Six States Join Network to Advance High School Innovation

Alexandria, Va.—The National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) is pleased to welcome six state boards of education to its High School Transformation State Network (HSTSN): California, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, and Washington. These leading states are building collaborative teams to advance their statewide high school transformation efforts.

With funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and in partnership with KnowledgeWorks, a national nonprofit that helps promote policy efforts that support innovative teaching and learning practices, NASBE launched the HSTSN in September 2024. The network will build the capacity of state boards to enable rich learning experiences that foster content mastery and durable skills. Since the launch, advisory councils of national experts in high school transformation and current high school students from nine states have been working with NASBE to provide guidance on project goals, share relevant research, and foster connections across the network.

“States are increasingly focused on creating more relevant and effective high school experiences to better prepare students for the future,” said NASBE President and CEO Paolo DeMaria. “NASBE’s High School Transformation State Network has made great progress in a short time, thanks to the collaboration of national and state partners, as well as students, who have provided invaluable insights on key project activities. We’re eager to launch the next phase: helping these six states build on their progress to date and drive systemic changes that will make the high school years meaningful and valuable for every student.”

Over the next two years, HSTSN state teams made up of state boards, state policymakers in higher education, school and workforce development leaders, and students will examine policies and practices that facilitate or hinder high school transformation and develop action plans that promote cross-sector collaboration and enable local innovation in the best interest of students.

• California’s whole child approach to education focuses on modernizing curriculum and assessment systems to ensure mastery of durable skills. In partnership with the Labor Department and Community College System, they are developing a Master Plan for Career Education, which will play a key role in their network activities.
• Indiana has implemented policies over the past two years that have enabled schools to innovate by offering richer school experiences tailored to students’ career aspirations. Driving the state’s progress is a deep-seated commitment to high school transformation, along with strong collaboration among state policymakers, school leaders, and community organizations.
• Kentucky has a strong vision of high school transformation centered on engaged, relevant, and personalized education. Its “United We Learn” initiative is driving shifts in the learning experiences of students at every level, including high school, through its Portrait of a Learner and alignment of P-12 and postsecondary experiences.
• Missouri recognizes the important role innovation plays to ensure students are ready for work and life. Its Success-Ready Student Network equips schools and districts to adopt a competency-based learning approach, enabling more personalized learning experiences for all students. At the same time, the state’s accountability system encourages the expansion of work-based learning opportunities and advanced coursework.
• New York is building on its Portrait of a Graduate work by updating its high school graduation requirements and diploma structures to better align with evolving workforce needs.
• The Washington state board launched the FutureReady initiative to update graduation requirements and better prepare students for success in work and life. Through its High School and Beyond Plan, the board is expanding opportunities for personalized planning, student choice, and readiness for postsecondary pathways.

“HSTSN will help the Kentucky state board advance key priorities and bring a much-needed coherence to our efforts. We look forward to learning from our colleagues in other states and national organizations with expertise in high school innovation,” said Kentucky State Board Member Juston Pate.

“Being part of this cohort will allow us to bounce our ideas off other state board members and to learn from their work,” said Scott Bess, member of the Indiana State Board of Education. “The ultimate goal is to create policies that increase student success, and the learning from this work will help us accelerate that process.”

In addition to partnering with KnowledgeWorks on the network, NASBE is also coordinating efforts with the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

NASBE serves as the only membership organization for state boards of education. A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, NASBE elevates state board members’ voices in national and state policymaking, facilitates the exchange of informed ideas, and supports members in advancing equity and excellence in public education for students of all races, genders, and circumstances. Learn more at www.nasbe.org.

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