State Policy

Read more about state laws, regulations, and programs that impact education
A student takes an assessment.
Paper-and-pencil assessments have been replaced by digital versions in many schools across the country. But two school districts in New Mexico are pushing back against a state-required digital reading assessment that uses artificial intelligence. They argue that it raises serious student data privacy concerns.
John Pendygraft/Tampa Bay Times via TNS
Artificial Intelligence School Districts Push Back Against State-Required AI Reading Assessments
Two school districts in New Mexico say the assessments could jeopardize students' data privacy.
Natalie Robbins, Albuquerque Journal, August 4, 2026
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4 min read
Sixth graders read a passage and give constructive feedback to their partners during Nancy Barajas' class at Fairview Elementary School on May 6, 2026, in Modesto, Calif.
Sixth graders read a passage and give constructive feedback to their partners during Nancy Barajas' class at Fairview Elementary School on May 6, 2026, in Modesto, Calif. New research shows the nation's 6th graders' reading scores have flatlined, and the lowest-performing students are losing ground.
Annie Barker/AP
Reading & Literacy Middle Schoolers' Reading Scores Are Still Stuck at Post-Pandemic Lows
New data shows that the lowest-performing students are falling the furthest behind.
Sarah Schwartz, August 4, 2026
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4 min read
An illustration of three school leaders at a desk and one is holding an umbrella. They are all looking up into the sky where a sun is peeking through several clouds that are depicting dollar bills.
Illustration by Robert Neubecker for Education Week
Education Funding From the Feds on Down, School Funding Is Uncertain. What to Know
Federal turbulence during the Trump administration highlights the precarity of state and local funding, too.
Mark Lieberman, August 3, 2026
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7 min read
An illustration of a teacher and student overlooking blocks that represent bar charts going up, filled with illustrations of numbers, letters, math problems and books.
Illustration by Robert Neubecker for Education Week
Mathematics The ‘Science of Reading’ Movement Is Evolving. Is Math Next?
Schools can expect more change—and continued debate—as the push for evidence-based instruction continues.
Sarah Schwartz, August 3, 2026
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10 min read
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Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Mathematics Tracker Which States Are Overhauling Math Education? See Our Tracker
Our tracker follows and summarizes states legislation shaping math teaching, instruction, and intervention.
Evie Blad, Sarah Schwartz, Stephen Sawchuk & Maya Riser-Kositsky, July 31, 2026
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1 min read
GettyImages 1977641801BB
A teenager uses her mobile phone to access social media on January 31, 2024, in New York. Meanwhile, Illinois is requiring public schools to update their cyberbullying policies to address AI deepfakes.
Photo illustration by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
School Climate & Safety How One State's Schools Are Updating Policies to Fight AI Deepfakes
Illinois has updated school cyberbullying laws to include AI deepfakes, pushing for prevention and support.
Olina Banerji, July 31, 2026
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5 min read
English learner students in Jeremy True's class work on a reading assignment on Nov. 10, 2022, in Mason City, Iowa.
English learner students work on a reading assignment on Nov. 10, 2022, in Mason City, Iowa. Reclassification criteria can affect older English learners' access to advanced coursework.
Abby Koch/Globe-Gazette via AP
English Learners How State Reclassification Rules Impact Long-Term English Learners
Research shows how the reclassification of older English learners in Texas carries varied outcomes.
Ileana Najarro, July 29, 2026
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4 min read
Second-grade teacher Eric Langsev helps a student with a reading lesson at Global Academy in New Brighton, Minn. on Nov. 10, 2025. More than half of the students there are English learners, and many are new to the U.S.
Second-grade teacher Eric Langsev helps a student with a reading lesson at Global Academy in New Brighton, Minn. on Nov. 10, 2025. More than half of the students there are English learners, and many are new to the United States. Not all states offer tests in newcomers' home languages.
Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
English Learners Why Standardized Tests in English Fall Short for English Learners
The Migration Policy Institute found 35 states and the District of Columbia offer native language assessments.
Ileana Najarro, July 29, 2026
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3 min read
Albertville City Schools has one of the state's largest populations of immigrant students on June 11, 2025 in Albertville, located in northeast Alabama. More than a third of students are English learners.
Albertville City Schools has one of the state's largest populations of immigrant students on June 11, 2025 in Albertville, located in northeast Alabama. More than a third of students are English learners. Not all states offer assessments in English learners' native languages.
Rebecca Griesbach
English Learners These States Now Offer Tests for English Learners in Their Native Languages
Native language assessments can help capture English learners' academic knowledge.
Ileana Najarro, July 29, 2026
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1 min read
As part of Portland Parks environmental education, preschoolers and their parents take part in a guided nature hike through Laurelhurst Park on Feb. 13, 2026. Fewer than 60% of Oregon parents report their young child has hit milestones to be ready for kindergarten.
Preschoolers and their parents take part in a Portland Parks guided nature hike through Laurelhurst Park in Oregon on Feb. 13, 2026. A growing number of preschools nationwide rely on early assessments to gauge baseline development and progress. But many teachers express concerns.
Ross William Hamilton/oregonlive.com via TNS
Early Childhood Too Young to Test? How Teachers Feel About Early Childhood Assessments
A growing number of early elementary public school students are required to take assessments.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 28, 2026
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5 min read
Hudson, 7, left, Callahan, 13, middle, and Keegan Pruente, 10, right, stand outside their school on their first Monday home during the new four-day school week on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023, in Independence, Mo. Hundreds of school systems around the country have adopted four-day weeks in recent years, mostly in rural and western parts of the U.S. Districts cite cost savings and advantages for teacher recruitment. Still, some experts question the effects on students who already missed out on significant learning during the pandemic.
Three siblings stand outside their school on their first Monday home during a new four-day school week in Independence, Mo., on Sept. 11, 2023. Four-day school weeks have risen in popularity in recent years, though states have started to limit when school systems can switch to the abbreviated schedule.
Nick Ingram/AP
States States Start to Crack Down on 4-Day School Weeks
Measures limiting when schools can adopt shortened schedules center on maintaining academic achievement.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, July 28, 2026
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4 min read
20260710 AMX US NEWS 1 TEACHER 24 THIRD GRADERS 1 PO
Third grade teacher Anne Harris checks her watch before the start of the school day on April 24, 2026, at Glenfair Elementary in Portland, Ore.
Beth Nakamura via TNS
Reading & Literacy Can the Prospect of 3rd Grade Retention Improve Early Literacy? Yes, Study Says
The findings add another wrinkle to an ongoing debate over retention policies tied to reading scores.
Sarah Schwartz, July 21, 2026
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5 min read
Georgia State University students Kavita Javalagi, left, and Gana Natarajan, second from left, speak with Shetundra Pinkston, during the Startup Student Connection job fair, March 29, 2023, in Atlanta. Georgia officials launched a program that year to match high school students to college opportunities and has seen enrollment increases at both technical and four-year colleges since.
Georgia State University students Kavita Javalagi, left, and Gana Natarajan, second from left, speak with Shetundra Pinkston, during the Startup Student Connection job fair, March 29, 2023, in Atlanta. Georgia officials launched a program that year to match high school students to college opportunities and has seen enrollment increases at both technical and four-year colleges since.
Alex Slitz/AP
College & Workforce Readiness How States Are Streamlining College Admissions—and Who Benefits
Direct-admissions programs aim to streamline the college admissions process.
Evie Blad, July 17, 2026
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3 min read
Students use phones and other electronic devices in school on May 8, 2026. The school cellphone ban is one of the few policy agreements between Republicans and Democrats, and principals and teachers are big supporters.
Students use phones in school on May 8, 2026. The school cell phone ban is one of the few policy agreements between Republicans and Democrats, and principals and teachers are big supporters.
Lincoln Beddoe/Dreamstime via TNS
Student Well-Being & Movement ‘It Turns the School Community Around’: Teachers Reflect on Phone-Free Campuses
Teachers in states with cellphone bans say implementation means more than policy.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 13, 2026
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4 min read