Education Issues Overview
States provide more funding for education than any other government service. NCSL's Education Program has an abundance of information on education policy issues, including No Child Left Behind (NCLB), education finance and teacher quality. In addition, the Education Program provides a one-of-its-kind Legislative Education Summary Service (LESS) and hosts the Legislative Education Staff Network (LESN) and the Education Chairs Network (ECN).
No Child Left Behind Act was signed by President Bush in January 2002 and greatly expanded the federal role in education. At the heart of the law lies an ambitious goal of annually increasing student performance, or adequate yearly progress (AYP), so children are proficient by the 2013-2014 school year. NCSL tracks state activity around implementing NCLB and provides resources and articles on the law's impact and links to state accountability plans.
Education Finance is the largest expenditure for states across the country. K-12 education accounts for approximately 23 percent of all state expenditures, and higher education accounts for an additional 12 percent. Even with the substantial investments in education, the issue over the adequacy of funding is at the forefront of education reform, with many of the debates ending in education finance litigation.
Teacher Quality is the contemporary education issue in many states. Research increasingly demonstrates the important influence of teacher quality in student performance, and state policymakers are beginning to reexamine policies that affect the state teaching corps. State legislatures across the country have revamped teacher preparation and licensure requirements to ensure that they are performance-based; established recruitment programs that provide scholarships, forgivable loans or signing bonuses; and funded additional professional development opportunities for teachers.
Higher Education Affordability and Access provides up-to-date information on the latest legislation, reports and news stories in such areas as college affordability, affirmative action, and college tuition and undocumented immigrants. In addition, sign-up to be added to the mailing list and receive monthly updates on the latest developments affecting colleges and universities.
Legislative Tracking Database provides an overview on education bills enacted in a variety of subjects. Users can search on individual states or issues areas.
Legislative Education Staff Network: Co-sponsored by NCSL and the Education Commission of the States (ECS), LESN provides professional development and networking opportunities for education staff through a web page, listserve, newsletter, meetings and seminars.
Education Chairs Network: A joint effort of NCSL and the Education of the States (ECS), the network provides chairs of education committees a forum to discuss current policy trends through a web page, listserve, newsletter and an annual seminar.
Education Standing Committee studies federal and state education issues, shares information with state legislators and provides a forum for discussion between legislators and legislative staff.
Other areas and popular documents on our site include information on school leadership, high school reform, charter schools, governance and much more. Access the Education Program's A-Z page for more information.
Staff for the Education Program includes Julie Davis Bell, Director; Lamar Bailey, Michelle Exstrom, Heather Grinager, Barbara Houlik, Sunny Deye, Erica Mancha Cordova, Jennifer Stedron, Robert Strange, Carlos Valverde, Sara Vitaska, in the Denver office. David Shreve, in the DC office, handles state-federal issues. Julie Davis Bell and David Shreve staff the Education Standing Committee. |
