Established in 1967, the Education Commission of the States (ECS) is a nonprofit organization that partners with state policymakers by providing support and helping education leaders come together to learn from one another. Through various programs and services, policymakers gain the insight and experience needed to create effective education policy. Services focus on four areas: research, counsel, report, and convene.

ECS addresses a broad range of issues in education from pre-K-12 through higher education, such as:

• Dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment policies and programs
• Prior learning assessment
• Certification and licensure
• Data systems
• Funding
• Governance
• Postsecondary affordability
• Early care and education
• Computer education
• Bullying
• Virtual learning
• Safety
• STEM/STEAM
• School choice
• School readiness
• Teaching profession / teacher education
• Workforce development

Examples of ECS's initiatives include:

• Arts Education Partnership
  • The Arts Education Partnership is dedicated to advancing the arts in education through research, policy, and practice, and has resulted in tools to help states extract, analyze, and report on data about arts education.
• 2022-23 Chair’s Initiative
  • The initiative is led by the Education Commission of the States’ Chair, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, and focused on computer science education to elevate state action to expand computer science education and explore various aspects of the issue, including equitable access, educator preparation and licensing, standards and curriculum adoption, and connections.
• Strong Start to Finish
  • Strong Start to Finish is a network of like-minded individuals and organizations from the policy, research, and practice spaces working to help all learners find success in postsecondary education.

Resources

Core Principles for Transforming Remedial Education Within A Comprehensive Student Success Strategy

ECS Resources by Topic