RD446 - Education Commission of the States 2012 Annual Report


Executive Summary:
Education in the United States is on the threshold of a new era. By the end of 2012, 46 states and the District of Columbia had adopted the Common Core State Standards and were busy preparing for their implementation in 2013. Congress debated the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), while more states received waivers from the law. Student performance received even more attention, and that performance was more tightly tied to teacher evaluations. “Global competitiveness” gained traction as districts and states compared their student outcomes not only with each other, but with the rest of the world.

The Education Commission of the States (ECS) was with you along the way to help make sense of how these changes are affecting every student in every district in America. We have our finger on the pulse of what states are doing in education policy, what the research says, and what the biggest, newest ideas coming around the bend portend for education. We supported you through your calls to our Information Clearinghouse (where we respond with an answer within 24 hours), through our policy analysis and publications, through our website that houses the nation’s biggest collection of education resources, and of course through our annual National Forum on Education Policy.

Inside you will find a small sample of what we did for you in 2012. Many of these projects were initiated by our ECS Commissioners to help states further develop and implement meaningful education policy. At times, even ECS Commissioners are surprised at the breadth of issues we cover or how deep our resources are on any given issue. We are proud of the depth of our research and glad that our services have been integral in so many important education policy discussions across the nation. We want you to call us, email us, and check out our website if you have any education policy questions. We are here to serve you and make your job easier.

ECS also experienced some changes last year. Roger Sampson stepped down as ECS president in November. Roger joined ECS in 2007 at a pivotal time in our history when ECS needed steady leadership. Roger stepped into the role with ease and quickly straightened our course. The staff and I thank him for his dedication to ECS and behind-the-scenes work that made us even stronger. I am proud to lead an organization that has a first-rate staff and an esteemed history. With over 48 years of experience guiding education policy across the nation, ECS works with the country’s most committed education leaders. Together we can accomplish so much in 2013.