Editor’s note: In a two-part series last week, Tom Greene, national legislative director for ExcelinEd in Action, reflected that the release of NAEP scores in late October came with a nationwide lament about the failings of the country’s K-12 education system, long-term pandemic disruptions, school closures and other challenges.
Those in the education policy space, Greene noted, know that the relentless push for improvement has never wavered, and that actions were ongoing long before the release of NAEP scores. Here are 10 policy changes already in the works that Greene says are offering foundational and innovative solutions that can help modernize education and turn around low student performance confirmed by NAEP.
Early literacy
With learning loss front and center, state policymakers invested hundreds of millions of dollars in early literacy improvements. They created or expanded programs such as teacher trainings, specialized supports for struggling readers and updated classroom resources to help close learning gaps.
Fifteen states passed comprehensive early literacy policies grounded in the science of reading: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and—notably—Alaska, which passed its landmark Alaska Reads Act with bipartisan support after a nearly decade-long effort.
Sweeping education funding reform
Tennessee took the lead in transforming per-pupil spending by passing sweeping reforms to the state’s overall school funding system. Under this plan, money follows the student to all public schools and includes substantial funding weights for low-income students.
The plan also provides funding for early literacy, financial rewards for school excellence and incentives to districts that offer high-value career and technical education.
Strengthening education to workforce pathways
Many states in 2022, most noticeably Mississippi, had strong bipartisan support to help students build skills for postsecondary achievement, especially in high-demand industries. State policymakers unanimously passed the Comprehensive Career and Technical Education (CTE) Reform Act to improve CTE programs and streamline industry-recognized certification.
It includes a workforce audit, career coaching for students and an annual CTE program inventory with return-on-investment analysis to align offerings with business and industry needs. Other states are already taking note.
Rethinking the teacher pipeline
In a groundbreaking action, Indiana became the first state in the nation this year to adopt a policy to give more instructional options to teachers. This new law creates a study to develop a first-of-its-kind chartered teachers policy, which allows parents to enter into agreements with public school teachers to provide customized learning environments for students.
Several other states, including Arizona, Idaho and Oklahoma, took actions to help fill teacher shortages by providing improvements in training, licensing flexibility and adjunct teacher support.
Modernizing education with 21st century skills
Florida adopted financial literacy as a high school graduation requirement, with all high school students required to pass a financial literacy course to receive a diploma. The legislation will empower an estimated 190,000 students a year with 21st-century life skills, starting with students who enter high school in the 2023-24 school year.
Equal funding for charter schools
State leaders are taking action to ensure all public schools are treated equally when it comes to funding. For the first time, Missouri charter schools will receive the same per-pupil funding as traditional public schools. The new funding model directs districts to allocate more funding to each charter school within their jurisdiction to bring them up to the level of traditional public schools. Florida and Georgia increased funding to charter schools to support their facility needs, and Kentucky created a new funding system to direct federal, state and local dollars to charter schools.
| Empowering parents through microgrants
Microgrants continue to grow in popularity to provide direct funding to parents for a range of academic and enrichment activities that support the educational needs of their children. This year, Indiana and Idaho stepped up with microgrant and scholarship programs. Together, the two states have invested $75 million in microgrants and scholarships to provide students with tutoring, devices, connectivity and other resources for learning. Establishing universal school choice In groundbreaking action, Arizona became the first state in the nation to pass legislation to create a universal Education Scholarship Account program, making more than 1.1 million students eligible to use a scholarship toward tuition or fees, supplemental education materials, tutoring and other educational services. Closing the transportation gap Arizona again became a model for states expanding an innovative program that modernizes transportation options and provides more flexibility to transport students to and from the public school of their choice. Florida and Indiana also passed laws to expand transportation options for students, and Colorado established a targeted microgrant program for parents to help with school transportation. Expanding flexibility for learners Kansas passed legislation to create new enrollment options for schools and students, allowing public and charter schools to serve more children, including those in home school and private school. Students can now enroll part-time in any public school to access courses they need. Read more in ExcelinEd in Action’s 2022 Legislative Impact-In Brief highlighting student-centered programs in states around the nation.
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