Communities: Government Resources

Achieve, Inc. - www.achieve.org
Achieve, founded in 1996, is an independent, bipartisan, nonprofit organization that helps states raise academic standards, measure performance against those standards, establish clear accountability for results and strengthen public confidence in our education system.

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Education Policy Clearinghouse - http://www.edpolicy.org/
The purpose of this site is to promote access to high quality information that will assist users in the study of education policies, especially as related to teacher preparation. The AACTE Education Policy Clearinghouse is designed to help people access information on education policy at the national, regional, or state level. To help users research, discuss, and analyze state policy, the Clearinghouse is structured to enhance access to data from four policy fulcrums: government, policy centers, research centers, and the press.

American Federation of Teachers - http://www.aft.org/
The American Federation of Teachers was founded in 1916 to represent the economic, social and professional interests of classroom teachers.  It is an affiliated international union of the AFL-CIO. The AFT has more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide, 43 state affiliates, and more than 1.3 million members.

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) - http://www.ascd.org/portal/site/ascd/index.jsp//
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that represents 175,000 educators made up of superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of education, and school board members from more than 135 countries and 58 affiliates.  This site has resources covering various aspects of effective teaching and learning—such as professional development, educational leadership, and capacity building.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation - http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Education/
Through its partnerships in communities across the nation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is committed to raising the high school graduation rate and helping all students—regardless of race or family income—graduate as strong citizens ready for college and work.

Center on Education Policy - http://www.cep-dc.org/
The Center on Education Policy is a national, independent advocate for public education and for more effective public schools. The Center helps Americans better understand the role of public education in a democracy and the need to improve the academic quality of public schools. The Center on Education Policy does not represent any special interests. Instead, it tries to help citizens make sense of the conflicting opinions and perceptions about public education and create the conditions that will lead to better public schools.

Council of Chief State School Officers - http://www.ccsso.org/
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.

Education Alliance at Brown University - http://www.alliance.brown.edu/
The Education Alliance promotes educational change to provide all students equitable opportunities to succeed. The Education Alliance advocates for populations whose access to excellent education has been limited or denied. Since 1975, the Education Alliance, a department at Brown University, has been working to effect real change in education by helping schools and school districts provide equitable opportunities for all students to succeed. The Education Alliance applies research findings and develops solutions to the problems and assists in meeting the needs of teachers, administrators, parents, communities and policymakers.

Education Commission of States - http://www.ecs.org/
The Education Commission of States is an interstate compact created in 1965 to improve public education by facilitating the exchange of information, ideas and experiences among state policymakers and education leaders. As a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization involving key leaders from all levels of the education system, ECS creates unique opportunities to build partnerships, share information and promote the development of policy based on available research and strategies.

National Association of State Boards of Education - http://www.nasbe.org/
The National Association of State Boards of Education is the only national organization giving voice and adding value to the nation's State Boards of Education. A non-profit organization founded in 1958, NASBE works to strengthen state leadership in educational policymaking, promote excellence in the education of all students, advocate equality of access to educational opportunity, and assure continued citizen support for public education.

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) - http://www.ncsl.org/programs/educ/edu.htm
NCSL is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation's 50 states, its commonwealths and territories. NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on PK-16 education state issues.

National Governors' Association (NGA) - NGA Center for Best Practices
http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.8274ad9c70a7bd616adcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=e9e8fbc137400010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD
Education policy is the constitutional responsibility of states, and governors have played a lead role in efforts to improve education. The challenges states face in K-12 education are complex, and governors must address a wide range of issues, including high school reform, the No Child Left Behind Act, extra learning opportunities (out of school time), teacher quality, school leadership, technology, reading, and many others. Governors are also leading widespread high school reform efforts to ensure the readiness of the nation's high school students for college, work, and citizenship. The NGA Center for Best Practices supports governors on these and other issues through focused projects, direct technical assistance and policy analysis.

National School Boards Association -http://www.nsba.org/site/index.asp
The National School Boards Association is a not-for-profit Federation of state associations of school boards across the United States. Its mission is to foster excellence and equity in public education through school board leadership. The National School Boards Association achieves that mission by representing the school board perspective before federal government agencies and with national organizations that affect education, and by providing vital information and services to state associations of school boards and local school boards throughout the nation.

National Staff Development Council - http://www.nsdc.org/
The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) is the largest non-profit professional development association committed to ensuring success for all students through staff development and school improvement.  NSDC views high quality staff development programs as essential to creating schools in which all students and staff members are learners who continually improve their performance.

The Partnership for 21 st Century Skills - http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has emerged as the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education to ensure every child's success as citizens and workers in the 21st century. The Partnership encourages schools, districts and states to advocate for the infusion of 21st century skills into education and provides tools and resources to help facilitate and drive change.

Public Engagement Watch - http://www.annenberginstitute.org/resources/PE_Watch/#news5
Public Engagement Watch is a resource for municipal leaders to build strong connections with local public schools.   Public Engagement Watch is a joint publication of the Institute for Youth, Education, and Families of the National League of Cities and the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Published around the 15th of every month, Public Engagement Watch provides local elected officials with summaries of and links to recent news articles and academic research reports; a monthly tool to promote public engagement; and a list of current funding opportunities of potential interest to local leaders.

Rhode Island Association of School Committees (RIASC) - http://www.ri-asc.org/
RIASC is dedicated to training and improving the effectiveness of Rhode Island school committee members in meeting their role and responsibilities to students, parents, administrators, and taxpayers, while playing a leading role in shaping and advocating public education policy at the State and National levels.

Rhode Island Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (RI-ASCD) http://rhodeisland.ascd.org/
Rhode Island ASCD (RI-ASCD), a diverse community of educators acting as a dynamic force for educational excellence, improving the quality of teaching and learning for the success of all learners. RI-ASCD is an organization for Rhode Island professionals who are committed to equity and quality for all learners.

Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education (RIBGHE) - http://www.ribghe.org/
The mission of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education is to provide an excellent, efficient, accessible and affordable system of higher education designed to improve the overall educational attainment of Rhode Islanders and thereby enrich the intellectual, economic, social and cultural life of the state, its residents, and its communities.

Triangle Coalition for Science and Technology Education - http://www.trianglecoalition.org/
The Triangle Coalition is a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit organization comprised of more than 100 member organizations with representation from three key stake holders: business, education, and scientific and engineering societies. Triangle Coalition's Mission is to bring together the voices of government, business, and education to improve the quality and outcome of mathematics, science, and technology education.

United States Department of Education -http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml
Links to reports on all aspects of the work of the United States Department of Education, including student aid, legislation, statistics, school locator, and many others.

 

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