Education (K-12)

Minnesota Information

Government

• Minnesota Department of Education - Minnesota's state K-12 education policy agency.
  • K-12 Education Finance Overview.
  • Ready, Set, Go - Minnesota offers many options for high school students to earn college credit before graduation. This website provides information about the dual-credit opportunities available to Minnesota's students.
• Financing Education in Minnesota, 2011/2012 - A publication of the Minnesota House of Representative's Fiscal Analysis Department.
• getSTEM - Designed to connect Minnesota educators with science and technology businesses in order to better prepare students for post-secondary education programs and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). A partnership of the Minnesota High Tech Association and the Minnesota Department of Education.
• Minnesota Board of Teaching - The board determines the standards and practices that serve the state's teachers and teacher preparation institutions.
• Minnesota School District Maps - From the Minnesota Geospatial Information Office.
• Minnesota School Finance: A Guide for Legislators - One of many K-12 education reports produced by the Minnesota Legislature's House Research Department.

Non-government

• Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD) - An association of twenty-six K-12 metropolitan school districts and three joint powers school districts in the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
• Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) - Connecting the resources of the University of Minnesota with local, state, and national school improvement initiatives.
• Center for School Change - A program of Macalester College. Includes research reports and a charter school resource center.
• Education Evolving - "This site describes...generally approves and advocates...the quite radical changes now appearing in K-12 education".
• Education Minnesota - A union of Minnesota educators.
• EdWatch - "Supports knowledge-based education that promotes the American Creed, free enterprise, limited government, and the primacy of parental rights."
• Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs (MAAP) - Dedicated to the improvement of alternative education and program options. Includes lists of Minnesota alternative schools.
• Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) - A professional association of school leaders.
• Minnesota Association of School Business Officials (MASBO) - An association of Minnesota school district employees.
• Minnesota Elementary School Principals' Association (MESPA) - Supports elementary and middle level principals.
• Minnesota Independent School Forum - A nonprofit organization serving private schools in Minnesota.
• Minnesota PTA - A volunteer organization engaged in educating parents and teachers on issues affecting children.
• Minnesota Rural Education Association (MREA) - An association of school districts located in non-metropolitan Minnesota.
• Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) - Information includes recent teacher salary settlements.
• Minnesota Service Cooperatives - A joint powers organization comprised of seven regional service cooperatives that provide regional planning and services for school districts and other governmental agencies.
• Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) - A nonprofit association that provides leadership and support for athletic and fine arts programs in Minnesota's schools.
• Minnesota's Promise - "A call to action from Minnesotans throughout our state to transform public education".
• MN Web Directory: Education - Comprehensive access to Minnesota schools and educational organizations on the Internet.
• MTQM (Measures of Teacher Quality in Minnesota) - Information and data about Minnesota's teacher education institutions, provided by the Minnesota Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
• Parents United for Public Schools - A statewide, grass roots organization of Minnesota parents and citizens committed to Minnesota's leadership in quality public education.
• Schools for Equity in Education (SEE) - An association of 61 Minnesota school districts supporting legislation that will provide both adequate and equitable funding for Minnesota public schools.

Federal Government Information

• Educational Attainment - Annual data from the Current Population Survey (CPS) for the United States, with limited detail for states and some metropolitan areas.
• Public Elementary-Secondary Education Finance Data - State-by-state data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
• U.S. Department of Education - Information on the department's organization and activities and access to statistics and reports.
  • National Center for Education Statistics - Search for statistics or for specific publications, or go directly to Annual Reports which links to such reports as The Condition of Education and The Digest of Education Statistics.
  • No Child Left Behind: Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) - Information about the education reform law.

Articles, Databases, and Directories

• Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators - This annual report provides comparable indicators on education systems throughout the world.
• EducationAtlas.com - A "map to the world of education". Categories include, early childhood, K-12, higher education, teachers, distance learning, and special education.
• EducationNews.org - A compilation of education articles published in various media sources. Includes both United States and international news.
• Education Next - This quarterly journal reports on issues related to K-12 education reform in the United States.
• Education Policy Analysis Archives (EPAA) - Provides access to the full text of all articles that have appeared in Education Policy Analysis.
• Education Week - Access current and archived issues.
• ElementarySchools.org - A directory of all public and private elementary schools in the United States. Statistics such as enrollment and ratio of students to teachers are included; contact information for all schools is also available.
• ERIC Database - "An online digital library of education research and information".
• Search for Schools, Colleges, and Libraries - This National Center for Education Statistics database is searchable by institution name, city, or zip code.

Organizations

• ACCESS - Working to "promote meaningful educational opportunities for all children, especially low-income and minority children". Includes education finance litigation by state.
• American Association of School Administrators (AASA) - A professional organization for educational leaders.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT) - An affiliated international union of the AFL-CIO.
• Center on Education Policy (CEP) - "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."
• Consortium for Policy Research in Education (CPRE) - Research reports in the areas of school reform, policy and governance, and school finance.
• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) - A nonprofit organization composed of public officials who lead the states' K-12 education departments.
• Education Commission of the States (ECS) - Comparative state-by-state data on a variety of education topics.
• Education Trust - Information on K-16 initiatives and federal and state education policy.
• National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) - "A nonpartisan research and advocacy group committed to restructuring the teaching profession". Their annual report, State Teacher Policy Yearbook, evaluates teacher policies in each state. Their TR3 (Teacher Rules, Roles and Rights) database has data from selected districts in all 50 states.
• National Education Association (NEA) - Information on the NEA's policies and state affiliates and links to additional education sources.
• Program on Education Policy and Governance (PEPG) - Provides systematic analysis of education policy and governing arrangements.
• Regional Educational Laboratory Program - Educational research and development organizations supported by the U.S. Education Department.
• Thomas B. Fordham Institute - "A non-profit think tank dedicated to advancing educational excellence in America's K-12 schools."

Selected Education Issues

• Charter Schools
  • Charter School Laws Across the States - The Center for Education Reform provides summaries and rankings of state charter school laws.
  • Charter Schools - A guide to Minnesota's charter school law by the Minnesota Legislature's House Research Department.
  • Charter Schools - A guide to charter school resources, created by the Minnesota Legislative Library.
  • MN Association of Charter Schools - Information on Minnesota's charter school policies and charter schools.
  • Minnesota Charter School Resource Center - From the Center for School Change at Macalester College.
  • National Charter School Resource Center - Information and resources about charter schools.

• Choice and Vouchers
  • Choices in Education - This Heritage Foundation site profiles school choice in the 50 states and school choice in the courts.
  • The Constitutionality of Education Vouchers under State and Federal Law - A report by the Minnesota Legislature's House Research Department.
  • Educational Vouchers - Provided by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library.
  • Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice - School choice research and publications.
  • Choice & Charter Schools - The Center for Education Reform provides a variety of resources about school choice.
  • School and Enrollment Choices - Information from the Minnesota Department of Education.
  • School Vouchers - A report by the Minnesota Legislature's House Research Department.

• Education Reform
  • Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement - Its mission is to help schools organize, plan, implement, and sustain improvement.
  • Center for Education Reform - Includes education reform activities by state.
  • No Child Left Behind (NCLB) - Learn about the federal education reform law. This U.S. Department of Education site also includes approved state NCLB accountability plans.
  • No Child Left Behind Database - View the status of individual state plans or compare states' activities; by the Education Commission of the States.
  • Thomas B. Fordham Institute - Information on a variety of education reform topics.

• Homeschooling
  • Homeschool Central - All the resources necessary to be a successful homeschool family.
  • Minnesota Department of Education: School and Enrollment Choices - Includes information on homeschooling in Minnesota.
  • Minnesota Homeschoolers' Alliance - Information on homeschooling basics including Minnesota law and forms.

• Kindergarten
  • Full-Day Kindergarten - The Clearinghouse on Early Education and Parenting offers a variety of resources.
  • Resources on Full and Half Day Kindergarten - From the National Conference of State Legislatures.
  • Why Minnesota Needs All-Day, Every Day Kindergarten - A report of the Minneapolis Foundation.

• Online Learning
  • Education Commission of the States: Technology - Overviews of state educational technology activities and information on specific technology issues.
  • eSchool News - This monthly publication covers education technology in all its aspects including legislation, litigation, case studies, and new products.
  • Keeping Pace With K-12 Online Learning - "An annual review of state-level policy and practice".
  • Minnesota Department of Education: Online Learning - A variety of materials on curriculum and programs.
  • Minnesota Learning Commons - "Created to provide access to effective and efficient online learning. The public education partners include Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MNSCU), University of Minnesota, and Minnesota Department of Education along with public K-12 schools."
  • National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) - Working to develop standards for the effective use of technology in Pre-K and K-12 education.
  • International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) - Includes a Clearinghouse of online learning laws and operating online learning programs in the United States.
  • Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education - Develops and implements national educational technology policy.
  • State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) - Seeking to improve student achievement through technology.

• Special Education
  • National Association of State Directors of Special Education - Information useful to state agencies, schools, parents, and advocates.
  • Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, U.S. Department of Education - "Dedicated to improving results for infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities ages birth through 21 by providing leadership and financial support to assist states and local districts."

• Standards and Testing
  • ACT Scores - ACT Inc. provides statistics, including scores by state.
  • Minnesota Academic Standards - A guide produced by the Minnesota Legislative Library.
  • Minnesota Department of Education: Testing Information - Includes links to data for schools, districts, and the state of Minnesota.
  • National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) - Also known as the Nation's Report Card, the NAEP is a continuing national assessment of American students' performance in selected subject areas.
  • National Center on Educational Outcomes (NCEO) - Focuses on designing educational assessments and accountability systems that monitor educational results for all students, including those with disabilities or limited English proficiency.
  • SAT Scores - The College Board provides statistics, including scores by state.

• See Also Children's Issues
• See Also Education (Early Childhood)

The sites listed on this page are not created, maintained, or endorsed by the Minnesota Legislature.