Gender Identity Guidance – Departments of Education by State

Below you’ll find a list of links to state department of education websites for each state regarding their policies, guidance and/or recommendations regarding gender identity and transgender students in schools.

Some states listed below do not have official policies or guidance; those states have resources a school district can use, if they so choose.

If your state is not listed, it means we are still researching their official polices and guidance on this issue. Please contact your state department of education for their official polices. If you know of state guidance on gender that we are missing, please let us know here.

Alaska

Administrative Guidelines: Working with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students and Employees (Official State Policy Document)

Arizona

Resources for LGBTQ+ Students, Educators, and Families (Arizona Department of Education Website as of November 23, 2022)

California

Protecting Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students Against Discrimination (Official State Policy Document)

Frequently Asked Questions: May a student’s gender identity be shared with the student’s parents, other students, or members of the public? (California Department of Education Website)

Colorado

Title IX: Transgender Students (Colorado Department of Education Website)

Connecticut

Guidance on Civil Rights Protections and Supports for Transgender Students (Official State Policy Document)

Delaware

Proposed Department of Education Regulation (Delaware Department of Education Website)

District of Columbia

Transgender and Gender- Nonconforming Policy Guidance (Official Policy Document)

Hawaii

Guidance on Supports for Transgender Students (Official State Policy Document)

Illinois

Supporting Transgender, Nonbinary and Gender Nonconforming Students (Official State Policy Document)

Indiana

National Education Association Education Support Professionals: Perspectives on Bullying (Indiana State Department of Education Website)

Iowa

Equality for Transgender Students (Iowa State Department of Education Website, Iowa State Department of Education as of January 16, 2022)

Kentucky

Considerations for Using Student Preferred Names (Official State Policy Document)

Supporting LGBTQI Plus Students (Kentucky Department of Education Website)

Massachusetts

Guidance for Massachusetts Public Schools Creating a Safe and Supportive School Environment (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Website)

Maine

Transgender and Gender Expansive Students (Official State Policy Document)

LGBTQ+ School Resources (Maine Department of Education Website)

Maryland

Providing Safe Spaces for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth: Guidelines for Gender Identity Non-Discrimination (Official State Policy Document)

Michigan

State Board of Education Statement and Guidance on Safe and Supportive Learning Environments for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Students (Official State Policy Document)

Minnesota

A Toolkit for Ensuring Safe and Supportive Schools for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students (Official State Policy Document)

Ensuring Safe and Supportive Schools (Minnesota Department of Education Website)

Nevada

Persons with diverse gender identities or expressions: School or school district required to address rights and needs; adoption of policy; individual plan for pupil; list of resources provided by Department (Official State Policy Document)

Supporting Sex/Gender Diverse Students (Nevada Department of Education Website)

New Jersey

Transgender Student Guidance for School Districts (Official State Policy Document)

New York

Guidance to School Districts for Creating a Safe and Supportive School Environment For Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students (Official State Policy Document)

Ohio

U.S. Department of Education confirms Title IX protects students from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (Ohio State Department of Education Website)

Oregon

Guidance to School Districts: Creating a Safe and Supportive School Environment for Transgender Students (Official State Policy Document)

Pennsylvania

​Gender/Gender Identity: Creating Gender-Inclusive Schools and Classrooms (Pennsylvania Department of Education Website)

Creating LGBTQ Inclusive Schools (Pennsylvania Department of Education Website)

Rhode Island

Guidance for Rhode Island Schools on Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students (Official State Policy Document)

Regulations Governing Protections for Students Rights to be Free from Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, or Gender Expression (Official State Policy Document)

Utah

Utah State Board of Education Gender Identity Guidance (Official State Policy Document)

Vermont

Continuing Best Practices for Schools Regarding Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Students (Official State Policy Document)

Virginia

UPDATE: Gov. Youngkin introduces new model policy for Virginia transgender students, FOX 5 DC

Model Policies for the Treatment of Transgender Students in Virginia’s Public Schools (Official State Policy Document)

Washington

Creating Gender-Inclusive Schools (Official State Policy Document)

Gender-Inclusive Schools (Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction Website)

Wisconsin

Safe Schools for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Students (Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Website)

Nondiscrimination Guidelines Related to Students Who Are Transgender and Students Nonconforming to Gender Role Stereotype, Menasha Joint School District (Official Policy Document, listed on Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Website)