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This chartbook is the 14th version to be produced for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB). The Chartbook describes the diversity of the Appalachian Region on a host of demographic and economic measures and provides an important annual view of the area and its people. The data contained in the 2018-2022 Chartbook describe how residents in the Appalachian Region were faring before and during the COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020. Nearly half of the years during this time period were pre-pandemic and half were during the pandemic era. Thus, this Chartbook is a blend of these two eras. As future data releases reflect the post-pandemic era, data users will have additional insights on the long-term changes that the pandemic brought to Appalachia's social and economic dynamics. Most of the data shown here come from the 2018-2022 American Community Survey (ACS), a nationwide study collected continuously every year in every county in the United States by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data each year. To provide as much county-level data as possible, we use ACS 5-year data files which provide reliable estimates for geographic areas with fewer than 20,000 people. Since many counties in the Appalachian Region have fewer than 20,000 residents, these data permit comparable statistics for all 423 counties in the Region. The primary purpose of the ACS is to measure the changing characteristics of the U.S. population in a way that is continually updated. The estimates in this Chartbook, therefore, are data collected over the five-year (or 60-month) period from January 2018 through December 2022. These ACS estimates are not averages of monthly or annual values, but rather an aggregation of data collected continuously over that time period.

Home visiting connects expectant parents, new caregivers, and their young children with a support person, called a home visitor. The home visitor meets regularly with the family, develops a relationship with them, and supports them to achieve their goals and meet their needs. To reach the thousands of additional families who could benefit from home visiting, we must increase support for culturally relevant and family-centered models. A new report -- "Community-Based Home Visiting: Fidelity to Families, Commitment to Outcomes" -- delves into the unique strengths and challenges of community-based home visiting models, whose design and measures of success intentionally center the perspectives of the families and communities they serve. These models are often developed by those with experience with the unique cultures, strengths, and solutions of he community they live in and aim to serve. This report summarizes themes from listening sessions with 30+ community-based home visiting models from across the country. It offers policy and funding recommendations that would improve support for these models and therefore families' access to home visiting that best meets their goals. [Additional support was provided by the National Home Visiting Coalition Steering Committee.]

Salaries are one of the most powerful policy levers states and school districts can use to attract qualified, effective, and diverse teachers. What role do states play in supporting strategic use of salaries? This report examines the state teacher compensation policies that influence districts' potential strategic use of teacher pay. It analyzes three types of state policies that aim to attain three purposes: (1) Differentiated pay: To attract teachers to traditionally hard-to-staff subjects or schools; (2) Performance pay: To reward high-performing teachers; and (3) Pay for prior work: To compensate teacher candidates for prior experience relevant to teaching. With the influx of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, some states have designed new or expanded already existing initiatives aimed to attract or retain teachers to hard-to-staff positions. The analysis in this report includes these state strategies, while acknowledging that they might only remain in place temporarily while ESSER funds remain available. [For the the second report in this three-part series, "State of the States 2021: Teacher Preparation Policy," see ED611532.]

The American Community Survey (ACS), a nationwide study collected continuously every year in every county in the United States, is designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data each year. These ACS estimates are not averages of monthly or annual values, but rather an aggregation of data collected over the five-year period. The data contained in this Chartbook describe how residents in the Appalachian Region were faring before and during the initial 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in March 2020. As such, these numbers do not measure the social and economic impact of the outbreak beyond 2020. As data from the pandemic and post-pandemic period are released in the coming years, these figures can serve as a point of comparison that ultimately can enable data users to better measure the pandemic's effect on Appalachia's social and economic dynamics. [For the 2015-2019 Chartbook, see ED613609.]

In recent years, the federal Department of Education (ED), and state and local educational agencies (SEAs and LEAs, respectively) have been increasing the emphasis on the need to engage parents and families of students in their children's education. Initiatives have sprung up across the fifty states and Washington, D.C. to help officials at the state, school district, and school levels establish two-way communication with parents, provide information transparency, and better incorporate family feedback into decisions that will affect their children's education. Academic research on parental engagement in education also provides evidence for the effectiveness of engaging families in open dialogues with their children's schools. For example, according to the CDC, "Research shows that parent engagement in schools is closely linked to better student behavior, higher academic achievement, and enhanced social skills." The R5CC team carried out a 50-state scan to examine state parent/family engagement approaches. This topical brief provides examples of state approaches to parental engagement, highlights federal efforts in this area, and includes a summary of parental engagement initiatives in Region 5 states: Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

This report, the first in the Economic Vitality and Education in the South (EVES) series, provides state-by-state information on more than 20 critical data points associated with the education-to-workforce pipeline. The report looks specifically at the 17 states in the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) region: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. It explores persistent and historic outcome gaps for Black, Hispanic, and low-income Americans and discusses how inequities in the education system and the labor force--due to these persistent gaps--are often more pronounced in the South.

Opponents of educational choice recycle the same false prophesies of doom without regard to the evidence or the size and scope of the proposals. Part I of this report assesses the validity of choice opponents' predictions that choice policies will lead to significant losses of district school funding and declining academic performance. Part II of this report explores whether there is any relationship between the intensity of choice opponents' rhetoric and the size and scope of the choice proposal on which they are commenting.

Every year millions of Americans gain valuable college credit-worthy learning through workplace training, the military, apprenticeships, & professional certifications. Nearly all of this learning goes unrecognized by colleges & universities. Without a consistent way to recognize, reward, and transfer this learning, many people are left with postsecondary-level skills and abilities but no credit to show for it. The shortcomings of our current system disproportionately affect individuals whose learning occurs in a variety of non-classroom settings. Most degree and credential pathways reward traditional in-class learning, privileging students who take more traditional paths while reinforcing barriers for those historically not well served by postsecondary institutions. The result is persistent inequities and lower educational attainment for many--especially adult learners, first generation students, veterans, and Black, Latinx, and Native American learners. This policy toolkit seeks to support states in ensuring all college-level learning is applied to college credentials. Such efforts promise to expand opportunities for academic and career advancement, meet growing demand for jobs in new sectors, and dismantle barriers to economic and social mobility. This toolkit includes: (1) State policy priorities and must-haves that detail how states can support credentialing out-of-classroom learning through improved data, statewide transfer and articulation, uniform learning recognition, transparent credential pathways and supportive policy infrastructure. Each policy priority area outlines "must-have" elements to ensure policies are comprehensive and center equity, accountability, quality, and affordability; (2) State policy exemplars that provide examples of innovative statewide policies that support a system to recognize all learning. Particular attention is paid to promoting equity, accountability, quality, and affordability in the design of policies; (3) Barriers and solutions that explain common barriers to adopting an ALC statewide agenda and provides examples and strategies for overcoming challenges; and (4) No Time to Waste: Standards for Statewide Crosswalks That Ensure All Learning Counts, a report that clarifies how states can create clear and comprehensive crosswalks that show how learning from multiple providers can be combined to put people closer to a degree or credential of value.

This report presents state- and county-level data for the Appalachian Region. The 12 chapters focus on: (1) Population Basics; (2) Age; (3) Race and Hispanic Origin; (4) Housing Occupancy, Tenure, and Type; (5) Education, Device Ownership, and Internet Access; (6) Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment; (7) Transportation and Commuting Patterns; (8) Income and Poverty (9) Health and Insurance Coverage; (10) Disability Status; (11) Migration; and (12) Veteran Status. Most of the data come from the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. This year's Chartbook includes two appendices. Appendix A uses selected demographic and socioeconomic measures to provide an overview comparing rural Appalachia (defined here as nonmetropolitan counties not adjacent to any metropolitan area) to rural areas outside the Appalachian Region. (It also includes a map showing the location of these rural counties.) Appendix B contains two reference maps--one of the five Appalachian subregions, and one of the five rural-urban county types. Both the subregions and county types are referenced throughout the report. [For the 2014-2018 Chartbook, see ED606327.]

One year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced state and school leaders across the nation and around the world to immediately close school buildings, the lasting impact on students is increasingly evident: Months of online learning and limited in-person interaction with educators, coaches and mentors have led to gaps in learning, and unknown emotional impacts on millions of K12 students and educators. Experiences of the past year have brought deeper understanding and greater clarity on how best to organize schooling and deliver instruction in a way that minimizes health risks and maximizes learning and engagement. Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and National Governors Association (NGA) analyzed emerging state efforts to accelerate student learning this summer and during the 2021-22 school year. They reviewed available state plans, websites, media reports and gubernatorial State of the State addresses for most states. Because each state is at different stages in their planning, in many cases, the documents reviewed were initial drafts, plan outlines (with specifics still being developed) or the first in a series of resources being developed. This memo provides an overview of notable strategies and trends that were identified through this analysis, and is organized around four major steps, which serve as the framing for this memo. Along with describing the activities states are taking as part of each step, this memo includes a range of state examples and links to related resources. As state approaches continue to evolve and plans are finalized, states are encouraged to share their detailed strategies with CCSSO, NGA and the field. The four major steps states are taking include: (1) Getting organized and understanding what needs to happen; (2) Using summer 2021 to accelerate learning; (3) Supporting more students to be successful learners; and (4) Tackling other challenges: Future considerations.

Among all in-school factors that impact student learning, teachers carry the most weight -- but school leaders are not far behind. Decades of research have proven the positive influence principals can have on student achievement, school climate and teaching quality. New evidence suggests that their impact may be even greater than previously thought, as principals continue to assume the roles of instructional and change leaders. This new Policy Snapshot identifies two major themes in state legislation introduced between 2017 and 2020 concerning the development of, and support for, school leaders: (1) Pre-service training and induction programs?that prepare leaders for the job; and (2) In-service professional development training?that supports student needs and success. This resource builds on a similar Policy Snapshot, published in 2019. [For "School and District Leadership. Policy Snapshot," see ED603064.]

"An Overview of Coal and the Economy in Appalachia," a report commissioned by the Appalachian Regional Commission, details major trends in coal employment and production in the Appalachian Region over the past two decades. The report examines where employment and production losses have been concentrated within the Region, and also what might be driving these declines. Furthermore, the report also explores the variation in socioeconomic indicators -- labor force, population, income, education, and health -- by mining and non-mining counties within Appalachia.

Despite the myriad of challenges that families, students, teachers and policymakers faced in 2021, the momentum to transform education did not waver. New opportunities for students unfolded in more than a dozen states through expanded private and public school choice. An additional 1.7 million students gained eligibility for private choice alone, and strong investments by states supported learning options, with an impressive total of more than $1 billion for new choice programs and funding for charter schools. States also invested deeply in closing the digital divide and building better workforce training and college acceleration programs. Florida set an example with a comprehensive education-to-workforce package that was supported by ExcelinEd's Pathways Matter policy research and resources. And states continued to strengthen early literacy through policy improvements and new funding totaling $330 million in Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Tennessee and Wisconsin alone. This year's annual report touches on state accomplishments; thought leadership highlights; and the 2021 National Summit on Education. Remaining sections focus on providing families with access to the learning environment that best fits their child's needs; ensuring every student has equitable access to the digital superhighway; supporting every student in gaining in-demand skills for lifelong success; guaranteeing every child receives academic support to learn, succeed and achieve their full potential; and fiscal accountability. [For the 2020 report, see ED619617.]

This report presents state- and county-level data for the Appalachian Region. The 12 chapters focus on: (1) Population Basics; (2) Age; (3) Race and Hispanic Origin; (4) Housing Occupancy, Tenure, and Type; (5) Education, Device Ownership, and Internet Access; (6) Labor Force, Employment, and Unemployment; (7) Transportation and Commuting Patterns; (8) Income and Poverty (9) Health and Insurance Coverage; (10) Disability Status; (11) Migration; and (12) Veteran Status. Most of the data contained in this chartbook come from the 2014-2018 American Community Survey. This year's Chartbook includes two appendices. Appendix A uses selected demographic and socioeconomic measures to provide an overview comparing rural Appalachia (defined here as nonmetropolitan counties not adjacent to any metropolitan area) to rural areas outside the Appalachian Region. (It also includes a map showing the location of these rural counties.) Appendix B contains two reference maps--one of the five Appalachian subregions, and one of the five rural-urban county types. Both the subregions and county types are referenced throughout the report. [For the 2012-2016 Chartbook, see ED585953.]

This is the first of two reports exploring the relationship between coal activity and funding for elementary and secondary education in the Appalachian Region. In this first report, patterns in funding for elementary and secondary education are explored using annual data from 1995 to 2016. Counties that had some level of coal employment over this time period (coal counties) are compared to counties that had no coal employment over the same time (non-coal counties). This descriptive analysis finds that educational attainment rates in the Appalachian Region lag behind national rates, often by a significant margin. There is considerable heterogeneity in educational attainment across and within Appalachia, with coal communities within states sometimes outperforming non-coal communities and vice versa. However the reports finds that coal counties generally have similar levels of spending and local revenues per student as the nation as a whole. Although, there is significant variation across counties and states. The second report aims to isolate the impacts of coal activity, including employment and production, on local revenues for elementary and secondary education. [The report was prepared by the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.]

To innovate for the future and improve equity, while also protecting foundational and proven principles that support high-quality education, ExcelinEd is committing to 5 goals over 5 years to impact 5 million students. Those goals hold the key to impactful and far-reaching changes in education, with the power to transform schools, students' lives, communities and America's future. ExcelinEd's work is laser-focused to bridge the digital divide; close learning gaps; empower families with opportunity; strengthen pathways to college and career; and reimagine learning. The pages of this report capture the policy solutions and progress toward that vision. [For the 2019 report, see ED619667.]

Researchers suggest that the economy of the future will consist of jobs that do not currently exist, there will likely be a shortage of individuals with necessary education and credentials to fill those jobs, and if the nation does not produce this workforce, there will likely be a $1.72 trillion loss in productivity by 2030. Considering these projections, policymakers continue to seek ways to create opportunities for individuals to access training and education that translate to jobs and careers, all while meeting the labor demands of an evolving economy. States have introduced and enacted legislation that forms connections between education and workforce development. While these connections can take place at a local or institutional level, many states have enacted policy that expands beyond local activity to make statewide workforce development and education connections. This Policy Snapshot reviews 2019 enacted legislation pertaining to postsecondary education and workforce development. It breaks legislative activity into four main categories -- (1) career pathways and skills; (2) partnerships and working groups; (3) financial incentives; and (4) workforce data -- with state examples for each.

Most districts help teachers use data to improve student learning, often supporting this effort with federal funds. But many teachers feel unprepared to use student data to inform their instruction -- referred to as data-driven instruction (DDI) -- and there is little evidence of whether it improves student achievement. This report assesses an intensive approach to supporting teachers' use of student data to tailor their instruction. The report found that this specific approach to DDI did not improve students' achievement, perhaps because the approach did not change teachers' reported use of data or classroom practices. [For the executive summary, see ED598643. For the appendices, see ED598645. For the study highlights, see ED598648.]

The purpose of this slide deck is to shine a spotlight on education in the American South with a focus on equity and to provide an understanding of the historical, social, political, and economic context in which the education sector operates. Any movement serious about improving education and life outcomes for underserved student groups -- including low-income, minority, and rural -- must engage the South. The South is home to 56 percent of all black students in the United States. Poverty rates and free and reduced-price lunch eligibility are higher in the South than in other regions. The region is also an economic powerhouse, contributing more to the U.S. economy than any other region. Yet the economic reality for many people living in the South is stark. Poverty rates are higher and incomes are lower in the South than in other regions. Southern states rank among the bottom in measures of health and well-being. Meanwhile, with a few notable exceptions, education reform efforts in the South are spotty at best. This deck of slides provides the latest information available on the education landscape in the South. The goal is to inform; to spark deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in education in the American South and more work to address the needs of students in this diverse and complex region of our country.

This study examines state- and county-level data for the 13 Appalachian states from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey (ACS) and from U.S. Census Bureau population estimates on topics including population, age, race and ethnicity, housing occupancy and tenure, education, labor force, employment and unemployment, income and poverty, health insurance coverage, disability status, migration patterns, and veteran status. Additionally, data are provided on types of housing units, homeownership, types of living arrangements, travel time to work and location of work, and income-to-poverty ratio. New to the study this year is information on computer device ownership, internet access, and household vehicle availability. Information is summarized for five Appalachian subregions and five metro designations. The report also compares data from two recent non-overlapping time periods, allowing the study of trends. [For the 2012-2016 Chartbook, see ED585953.]

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) and its state member leaders play a pivotal role in driving high-speed broadband access to all students to best prepare them for college and careers. Complementing the 2016 "State K-12 Broadband Leadership: Driving Connectivity and Access" (see ED569341), this publication highlights the importance of state leadership and the various ways states strive to support districts and schools. Students deserve these equitable opportunities both on and off campus. States demonstrate leadership through legislation, initiatives, partnerships, statewide broadband networks, regional networks, and/or statewide purchasing consortia to facilitate reliable, cost-effective internet access for districts. States are also developing strategies to help ensure all students have adequate internet access both on and off campus, whether it is publicizing affordable home internet options; the availability of free internet at community locations; or the ability to provide Wi-Fi on school buses. With state leadership to ensure connectivity and access, districts and schools can achieve their goals for digital learning for all students. No one state has the same policies or practices, yet all states are providing leadership. [Additional funding for this report was provided by Parana River Group (PRG).]

The National School Lunch Program's (NSLP) original goal was to help students in need, but policy changes in the past decade have made students from middle-income and upper-income families eligible for federally funded school meals. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), an expansion of the NSLP enacted in 2010, effectively created a federal entitlement to school meals for all children, regardless of income, in certain areas. With more and more students eligible for and participating in the NSLP, more and more resources meant for students in need will be lost. If Washington wants to help students from low-income families, federal officials should repeal the CEP, and continue to use student-enrollment mechanisms, such as direct certification, to reduce errors in one of the nation's most error-prone federal systems.

Sixty-seven school finance reforms (SFRs) in 26 states have taken place since 1990; however, there is little empirical evidence on the heterogeneity of SFR effects. We provide a comprehensive description of how individual reforms affected resource allocation to low- and high-income districts within states, including both financial and non-financial outcomes. After summarizing the heterogeneity of individual SFR impacts, we then examine its correlates, identifying both policy and legislative/political factors. Taken together, this research aims to provide a rich description of variation in states' responses to SFRs, as well as explanation of this heterogeneity as it relates to contextual factors.

This Policy Brief provides a detailed look at 529 education savings plans -- investment accounts with tax advantages -- including a breakdown of maximum annual dollar amounts and state tax deductions allowed, state responses to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, information on legislation in 2018 that changes eligible expenses allowed under 529 plans and a list of questions for state policymakers to consider when identifying the types of data they wish to collect on their existing 529 plans.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, state education leaders have been developing numerous innovative approaches to supporting high school students who are pursuing career pathways and preparing them for successful outcomes beyond secondary education. This topical brief summarizes state needs and strategies related to supporting and promoting career pathways in two Comprehensive Centers (CC): Region 5 (Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia) and Region 14 (Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas).

This study examines state- and county-level data for the Appalachian Region. The 11 chapters focus on: (1) Population Basics; (2) Age; (3) Race and Hispanic Origin; (4) Housing Occupancy, Tenure, and Type; (5) Education; (6) Labor Force, Employment, Unemployment, and Commuting Patterns; (7) Income and Poverty; (8) Health Insurance Coverage (9) Disability Status; (10) Migration; and (11) Veteran Status. Data come from the 2011-2016 American Community Survey (ACS) for the Appalachian region. Beginning with this year's chartbook, the data in Chapters 1 through 3 come not from the ACS, but instead from the postcensal population estimates from the Census Bureau's Population Division. This year's chartbook also includes data for several new subject areas. In addition to information on housing occupancy and tenure, Chapter 4 now also includes tables and maps on the type of housing units (such as single- or multiple-unit dwellings) and types of living arrangements (family households, nonfamily households, and group quarters) for residents in the Appalachian Region. Chapter 6 now includes information on commuting patterns (that is, travel time to and place of work) as well as labor force, employment, and unemployment patterns. Finally, in addition to tables and maps on income and poverty, Chapter 7 now also includes data on income-to-poverty ratios, which measure how closely Appalachian residents' incomes compare to the federal poverty threshold. The chartbook also includes two reference maps--one of the five Appalachian subregions and one of the five rural-urban county types. Both the subregions and county types are referenced throughout the report. [For the 2011-2015 Chartbook, see ED580141.]

A governor's State of the State address is an opportunity to outline policy priorities, highlight past accomplishments and reflect on the condition of the state and country. In 2018, 17 governors are serving their last year in office, having reached the end of their term or deciding not to seek re-election. Many of them used their State of the State addresses to emphasize the importance of collegiality among policymakers. When governing bodies function well, the state and its citizens reap the benefits--a principal benefit being an education that prepares citizens for well-paying jobs. Each year, Education Commission of the States tracks, analyzes and identifies trends in education policy proposals featured in governors' State of the State addresses. To date, 44 governors have delivered their 2018 addresses. The top six education priorities across states are discussed in this report: (1) School Finance; (2) Workforce Development; (3) Postsecondary Affordability; (4) Career and Technical Education; (5) Teacher Quality; and (6) Early Learning.

A college degree is increasingly vital for career mobility and economic success as more employers are requiring greater levels of education and credentials. For more than 150 years, historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have played a leading role in graduating black students and have made significant contributions to the workforce and economic vitality of the nation. A historically black college and university is defined as "… any historically black college or university that was established before 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of African Americans." There are 101 accredited public and private HBCUs located in 19 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. While these institutions only represent 3 percent of the nation's colleges and universities, they are economic engines in both their regional communities and the nation, generating substantial economic returns annually. gional economies and how much graduates benefit in terms of increased earnings over a working lifetime. The study noted that every dollar spent on, and by, an HBCU and its students has a positive chain reaction in terms of heightened economic activity, increased job creation, and greater earning potential for graduates. At the national level, the study's key findings revealed that: (1) HBCUs annually generate 134,090 jobs and $14.8 billion in total economic impact for their local and regional economies; and (2) HBCU graduates from 2014 can expect total earnings of $130 billion over their lifetimes--56 percent more than they could expect to earn without their college degrees.