New iNACOL State and Federal Policy Priorities Briefs Shine a Light on Top Issues for Education Transformation

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 30, 2019) —With a goal to ensure our nation’s education system is fit for purpose and better able to prepare students for the future, today iNACOL (@nacol) announced its policy agenda with the publication of two issue briefs, iNACOL 2019 State Policy Priorities and iNACOL 2019 Federal Policy Priorities.

School leaders are increasingly recognizing that K-12 education needs to change so that students graduate with the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed for life. In greater numbers, educators are rethinking how to design learning environments that prepare all students for success. Policy actions, however, are needed to drive this transformation and advance educational practices that lead to high-quality learning for all learners.

“We have identified policy conditions and emerging issues for federal and state policy leaders to address,” said iNACOL President and CEO Susan Patrick (@susandpatrick).

“Educators and school leaders need space and support to improve learning environments that better support students coming of age in a rapidly changing economy. Working with K-12 education leaders and practitioners leading the design of new innovative learning models, we would like to shine a light on these recommendations to advance supportive policy and catalyze best practices for future-focused education systems that are holistic, equitable and based on the best science of how students learn and develop.”

At the state level, iNACOL’s Center for Policy Advocacy provides policy analysis and recommends governors, state legislators and other policymakers work together with their communities to:

• Redefine student success around the knowledge, skills and dispositions students need upon graduating from K-12 education.
• Create meaningful qualifications.
• Rethink accountability for continuous improvement.
• Build balanced systems of assessments.
• Develop educator capacity needed for the future educator workforce.
• Build capacity to lead change to transform K-12 education.
• Create enabling state policies to support personalized, competency-based education.

At the federal level, iNACOL is working to analyze the improvements needed in policy to enable states and localities to move ahead:

• Modernize educator and leader preparation programs for the future through a pilot program in a reauthorized version of the Higher Education Act.
• Redesign systems of assessments by expanding the Innovative Assessment pilot.
• Increase access to broadband connectivity by supporting the E-Rate and Lifeline
• Leverage resources and align postsecondary transitions across K-12, higher education and the workforce.

Download full copies of the iNACOL 2019 State Policy Priorities and iNACOL 2019 Federal Policy Priorities. Contact the iNACOL Center for Policy Advocacy for more information.

About iNACOL

The mission of iNACOL is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. Visit our website, like us on Facebook, connect with us on Linkedin and follow us on Twitter.