The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) has released its anticipated State Board Insight database, a platform for tracking trends in state boards’ agendas and actions each month. With timely analysis, detailed data, and spotlights on state strategies, State Board Insight is a resource for board members, researchers, journalists, and educators.
Designed to help state boards learn from best practices and identify partnership opportunities, State Board Insight tracks and supports state policy leadership and innovation. State Board Insight is a library of all information and action items drawn monthly from publicly reported state board meeting minutes and agendas. Users may filter the data by subtopic, state, and timeframe or quickly glance at the data dashboard to see which issues are rising to the fore across the country. State profiles provide information on state governance structures and demographics, and trend analyses highlight compelling state stories and the critical roles state boards play in policymaking.
In a recent analysis for State Board Insight, NASBE researcher Sarah-Jane Lorenzo found that all state boards considered ESSA topics in 2016. State boards strategized about how best to assist students most in need of support and how to engage stakeholders in the creation of ESSA plans. She highlights the example of the D.C. State Board of Education, where board members devoted multiple meetings to stakeholder panels and interactive discussions.
As states finalize their ESSA accountability plans, state boards are zeroing in on strategies to address chronic absenteeism, students’ mental health, and social-emotional growth. Spotlights on these issues and more will be featured regularly on State Board Insight.
For more see NASBE’s State Board Insight database: https://stateboardinsight.nasbe.org/
