As cross-sector collaborations of education, government, business, and community leaders, state P-16 councils aim to better align educational institutions from preschool through postsecondary. As of spring 2008, 38 states had established a P-16 council, with Louisiana and Pennsylvania each having two such bodies. Some councils, however, appear to be exerting more influence on their states’ policies than are others. The Education Commission of the States profiled those 40 councils and found that only 22 councils had contributed to education policy changes. In Diplomas Count 2008,, the EPE Research Center analyzed those results and classified policy changes into nine different categories. Changes were most often documented in the areas of aligning standard and assessments and improving teacher quality and preparation (eight states each). Changes in workforce and economic development, dual-enrollment, and early-learning programs were the least likely to be observed. Although policy changes were found for only about half of councils, it should be noted that many councils have been established quite recently. The rapid pace of P-16 initiatives suggests that other councils may be showing such results in the coming years.
For more state-by-state data on P-16 councils and other topics, search the EPE Research Center’s Education Counts database.
