A critical step in changing the present system is to introduce and adopt public policies to advance college preparation, enrollment, and completion for underserved students. The tools in this section are specifically designed to support policymakers and leaders at the state and district levels.

The following tools are included in this section (click on the links below to access the tools):

• College Readiness for All and the No Child Left Behind Act: Mutually Supportive Visions and Complementary Goals - A paper that crosswalks the PCN Action Framework with NCLB.
• SPIDO: State Policy Inventory Database Online - a cross-referenced list of state policies related to college preparation, access, retention, and financial aid.

Policy Resources

• Analyzing State and Regional K-16 Policies, a Toolkit for Researchers and Policy Analysts - A policy development toolkit that includes a project overview, state self-study tools, state and regional policies, assessment policy models, inventory of instruments, data handling, and publications list.
• Getting It Done: Ten Steps to a State Action Agenda - from the National Governors Association
• Increasing Rates of School Completion: Moving from Policy and Research to Practice - NCSET manual for educators, administrators, and policymakers that describes 11 proven interventions for increasing school completion among youth with disabilities
• Newcomer's Guide to the Policy Process - Short, informal guide to state-level policymaking.
• P-16 Primer - This publication from ECS is a practical introduction to the concept, language, and policy issues of an integrated system of public education.
• Ready for Tomorrow: Helping all students achieve secondary and postsecondary success - A guide for governors that gives an overview of the state role in creating a system where all students achieve.
• Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma that Counts (Executive Summary) - An overview document including background on policies and issues from Achieve, Inc.
• State Policy Options to Support a P-16 System of Public Education - A series of papers on policy issues.