and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing [CCTC]; and (2) How are RtI and MTSS taken…

Background: In this study, we describe state agency strategies to support weight-related policy implementation in schools, and examine the association among state support, obesity prevalence, and strength of state policies governing school nutrition and physical education. Methods: The 2012 School Health Policies and Practices Study describes…

For decades, the regulations attached to federal education funds have shaped the forms and functions of state education agencies (SEAs), especially as state funding for these agencies has stagnated or diminished. In fact, the relationship between the SEA and the state's districts and schools has been colored by the strong tint of federal…

CEELO convened a series of focus groups and conducted a national survey of state early childhood education agency staff, in partnership with the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education. Data for this report was collected from May through September 2018 in focus groups and a national survey of state…

The Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes' (CEELO) mission is to strengthen the capacity of State Education Agencies and state Early Learning Agencies to lead sustained improvements in early learning opportunities and outcomes. These agencies have authority to establish and implement policies, administer funding and provide oversight for…

Signed into law in December 2015, the Every Student Suceeds Act (ESSA) offers state education agencies significant opportunities to use evidence to support the improvement of schools and ensure better outcomes for all students. ESSA replaces the law, regulations, and guidance established through the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), but two…

Through this capstone, I explore the unique dynamics I encountered in the Delaware Department of Education during the department's final year as a federal Race to the Top grant recipient. This document describes my intended work for the department, culminating in a two-year strategic plan. The goal of my theory of action was to ensure that the…

Improving learning outcomes for all young children requires skilled and knowledgeable leaders who are disposed to effectively promote early care and education program and system goals. Yet, state early education administrators--those responsible for overseeing pre-Kindergarten policies and programs--vary in their leadership competencies. To…

About 13 percent of children aged 3 through 21 enrolled in public schools received special education services in school year 2015-16, and about 3 percent of children from birth through age 2 received special education services. Concerns about the difficulties identifying and evaluating children for special education have been raised by the media,…

Improving learning outcomes for all young children requires skilled and knowledgeable leaders with the capacity to effectively promote early care and education programs and systems. To do so, administrators must be able to work within government to improve policy and promote policy implementation at scale in local communities. In many states,…