This blog covered state education policy, tracking governors, legislatures, state schools chiefs, and political developments. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: state policy, state legislatures, state superintendents, and governors.
Budget & Finance
Mich. Gov. Snyder Unveils Plan to Split Governance of Detroit Schools
The plan from Snyder would make the current district responsible only for paying off its debt, while new entities would be responsible for overseeing education.
States
N.J. Officials Strike Preliminary Deal Over PARCC's Weight in Teacher Evaluations
The use of test scores in teacher evaluations continues to be a controversial issue in many states, and New Jersey could soon agree to reduce the weight of PARCC scores in the 2015-16 evaluations.
States
Special Session for School Funding Begins in Washington State
The Washington state Supreme Court has said that if lawmakers don't dramatically overhaul and increase K-12 spending in their 2015-17 budget, the justices could impose financial sanctions.
States
Nev. Vendor: American Institutes for Research at Fault for Testing Disruptions
The American Institutes for Research has emerged as major player in recent years in the increasingly competitive world of state assessments.
Standards & Accountability
Colorado K-12 Chief Announces Retirement Amid State Board Shift
State board elections in 2014 led to new members and new tension between Commissioner Robert Hammond and board members, including over the common core and aligned tests.
States
Mississippi Veto Shows States' Diverse Political Responses to Common Core
In vetoing a review, Gov. Phil Bryant said he could not let it "become law under the guise that it would lead to the demise of common core."
States
Common-Core Exam Leaked in N.Y. as Media Tracks Testing Opt-Outs
According to the New York Post, portions of New York state's English/language arts test were posted Wednesday on a Facebook group called "Education is a Journey, Not a Race."
States
Bills to Repeal Common Core Hit Roadblocks; Will Reviews Satisfy Foes?
Common-core-repeal bills are failing widely in state legislatures this year, but will bills to review the standards fare any better?
School Choice & Charters
Tax-Credit Scholarships Get OK From Texas Senate; House to Follow?
Although the Texas Senate has approved the bill, the Texas House of Representatives has historically been hostile to private school choice legislation.
States
Pa. Court Dismisses Districts' Challenge to State School Funding System
The six districts and other plaintiffs claimed in the suit that the state had given students academic standards to meet, but not the resources to do so.
States
PARCC Opt-Outs Raise Question About Score Validity
There are two testing windows for PARCC, one of two assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards. What implications does that have for students who might opt out?
Budget & Finance
Washington Teachers Plan Strikes to Protest State K-12 Funding Proposals
Teachers in the Evergreen State say lawmakers aren't doing enough to satisfy a voter-approved initiative to cut class size and meet other K-12 budget imperatives.
States
N.J. Opt-Out Stats: Under 5 Percent for Early Grades, Near 15 Percent for H.S.
New Jersey has attracted a fair bit of media attention over the opt-out issue, but getting hard-and-fast numbers about opt-outs can be a difficult exercise.
States
Former Oakland Superintendent Tony Smith Picked as New Illinois Chief
Tony Smith previously worked as Oakland superintendent from 2009 to 2013, and then went to work for a Chicago-area nonprofit working on early childhood issues.