State Actions Update: Nine governors took decisive action to improve K-12 education in April 2024

Statehouses buzzed with education policy advancements in April 2024. Nine governors took decisive action on bills to improve K-12 education for students and teachers, and state lawmakers across the nation considered dozens more. 

ExcelinEd in Action tracks and reports on state education bill action each month on our blog. Below are the key legislative trends we observed in April, followed by a detailed, state-by-state recap of education bills that advanced this month. (For those who would like to receive weekly State Action Updates, sign up for ExcelinEd in Action email updates here.) 

Here’s what happened in education legislation in April 2024. 

April 2024 Trending Education Highlights

Governors signed 19 education bills into law in April 2024.  

• Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey streamlined college and career pathways programs, ensuring better alignment between K-12 education, postsecondary education and the workforce. 
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis created an additional pathway for educators to obtain a teaching endorsement in early childhood special education. 
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills that strengthen college and career pathways, one that improves conditions for private and charter school growth, and a bill that allows high schoolers to tutor young readers during the school day. 
• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp enacted charter school and accountability improvements, social media protections for students and the state’s first education scholarship account (ESA) program. 
• Idaho Gov. Brad Little made a historic investment in public school facilities, dedicating $125 million in funding over the next 10 years. 
• Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly strengthened early literacy policies in educator preparation programs by banning three-cueing, aligning instruction to the science of reading and more. 
• Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen repealed the state’s tax-credit scholarship program and replaced it with a $10 million school voucher program that could serve up to 2,000 low-income students. 
• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed bills to strengthen education-to-workforce data systems, provide dual-enrollment opportunities for high school students and create alternate routes for teacher licensure. 
• West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice mandated a study of the connection of K-12 pathways to postsecondary education attainment and business/industry needs, created an artificial intelligence (AI) task force and made administrative improvements to the state’s Hope Scholarship ESA program. 

Bipartisan early literacy policies continue to trend. Twelve states doubled down on policies to strengthen early literacy. Delaware, Iowa and Kansas advanced bills to ensuring educator prep programs are aligned with the science of reading. Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and South Carolina prioritized teacher training and literacy coaches. Kansas moved to ban three-cueing in teacher prep programs, while Pennsylvania moved to ban the harmful instructional method in classrooms. Florida, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania made progress to improve early literacy through screeners, interventions, supports and high-quality instructional materials for students. Georgia, Massachusetts, New York and South Carolina carved out funding for early literacy programs in their budget proposals. Lastly, the Wisconsin legislature filed a lawsuit against the governor claiming a misuse of his line-item veto power to reallocate early literacy funding to general Dept. of Public Instruction funding. 

Private education choice experienced some big wins and some unfortunate setbacks. Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, South Carolina and West Virginia took steps to create, fund or improve education scholarship account programs, or in Oklahoma’s case its refundable tax credit program. On the flip side, Ohio advanced a bill that would burden voucher-accepting schools with more reporting requirements, and Tennessee secured funding for a new and universal ESA that failed to pass before its session adjourned. 

Indiana made headlines for its bold high school redesign proposal, while other states also advanced bills to strengthen college and career pathways. Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Oklahoma, Virginia and West Virginia moved bills that would promote understanding for, enhance flexibility and better align K-12, postsecondary and workforce pathways. Colorado and Georgia took steps to better connect students to apprenticeship opportunities. Tennessee and Virginia explored funding and innovations that would accelerate students’ college opportunities and pathways to high-wage careers, such as in healthcare. 

With Teacher Appreciation Week approaching, seven states made strides to attract new teachers to the profession and improve teacher retention. Ohio and Virginia advanced legislation to create alternative pathways for career and technical educators to obtain licensure, and New Hampshire took steps to create a pathway for adjunct teachers who have five years of relevant occupational experience. Missouri and South Carolina explored financial incentives to attract teachers in training and improve teacher effectiveness, respectively. Arizona advanced a bill to study teacher retention data, while Mississippi took steps toward joining the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. 

School accountability proponents played defense in some states and improved accountability measures in other states. Georgia, Iowa, Oklahoma and Virginia strengthened their school accountability policies. Arizona and Louisiana successfully protected A-F grading and strong graduation requirements, respectively. Alabama lawmakers continue their work to stop a detrimental bill that would distort the state’s A-F grading formula. 

The tides turned in charter schools’ favor. Florida, Georgia and Missouri all adopted legislation to expand and improve conditions for charter schools. Colorado and Tennessee enhanced charter school facilities funding. Notably, lawmakers in Colorado successfully stopped an insidious bill that would have given districts the power to arbitrarily shut down charter schools, among other harmful measures. 

State Actions Update for April 2024 – Bill Breakdowns 

Alabama 

• Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed Sen. Steve Livingston’s SB 247. The bill will streamline college and career pathways programs and ensure better alignment between K-12 education, postsecondary education and the workforce. 
• Alabama Rep. Matt Woods’ HB 331, the companion of Sen. Wes Kitchens’ SB 311, passed its committee stop and heads to the House floor. The detrimental bill would distort the state’s A-F school grading formula and lower expectations by allowing transfer students from private schools to be included in school districts’ growth measurements but excluded from districts’ academic achievement measurements.   
• Alabama Rep. Leigh Hulsey’s HB 364 passed its final committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would require local boards of education to adopt internet safety policies, provide instruction to students in grades 6-12 on the effects of social media and require school districts to institute policies restricting cell phones during instructional hours.   

 Arizona 

• Arizona Rep. Matt Gress’s teacher retention bill, HB 2608, awaits its third reading and final vote on the Senate floor. The bill would require the State Board of Education to complete a study to determine retention rates of school district and charter school teachers. 
• Arizona Sen. John Kavanagh’s SB 1459 stalled on the House floor. The bill would require public schools to report information on student discipline and reduce a school’s letter grade when disciplinary action is implemented in fewer than 75% of a school’s discipline referrals. 
• Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed Rep. Beverly Pingerelli’s HB 2793, which would have directed each school district and charter school governing body to create policies that limit students’ use of cell phones and other devices at school.    

Colorado 

• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed Rep. Karen McCormick’s HB 1087, which requires the Department of Education to provide an additional pathway to obtain a teaching endorsement in early childhood special education. 
• Colorado Sen. James Coleman’s SB 143 passed the Senate. The bill would require the Department of Higher Education to collaborate with agencies to integrate quality non-degree credentials in the state’s education and workforce systems. 
• Colorado Sen. Jesse Danielson’s SB 104 passed its first House committee and heads to its next committee stop. The bill would require the state apprenticeship agency to align the high school career and technical education system and the registered apprenticeship system, specifically for programs and occupations related to infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, education or health care. 
• Colorado Sen. Janet Buckner’s SB 124 passed its first committee and heads to the Senate floor. The bill would guarantee certain course transfer credits between community colleges, local district colleges and area technical colleges. 
• Colorado Rep. Julie McCluskie’s HB 1448 passed committee and heads to the House floor. The bill would make modest improvements to the state’s funding formula for district and charter schools by basing funding on a four-year average rather than a five-year average; increasing funding for higher-need students, such as those with disabilities; and increasing charter school facility funding by $3.5 million. 
• Colorado Rep. Lorena Garcia’s HB 1363 failed to pass its first committee. The bill would have reduced public school choice by allowing local boards to impose a moratorium on creation of new charter schools and to revoke or not renew existing charter schools in districts with declining or projected-to-decline enrollment. 

Delaware 

• Delaware Sen. Laura Sturgeon’s SS 1 for SS 252 passed the Senate and heads to the House. The bill would require the Department of Education audit educator preparation programs to assess compliance with the science of reading instruction requirements enacted in 2021 and, where needed, compel corrections based on audit findings. 
• Delaware Rep. Nnamdi Chukwuocha’s public school choice bill, HB 354, passed its first committee. The bill would give the dependent children of active military members, full-time Delaware National Guard members and active-duty members of a reserve component of the U.S. military priority in enrollment in schools of choice. 

Florida 

• Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the following bills in April 2024:  
  • HB 917 achieves three important goals: 1) expands high school math pathways that align to postsecondary education and career programming; 2) allows districts to provide alternatives to career fairs; and 3) directs the state’s workforce agencies to examine career and technical education outcomes and whether they align to industry demand and the state’s economic needs. 
  • SB 1688 requires school districts to inform parents about career-themed courses available to middle school students. 
  • HB 1285 strengthens private school growth opportunities by reducing duplicative local zoning and land use red tape. It also creates new opportunities for classical charter schools by establishing a new enrollment preference for students previously enrolled at a classical school and a classical teaching certification. 
  • SB 46 expands the Reading Achievement Initiative for Scholastic Excellence (RAISE) program, which allows high school students to tutor K-3 students in reading during and after the school day. 

Georgia 

• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed four bills into law. 
  • Sen. Greg Dolezal’s SB 233, the Georgia Promise Scholarship Act, creates the state’s first education scholarship accounts for an estimated 21,500 low-income students zoned to low-performing schools. The bill provides students with a promise scholarship of up to $6,500 for qualified education expenses.   
  • Rep. Scott Hilton’s HB 318 increases transparency, improves oversight of Georgia’s charter schools and authorizers and protects charter school autonomy. 
  • Rep. Scott Hilton’s HB 1122 ensures charter schools are provided funding for principals and superintendents, allows students to enroll in the charter schools where their parents work and includes a provision to improve accountability and transparency by clarifying that schools receive a single summative score based on student achievement plus other factors.  
  • Sen. Jason Anavitarte’s SB 351 protects students from harmful impacts of social media by requiring age verification for social media accounts; local boards of education to adopt a social media policy for schools; and the Department of Education to develop a social media literacy program. 

• Georgia Sen. Billy Hickman’s SB 497 awaits gubernatorial action. The bill would create additional opportunities for apprenticeships in high-demand career fields by increasing the cap on the number of allowable apprentices for employers and providing initial funding for the apprenticeships. 
• Georgia Rep. Matthew Gambill’s HB 982 awaits Gov. Brian Kemp’s signature. The bill would require the state to publish a high-demand career list and focus funding on programs that align with in-demand careers. 
• Georgia lawmakers passed the state budget, HB 916, and provided nearly $9.2 million in funding for literacy screeners and targeted literacy coaches. The budget is with Gov. Kemp for consideration. 

Idaho 

• Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed Rep. Mike Moyle’s HB 521. The bill will provide the largest state investment in school facilities funding by dedicating $125 million in ongoing sales tax revenue annually to the new School Modernization Facilities Fund over the next 10 years. 

Illinois 

• Illinois Rep. Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz’s HB 5380, which would require social media platforms to provide data to a third-party software system for parents to track their children online, passed its first committee and awaits a floor debate in the House. 

Iowa 

• Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’s HF 2618 passed both chambers and heads to the governor for signature. This early literacy bill would require 1) teacher preparation programs to administer a “foundations of reading” exam as part of teacher licensure, 2) schools to provide individualized reading plans for struggling K-6 readers and 3) schools to notify parents when their third-grade children aren’t reading at grade level. Parents can choose to have their children repeat third grade to give them time to catch up. 
• The Iowa House Committee on Education’s HF 2545 passed both chambers and now heads to Gov. Reynolds for signature. The bill would require the Department of Education to conduct a comprehensive review with recommendations for state standards, curriculum and graduation requirements. 

Kansas 

• Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed the Senate Education Committee’s early literacy bill, SB 438. The bill provides for literacy training for teachers based on the science of reading; requires postsecondary educational institutions to use science of reading materials; bans the harmful three-cueing literacy instructional method in teacher preparation programs; and creates a comprehensive reading and literacy assessment system, including science of reading micro-credentials and professional development for teachers. 

Louisiana 

• Louisiana Rep. Julie Emerson’s HB 745, which would create an education savings account (ESA) program that would be universal by 2027, passed the House. The Senate companion, Sen. Rick Edmonds’ SB 313, awaits its next committee stop. 
• Louisiana Sen. Beth Mizell’s SB 207, which prohibits the use of cell phones in schools during instructional hours, passed the Senate and heads to the House. 
• Louisiana Rep. Tehmi Chassion’s HB 931, which would have weakened graduation requirements for students, failed in committee.   

Massachusetts 

• The Massachusetts House passed the chamber’s budget proposal, H 4600, and it heads to the Senate. The bill includes $30 million for Gov. Maura Healey’s Literacy Launch proposal to train teachers in the science of reading and incentivize high-quality instructional materials. 
• The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Education’s early literacy bill, S 2653, heads to its second Senate committee. The legislation would require all elementary schools in the state to teach children to read using evidence-based instruction; provide for screening and identification of struggling readers and any necessary interventions; and offer professional development for educators.     

Michigan 

• Michigan Rep. Carol Glanville’s HB 5649, which requires all public high schools to offer a computer science course, was introduced and awaits its first committee hearing.  

Mississippi 

• Mississippi Rep. Rob Roberson’s school choice bill, HB 1229, was amended and passed by the Senate. The bill, which would extend the state’s education scholarship account program for special needs students until 2027, heads back to the House for concurrence on the Senate version.  
• Mississippi Rep. Rob Roberson’s teacher pipeline bill, HB 1450, was amended and passed by the Senate. The bill, which would add Mississippi to the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, a multi-state agreement that expedites teacher licensure for teachers licensed in another state, now heads back to the House for a final vote. 
• A stripped down version of Mississippi Rep. Owen’s HB 1683, which would have made positive changes to how the state’s Charter School Authorizing Board is funded, failed on the House floor.   
• Mississippi Rep. Jansen Owen’s HB 867, which would create an open enrollment policy allowing students to transfer to another school district if approved by the accepting school district, failed in Senate committee.   
• Mississippi Sen. Chris Johnson’s SB 2062, which would have created a taskforce to study the use of artificial intelligence in K-12 education and the workforce, failed in the House. 

Missouri 

• Missouri Sen. Andrew Koenig’s SB 727, which would expand school choice and strengthen the teacher pipeline, passed both chambers and heads to Gov. Mike Parson for signature. The bill would expand the geographic area in which charter schools can be established to include Boone County (Columbia); expand Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts to potentially fund close to 4,000 more students; establish a fund to support at-home reading programs for students in grades K-5; and create a scholarship program for students in teacher preparation programs in exchange for teaching in a hard-to-staff school when they graduate. 
• Missouri Rep. Mark Matthiesen’s HB 1671 passed the House Special Committee on Education Reform and awaits further action from the House. This bill would expand the state’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program by removing an eligibility restriction that requires a student’s prior public school attendance.   
• Missouri Rep. Mike Haffner’s HB 2184, which would improve school accountability and expand reporting requirements for school performance, passed its second committee and heads to the House floor. 
• Missouri Rep. Ed Lewis’s HB 1447, which would raise the minimum teacher salary and establish a fund to assist school districts in meeting the new minimum salary requirements, is ready for its first floor vote in the House. 
• Missouri Rep. Brad Pollitt’s HB 1989 awaits its first Senate committee vote. The bill would expand education choice by establishing an optional open enrollment policy for public schools. 

Nebraska 

• Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen signed Sen. Lou Ann Linehan’s school choice bill, LB 1402. The bill will repeal the state’s tax-credit scholarship program and replace it with a $10 million school voucher program that could serve up to 2,000 low-income students. All students who received awards under the repealed program will be prioritized for a scholarship under the new program. 

New Hampshire 

• New Hampshire Rep. Lorie Ball’s early literacy bill, HB 1015, passed the full Senate and heads to Gov. Chris Sununu for signature. The bill would require school districts to provide measurable, evidence-based literacy instruction for all K-5 students.  
• New Hampshire Rep. Glenn Cordelli’s HB 1665 awaits a vote in its first Senate committee. The bill would increase the income cap on the Education Freedom Accounts program from 350% to 500% of the federal poverty level (from $109,200 to $156,000 for a family of four). 
• The New Hampshire Senate considered and voted favorably on Senator Timothy Lang’s SB 442. The bill was amended to expand eligibility of the New Hampshire Education Freedom Accounts to 400% of the federal poverty level.   
• New Hampshire Rep. Glenn Cordelli’s teacher pipeline bill, HB 1298, was heard in its first Senate committee. The bill would establish eligibility for part-time adjunct teachers, including five years of occupational experience in or related to the content area they would be teaching.   

New York 

• The New York state budget, A 8803, passed the legislature and heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk. The budget includes $10 million for early literacy teacher training grounded in the science of reading and high-quality instructional materials. 

Ohio 

• Ohio Rep. Gayle Manning’s SB 407, a detrimental school choice bill that would place burdensome reporting requirements on voucher-accepting private schools, passed its first House committee and heads to the full House. 
• Ohio Rep. Don Jones’ HB 432, which would allow alternative teacher licensure pathways for career and technical educators, awaits its first committee vote. 

Oklahoma 

• Oklahoma Rep. Rhonda Baker’s HB 3278 passed both chambers and now heads back to the House for a concurrence vote. The bill would adjust high school graduation requirements to provide more flexibility for students’ individual career pathways. 
• Oklahoma Rep. Rhonda Baker’s HB 3274 passed both chambers and now heads to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk for signature. This bill would add optional modules to the statewide student assessment system designed to test college and career readiness and the military’s Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test.   
• Oklahoma Sen. Adam Pugh’s SB 1358, which would create a revolving fund aimed at increasing the number of credentials earned in high-need occupation areas, was assigned to its first committee in the House and awaits a hearing.   
• Oklahoma Sen. Adam Pugh’s SB 1904 passed both chambers and has been approved by Gov. Stitt. The bill would allow school districts and virtual charter schools that are operating a fully virtual educational program to administer student assessments in a virtual format. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Pugh’s SB 1906 was amended into SB 362, which passed the House and heads back to the Senate for further action. The early literacy bill would require screening and interventions for students with reading deficiencies and require the state’s K-3 reading curriculum to be based in the science of reading. 
• Oklahoma Sen. Greg Treat’s school choice bill, SB 1477, passed the House and heads back to the Senate for further action. The bill would make home-insecure students eligible for the state’s Parental Choice Tax Credit program, a refundable tax credit to help students afford private school and makes their program award tax-exempt. 
• Oklahoma Speaker Charles McCall’s HB 3388, which would streamline the Parental Choice Tax Credit application process, passed the Senate and now heads back to the House for further action. 

Pennsylvania 

• Pennsylvania Sen. Ryan Aument’s SB 801 had its second hearing on the Senate floor and heads to the Senate Appropriations committee. This comprehensive early literacy bill bans the harmful three-cueing instructional method and would require evidence-based early literacy instruction and high-quality instructional materials to be used in schools. The bill would also require educator professional development grounded in the science of reading, screeners to identify struggling readers and individual reading plans to support those students with interventions. 

 South Carolina 

• The South Carolina state budget, H 5100, passed the Senate with amendments and awaits further consideration in the House. The budget would:  

• Provide $10 million for the Palmetto Math Project to provide high-quality instructional materials and high-dosage tutoring in math. 
• Provide $30 million for the Education Scholarship Trust Fund program. 
• Continue to fund summer reading camps and literacy coaches. 
• Prohibit the use of phones and other personal devices during instructional time.  
• Create a pilot program to strategically compensate teachers based on educator effectiveness. 

Tennessee  

• Tennessee adjourned its 2024 legislative session on April 25, 2024.  
  • Tennessee lawmakers passed the state budget, HB 2973, which will provide $15 million for charter school facilities, an additional $261 million for the state’s public school funding formula, $144 million for the proposed Education Freedom Scholarship Program and $15.8 million for a rural healthcare pathways program to help enhance opportunities for individuals to enter into healthcare careers. The budget awaits Gov. Bill Lee’s signature. 
  • Tennessee Rep. Ryan Williams’ HB 1191, which would make it easier for charter schools to access vacant and underutilized properties, awaits Gov. Bill Lee’s signature. 
  • Rep. Mark White and Sen. Jon Lundberg’s HB1183/SB503, which would have created $7,000 education scholarship accounts to serve up to 20,000 students, failed to pass before adjournment.  
  • Rep. Chris Hurt’s HB 902, which would have enhanced the state’s current data sharing system to help inform education and workforce policy, failed to pass before adjournment. 

Virginia 

• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed three bills into law:  
  • Delegate Carrie Coyner’s college acceleration bill, HB 1087, requires the Department of Education and the Virginia Community College System to establish the College and Career Ready Virginia Program to provide dual enrollment opportunities to students. 
  • Sen. Mark Peake’s teacher pipeline bill, SB 352, focuses on alternate routes for teacher licensure, including for teachers of career and technical education programs. 
  • Delegate Carrie Coyner’s HB 1083 requires the Secretary of Education to convene a work group to review the current capabilities and future needs of the Longitudinal Data System and the Virginia Workforce Data Trust and to develop a plan that creates public-facing dashboards regarding education, labor and the workforce. 

• The Virginia State Board of Education voted favorably to change the school accreditation model and improve school accountability by transparently rating Virginia schools using at least four performance categories.  
• The Virginia legislature met for an amendment/veto session on April 17. Following the session, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and legislative leaders announced they will reconvene on May 13 to finalize the budget. 

 
West Virginia 

• The West Virginia legislature adjourned. Gov. Jim Justice signed the following bills:  
  • Delegate Joe Ellington’s HB 4814 extends the sunset date of the State Advisory Council on Postsecondary Attainment Goals to December 31, 2027. The Council is tasked with conducting a return-on-investment analysis of college and career pathway policies and studying the connection of K-12 pathways to postsecondary education attainment and business/industry needs.   
  • Delegate Jared Cannon’s HB 5690 creates the West Virginia Task Force on Artificial Intelligence that will develop model policies for AI use in schools. 
  • Delegate Paul Espinosa’s HB 4945 amends various codes relating to the administration of the Hope Scholarship Program. 

Wisconsin 

• The Wisconsin legislature recently filed a lawsuit against Gov. Tony Evers regarding his recent line-item veto of an appropriations bill on early literacy. The state budget, which Gov. Evers signed, set aside $50 million for early literacy. The governor used his line item veto power to change multiple allocations of funds into a single $50 million appropriation to the Department of Public Instruction. The lawsuit claims that this partial line-item veto was unconstitutional.