State Policy

Read more about state laws, regulations, and programs that impact education
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
20260703 AMX US NEWS AFTER NEWSOM COULDNT STOP IT 1 SA
Gov. Gavin Newsom makes a point at the opening of the San Quentin Learning Center in San Quentin, Calif., on Feb. 20, 2026. Newsom has championed a move that will place the California education department under the authority of a governor-appointed education commissioner starting next year.
JOSÉ LUIS VILLEGAS via TNS
States The Elected Superintendent in This State Will Have Little Power Over Schools
The nation's largest state is the latest to give its governor more power over its schools.
Jennifer Vilcarino, July 9, 2026
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5 min read
A kindergartener in a play-based learning class rolls out Play-Doh at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H. on Nov. 7, 2024. Jessica Arrow, who teaches the kindergarten class, has been advocating for play-based learning initiatives in the state.
A kindergartener in a play-based learning class rolls out Play-Doh at Symonds Elementary School in Keene, N.H., on Nov. 7, 2024. Jessica Arrow, who teaches the kindergarten class, has been advocating for play-based learning initiatives in the state.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Early Childhood Academic Pressure is Driving—and Preventing—The Return to Play in Kindergarten
A new report examines the impact of one state's efforts to return play to kindergarten.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 7, 2026
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4 min read
A group prays outside of the Supreme Court ahead of the court's ruling on whether transgender girls and women can play on school athletic teams, on June 30, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
A group prays outside of the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of the court's ruling on whether transgender girls and women can play on school athletic teams, on June 30, 2026, in Washington. The court upheld two state laws barring transgender girls from joining girls' school sports teams.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Law & Courts What Schools Need to Know About the Supreme Court’s Transgender Sports Ruling
The justices upheld two state laws that bar transgender girls from participating in female sports.
Mark Walsh, July 2, 2026
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10 min read
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, gives his last May revise in the Swing Space on Thursday, May 14, 2026 , in Sacramento, Calif.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in Sacramento, Calif., on May 14, 2026. Newsom and legislative leaders pushed for a policy passed as part of the state budget that will scale back the authority of the elected state superintendent.
Hector Amezcua/The Sacramento Bee via TNS
States The Nation's Largest State Strips Most Power From Elected Schools Superintendent
The state superintendent's authority will transfer to an appointee of the governor starting next year.
Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, July 2, 2026
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5 min read
A look at the 2025 NEA Annual Meeting & Representative Assembly in Portland, Ore.
Thousands of educators turn out each year for the National Education Association's Representative Assembly; last year's, shown here in this July 3, 2025 photo, took place in Portland, Ore.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Teaching Profession Nation’s Largest Teachers’ Union Will Elect New Leader at Annual Confab
A primer to this year's nearly 7,000-delegate National Education Association Representative Assembly.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 1, 2026
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5 min read
Katherine Alfaro works with students at Russellville Elementary School, in Russellville, Ala., Aug. 9, 2022. Alfaro is an aide for English Language Learner students, many of whom speak Spanish at home. Russellville schools have the highest percentage of English Language Learners of any district in the state, and officials there have invested in aides and teachers who know how to work with those students.
Katherine Alfaro works with students at Russellville Elementary School, in Russellville, Ala., Aug. 9, 2022. Alfaro is an aide for English learners, many of whom speak Spanish at home. English-learner education is not immune to anti-DEI policies and politics, according to a new research study.
Rebecca Griesbach/AL.com via AP
States Anti-DEI Efforts Reshape How States Serve English Learners
A new research study shed light on how anti-DEI policies affect English-learner education.
Ileana Najarro, June 30, 2026
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5 min read