2019

The 2019 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence sets a national standard—a “north star”—for how state governments can consistently and effectively use evidence and data in budget, policy, and management decisions to achieve better outcomes for their residents.

In the 2019 Invest in What Works State Standard of Excellence (State Standard of Excellence), Results for America identified 125 examples of data-driven and evidence-based practices, policies, programs, and systems in effect as of June 2019 in 33 states across the country.

Overall, five states are leading the way with their use of data-driven and evidence-based practices, policies, programs, and systems. These Leading States are Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Three states are Rising Stars that have significantly increased their evidence and data efforts: Maryland (from three promising examples in 2018 to six in 2019), Nevada (new leading example of using evidence in nine education grant programs), and North Carolina (from one promising example in 2018 to four in 2019).

The 2019 State Standard of Excellence shows how state governments are using evidence and data to improve results for their residents by investing in what works. The examples of data-driven and evidence-based practices, policies, programs, and systems in the 2019 State Standard of Excellence demonstrate that state governments thrive when they incorporate evidence-based policy into their budget, policy, and management decisions. Moreover, the efforts of these state governments are informing their peers, policymakers, and the public about the effectiveness of using evidence and data to invest taxpayer dollars in what works.

The 2019 State Standard of Excellence demonstrates growing bipartisan momentum in state governments’ building and use of evidence and data. Between May 2018 and June 2019, Results for America identified an increase in the overall number of state government examples from 88 to 125, representing 33 states (including five new states not represented in 2018: Arizona, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, and Vermont). Particularly notable areas of growth were education with a 300% increase in the number of examples and workforce with a 400% increase.

Results for America’s analysis is based on data provided under license by the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative (which was used to inform its 2017 report on states’ engagement in evidence-based policymaking) and input from more than 150 current and former state government officials and other experts.¹