K-12 Education

Ensuring access to a quality education to help all students reach their full potential is a top priority for Governors across the country. NGA provides information, research synthesis, policy analysis, technical assistance and resources to Governors and their staff on education topics. At the center of the K-12 Education team’s work are three core principles: equity, alignment, and evidence. The team is currently focused on supporting Governors as they transition from pandemic-disrupted learning to reimagining their state’s education systems, including on efforts aimed at closing the digital divide; addressing students’ academic recovery and wellbeing; and strengthening educator development and support systems.

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Improving Student, Family And School Staff Well-Being

NGA is working with six states and national and state partners, as well as grant support, to develop and carry out action plans focused on one or more specific state policy priorities related to students’ comprehensive development during and beyond COVID-19.

School Leadership Hot Topics

On School Leadership Hot Topics, nationally recognized education experts share their knowledge and insights on strategies and promising practices for advancing school leadership policies and priorities at the gubernatorial and state level. For additional information and resources on principals and school leaders, please visit the Wallace Foundation Knowledge Center.

Latest

Strategies for Parent, Family, Student and Community Engagement with K-12 Schools

This webinar discusses strategies to improve parent, family, student and community engagement with K-12 schools. Panelists explain the research in this field, offer recommendations for state policy leaders and highlight ...
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Governors’ Education Policy Advisors Institute 2022

Governors’ advisors met in Greensboro, North Carolina to discuss current challenges and state solutions in K-12 education policy. By Seth Gerson & Catherine Van Ness The National Governors Association (NGA) ...
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K-12 Computer Science Education – NGA 2022 Summer Meeting

Outgoing NGA Chairman Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson opened the NGA Summer Meeting with an overview of his 2021-2022 Chairman’s Initiative to expand K-12 computer science education. After announcing the initiative last ...
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Computer Science Education

Jobs that require computer science skills and knowledge will only continue to grow during the 21st century. Especially as more remote working opportunities arise, state leaders want to ensure that graduates have the skills they need to find high-paying jobs without leaving the state. Governors are leading the charge to identify best practices in expanding access to computer science education in K-12 schools across the country.

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Meet Our Team

Seth Gerson
Program Director

Catherine Van Ness
Senior Policy Analyst

Katie Nichols
Policy Coordinator

K-12 Topics

Health and Safety

Missouri Governor Mike Parson and Virgin Islands Governor Albert Bryan, co-chairs of the National Governors Association (NGA) Community Renewal Task Force, issued the following statement after meeting with U.S. Secretary ...
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NGA’s Community Renewal Co-Chairs and U.S. Education Secretary Discuss Reopening America’s Schools

Summary of Established State Thresholds (View/Download) Introduction As the country continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring high-quality K-12 education while also minimizing the risk that students, teachers, and staff ...
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COVID-19 K-12 SCHOOL OPENING AND CLOSING POLICIES

The need for child care for both young and school age children, who are learning from home during the day while adults work, has thus expanded to more families and ...
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Child Care for School-Aged Children

Student and Staff Well-Being

NGA worked with a bipartisan group of six Governors’ offices to address the well-being of students and school staff during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Governors Association (NGA) ...
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Improving Student, Family and School Staff Well-Being

During their State of the State addresses in 2022, Governors highlighted the need for increased social, emotional, mental, and behavioral health supports for students and school staff. By Catherine Van ...
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State of the States: Student and School Staff Health and Wellness

Conversations with education leaders in Colorado and Ohio co-hosted by the National Governors Association and Chiefs for Change. This two-part webinar series co-hosted by Chiefs for Change and the National ...
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Elevating Opportunities for Innovation: Education Leadership in Colorado and Ohio

Academic Recovery / Summer Learning and Enrichment

This webinar highlights lessons learned for afterschool and summer learning programs during the pandemic and Summer 2021. Panelists offer recommendations regarding accelerating learning, re-engaging students, and effective use of federal ...
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Lessons Learned from Afterschool and Summer Learning and Enrichment in 2021

A series of conversations with subject matter experts, state education leaders, and practitioners that reflect on lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and elevate strategies and models for redesigning key ...
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K-12 Education: Reflect And Redesign

This webinar explores strategies for Governors to help school districts in addressing chronic absenteeism and reengaging students as they continue learning in pandemic-disrupted circumstances. The webinar offers lessons learned and ...
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Strategies for Reengaging Students During and Beyond The COVID-19 Pandemic

Digital Literacy

Portland, Maine – In the opening session of the National Governors Association (NGA) Summer Meeting, NGA Chairman Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson unveiled a Compact to Advance K-12 Computer Science Education ...
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Arkansas Governor Hutchinson Garners Bipartisan Support for Advancing Computer Science Education Nationally

This guide offers three key strategies and guiding questions for employers to contribute to Digital Equity Act planning and implementation, as well as strategies for state policymakers to support and ...
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Leveraging the Digital Equity Act To Advance Digital Skills

Republican and Democratic Governors alike understand that K-12 computer science education is critical to American competitiveness and security. By Governor Asa Hutchinson and Governor Phil Murphy Intelligence officials are sounding ...
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Advance STEM education in bipartisan innovation and competition legislation

Educator Workforce

School Leadership Hot Topics

In this webinar, Dr. Paul Manna of William and Mary shares findings from his new report, How Can State Policy Support Local School Districts as They Develop Comprehensive and Aligned ...
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State Policy Levers to Support Principal Pipelines

On Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019, the Education Division hosted a webinar on school leadership, titled “State Highlight: Louisiana’s Efforts to Develop and Support School Leaders.” During this webinar the division ...
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State Highlight: Louisiana’s Efforts to Develop and Support School Leaders

Education Finance

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) hosted a webinar that provided state examples and strategies to address funding formulas, leverage public taxpayer investments and increase effective ...
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Financing an Equitable and High-Quality K-12 Education System

K-12, Postsecondary, Workforce Connections

Summary This topic paper details how dual and concurrent enrollment programs can help states overcome workforce readiness and postsecondary access and completion challenges and how governors can strengthen these programs ...
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Education Topic Papers a Governor’s Dual Enrollment Framework for Success

$3.5 million in grants to National Governors Association, Education Commission of the States will incubate new pathways to opportunity for 32 million Americans left out of economic growth ...
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Strada Education Network Invests in Development of State Policies for Adult Learners, Disconnected Youth

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) held a learning lab exploring strategies states can use to expand and scale work-based learning opportunities for youth and young ...
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