K-12 Education

Governors are leading efforts across the country to ensure that students in their states graduate prepared to succeed in postsecondary, the workforce, and life. The NGA K-12 Education Team supports Governors in these efforts by regularly bringing together Governors’ education policy advisors to connect with and learn from each other and national and state experts in the field; providing ongoing responsive and proactive technical assistance; and through the development of resources and reports that spotlight promising practices and actionable strategies on timely topics, including addressing students’ academic recovery and well-being and strengthening educator recruitment and retention.

Latest

State Education Trends for 2023

The top trends across the early childhood, K-12 and postsecondary education continuum from Governors’ 2023 state addresses. By Jillian Meinhardt and Catherine Van Ness In 2022, 36 states and three ...
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Academic and Career Success – 2023 NGA Winter Meeting Task Force Meeting

At the 2023 NGA Winter Meeting, Idaho Governor Brad Little and Colorado Governor Jared Polis co-hosted a discussion on how Governors are working to meet the needs of students today ...
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Governors Engage with Federal Officials

The NGA Winter Meeting offers an opportunity for Governors to meet with Federal Partners and share the real-world impact of federal policies. By Tiffany Waddell States are famously “the laboratories ...
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Strategies for Addressing the Comprehensive Needs of Students and Families Through Community Schools and Wraparound Supports

This webinar discusses strategies to address the comprehensive needs of students and families through community schools and wraparound supports. Panelists explain the evidence in this field, discuss how community schools ...
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K-12 Education: Reflect And Redesign

Watch 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 features of the education system as states and school districts move forward, hosted by the NGA’s Center for Best Practices K-12 Education Team.

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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.

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Meet The Team

Seth Gerson, Program Director

Catherine Van Ness, Senior Policy Analyst
Jillian Meinhardt, Policy Analyst

Katie Nichols, Policy Coordinator

K-12 Topics

Health and Safety

(View/Download) Introduction Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding economic decline, the number of Americans experiencing food insecurity has skyrocketed in the United States. According to surveys administered by the ...
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School Nutrition and Meals Programs During K-12 School Reopening

The National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices Education, Health and Homeland Security and Public Safety divisions held a webinar on School Safety and Prevention on September 17, 2018 ...
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School Safety and Prevention Webinar

In light of the devastating events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the NGA Education Division hosted a School Safety and Prevention Webinar for Governors’ Education Policy Advisors on Mar ...
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School Safety and Prevention (March 2018)

Student and Staff Well-Being

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

This series of webinars explores strategies for supporting students with unique needs as they recover from disrupted school years. Panelists offer lessons learned and promising practices, especially related to the ...
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Strategies for Supporting Students with Unique Needs During & Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

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

Academic Recovery / Summer Learning and Enrichment

National Governors Association, Council of Chief State School Officers Note Summer Opportunities and Cite Examples of State Leadership As state and educational leaders grapple with the effects of the COVID-19 ...
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State Leaders Outline Strategies for Accelerating Student Learning Amid Pandemic

Governors and state chiefs are moving quickly to develop plans that include a range of new strategies, targeted interventions and grant programs designed to close achievement gaps and prepare all ...
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State Plans for Accelerating Student Learning: A Preliminary Analysis

As states shift their focus from the immediate emergency of COVID-19 school closures toward the reopening of schools and educational centers in the summer and fall, there has been growing ...
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Summer Camps and Summer Learning Opportunities

Digital Literacy

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

Governors, First Spouses, industry partners and national experts met in Boston, Massachusetts, to discuss K-12 computer science education, the focus of the NGA Chairman’s Initiative. By Catherine Van Ness Photo: ...
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Computer Science Education and The Workforce

Educator Workforce

Hosted by the National Governors Association (NGA) and Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), this webinar highlighted how governors and state education chiefs in Delaware and Tennessee have worked ...
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School Leadership Under ESSA: State Highlights

Many states have recently devoted significant attention to improving the quality of teaching and school leadership. Changes to teacher and principal evaluations as well as modifications to policy and regulation ...
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How Maryland Policymakers Are Working Together to Improve School Principal Quality

The role of the public school principal has expanded dramatically in recent decades. The expanded role means they are now significant multipliers of effective teaching and have a real opportunity ...
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Promising Practices in Boosting School Leadership Capacity: Principal Academies

Education Finance

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K-12, Postsecondary, Workforce Connections

January 17-19, 2018 | Indianapolis, IN The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) hosted a policy academy meeting focused on assisting state workforce and education leaders to ...
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Work-Based Learning Policy Academy Cross-State Meeting

Summary States increasingly need a more highly skilled workforce to meet the requirements of businesses, keep up with a rapidly changing economy and accelerate growth that leads to economic opportunity ...
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States Continue Advancing Strategies to Scale Work-Based Learning

WASHINGTON— The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) announced that six states— Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina and Rhode Island— have been selected to participate in a policy academy focused on scaling ...
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States Support Work-Based Learning to Expand Employment Opportunities

NGA K-12 Education Library

American Rescue Plan State Funding Profiles

State-specific funding profiles that illustrate federal to state resource allocation to support children and students under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. After the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act ...
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State of the States 2022

Governors of states, territories and commonwealths are outlining their priorities for 2022 in state of the state or commonwealth addresses, as well as inaugural addresses for new and re-elected Governors ...
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Strategies for Supporting Students with Unique Needs During & Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic

School Leadership Hot Topics

Governor Hutchinson Hosts National Computer Science Education Week Kick-Off

Arkansas Governor and NGA Chairman Asa Hutchinson hosted the official national launch event for #CSEdWeek 2021 in Little Rock, Arkansas. By Catherine Van Ness On Friday, November 3, 2021, NGA ...
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National Governors Association Chairman’s Initiative Highlighted at CSEdCon

The national computer science education conference in Los Angeles, California brought together state leaders, local educators, and industry partners to discuss strategies to expand access and equity in computer science ...
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2021 State of Computer Science Education Report

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson’s NGA Chairman’s Initiative aims to expand access to K-12 computer science education across the United States and territories. During this webinar, Dr. Katie Hendrickson of Code.org ...
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Lessons Learned from Afterschool and Summer Learning and Enrichment in 2021

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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State Policy Levers to Support Principal Pipelines

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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K-12 Education: Reflect And Redesign

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 ...
Read More