State Policy

Read more about state laws, regulations, and programs that impact education
Students interact in a fourth grade classroom at William Jefferson Clinton Elementary in Compton, Calif., on Feb. 6, 2025.
Students interact in a 4th grade classroom at William Jefferson Clinton Elementary in Compton, Calif., on Feb. 6, 2025. More young students could receive instruction in phonics and other evidence-based techniques, if a long-sought state proposal is approved.
Eric Thayer/AP
Reading & Literacy California Is Poised to Pass a 'Science of Reading' Law After a Long, Tense Debate
Advocates on both sides say the compromise bill is strong, but imperfect. Will it move literacy instruction forward in the state?
Sarah Schwartz, June 12, 2025
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7 min read
A marquee outside the Massapequa High School is backdropped by a "Chiefs" mascot mural, in Massapequa, N.Y., on April 25, 2025.
A marquee outside Massapequa High School in Massapequa, N.Y., is backdropped by a Chiefs mascot mural on April 25, 2025. The U.S. Department of Education is backing the district's attempts to hold onto the mascot despite state rules forbidding such depictions of Native Americans.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
Federal Trump Admin. Gives New York 10 Days to End Its Ban on Native American Mascots
The decision marks a reversal in a nationwide effort to retire Native American school mascots.
Brooke Schultz, May 30, 2025
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8 min read
A Black middle or elementary student sharing her open bible with a female Asian student
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States What's Behind a Legislative Push for Prayer and Bible Study in Public Schools
A Texas bill would allow schools to set aside time for students to pray and study the Bible or other religious texts.
Evie Blad, May 28, 2025
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6 min read
State Superintendent Ryan Walters, right, listens during public comment at the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in Oklahoma City.
State Superintendent Ryan Walters, right, listens during public comment at the Oklahoma State Board of Education meeting on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in Oklahoma City.
Nick Oxford/AP Images for Human Rights Campaign
States What Happened to Oklahoma's Effort to Count Undocumented Students?
State leaders ended the possibility of a rule change that would have required proof of citizenship in school enrollment.
Ileana Najarro, May 27, 2025
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3 min read
Illustration of 8 ladders all blue and shown at varying heights with only one glowing up white and reaching a large red bullseye.
iStock/Getty
Professional Development This Teacher PD Approach Has Spread to More Than 30 States
In theory, microcredentials incorporate elements researchers say are often missing from traditional professional development.
Caitlynn Peetz, May 23, 2025
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3 min read
Third grader Parker, left, and a classmate at Highland Elementary School in Columbus, Kan., practice reading on April 12, 2023. After falling behind in the early days of the pandemic, Parker started this school year reading at the level of a first grader. He did months of phonics drills and small-group work, and made tremendous progress. "I actually do like reading now," Parker said.
Third grader Parker, left, and a classmate at Highland Elementary School in Columbus, Kan., practice reading on April 12, 2023. Parker started this school year reading at the level of a 1st grader, but caught up after months of phonics drills and small-group work. Kansas doesn't retain 3rd graders based on reading scores, but many states that do now provide similar supports to students at risk of repeating the grade.
Nicholas Ingram/AP
Reading & Literacy What the Research Says Is 3rd Grade Retention the Secret to Better Reading Outcomes—Or Something Else?
A new study suggests that the benefit to kids doesn’t actually come from having them repeat a grade.
Sarah Schwartz, May 21, 2025
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5 min read
A vector illustration of a large, red one hundred dollar bill on it's side with men in business suits balancing on the edge with some falling off.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Do Districts Have 'Administrative Bloat'? This State May Let the Public Decide
A North Carolina bill would require districts to publish the salaries of central-office administrators.
Evie Blad, May 19, 2025
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5 min read
Paper made stick figures of men and women standing with lots of american flags surrounding them.
iStock/Getty
Social Studies States Push Civics Education Amid Political Tensions in Classrooms
The subject has become a minefield for teachers and schools in recent months. Do new civics mandates acknowledge that difficulty?
Sarah Schwartz, May 12, 2025
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7 min read
Illustration of a professional woman represented by a clay figurine. Her hand is pushing a large graduation cap icon with other blurred icons in the distance.
iStock/Getty
Professional Development Could This Tool Make Teacher PD More Relevant?
More states are letting teachers use microcredentials—self-paced training—to fulfill license renewal requirements and get PD.
Caitlynn Peetz, May 6, 2025
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6 min read
052025 abstinence sex education computer access 476732252
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Student Well-Being Netflix's 'Adolescence' Sparks Debate Over Sex Education in Schools
Sex education, generally ill-equipped to handle subject matter to which teens are exposed, is getting further squeezed.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 2, 2025
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6 min read
Teacher Grismairi Amparo works with her students on a reading and writing lesson at Head Start program run by Easterseals South Florida, an organization that gets about a third of its funding from the federal government, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025, in Miami.
Teacher Grismairi Amparo works with her students on a reading and writing lesson at a Head Start program run by Easterseals South Florida on Jan. 29, 2025 in Miami. The organization gets about a third of its funding from the federal government.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Early Childhood Pre-K Programs Expand Nationwide, But Quality Falls Behind
Preschools experienced a boost in funding and enrollment nationwide, but a deeper look reveals a disparity in quality.
Jennifer Vilcarino, April 29, 2025
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6 min read
Chiefs signs and logos are at Massapequa High School in Massapequa, N.Y., on April 25, 2025.
Chiefs signs and logos are at Massapequa High School in Massapequa, N.Y., on April 25, 2025.
Ted Shaffrey/AP
Federal Trump Wades Into DEI Fight Over Native American Mascots in Schools
Scholars and Native American activists have long pushed back on schools’ use of such images.
Brooke Schultz, April 28, 2025
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6 min read
A conceptual vector image of a person pronouncing phonemes while another person observes the soundwaves under a magnifying glass.
iStock/Getty Images + Education Week
Reading & Literacy What the Research Says Are Early-Reading Laws Changing Teaching Practices?
Laws mandating shifts in professional development and training don't always give teachers curriculum support.
Sarah D. Sparks, April 25, 2025
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6 min read
Judge gavel on law books with statue of justice and court government background. concept of law, justice, legal.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
School Choice & Charters Another Judge Rules Against Private School Choice. Here's Why
Utah's education savings accounts violate the state constitution by giving public funds to schools that exclude students, a judge ruled.
Mark Lieberman, April 22, 2025
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6 min read
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