Dive Brief:

• Four national education organizations want to make sure states are recognized for the innovative work they are doing to improve schools and outcomes for students.
• The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the Education Commission of the States, the National Association of State Boards of Education, and the National Conference of State Legislatures have joined together to support the States Leading Campaign, which will highlight elements of states’ plans to meet the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
• “From high-quality preschool to workforce preparation, states are taking the lead to put the policies and practice in place that will create a more equitable education system for all students,” Carissa Miller, the interim executive director of CCSSO, said in a press release.

Dive Insight:

The campaign is designed to help states learn from each other and will use social media, events, weekly emails and other communication strategies to share some of the practices and policies that states are implementing as part of their ESSA plans. Focus topics will include school leadership, assessment, career readiness, standards and early-childhood education.

States and districts no longer work in isolation when it comes to improving schools. Efforts such as the States Leading Campaign can inspire leaders to try practices or approaches they would not have considered. But at the same time, school and district administrators often have to adapt programs that might have worked in another location to fit the needs and characteristics of their own schools and communities.