K-12 education news — school policy, curriculum changes, funding, and issues affecting students and families.
Poorly fitting sports bras are forcing some women and girls away from sport – new research
# Poorly Fitting Sports Bras Deter Female Athletes, But Education Remains Rare Inadequately fitting sports bras drive girls and women away from physi…
College students feel more pressure to be perfect. Experts explain why
College students report sharply elevated levels of perfectionism, with both anxiety-driven perfectionist concerns and achievement-oriented perfectioni…
Why K-12 cybersecurity education needs practice, not just awareness
# K-12 Schools Must Shift Cybersecurity Teaching from Rules to Real-World Practice K-12 schools teach cybersecurity wrong. Most programs focus on awa…
How chronic absenteeism shifted in Canadian kindergarten after COVID-19
# Chronic Absenteeism Surges in Canadian Kindergarten Following COVID-19 Disruption Chronic absenteeism in Canadian kindergarten classrooms has shift…
Here’s how teachers and parents can collaborate and help Michigan’s 1.4M students succeed
# How Michigan Schools Can Unlock Parent-Teacher Partnerships for 1.4 Million Students Michigan's nearly 1.4 million K-12 students depend on strong c…
The everyday access control gaps schools overlook
# Schools Face Blind Spots in Campus Access Control, Despite Security Spending School leaders have poured resources into campus security over the pas…
20 Leadership Training Topics For Developing Effective Leaders
# Schools and Districts Adopt 20-Point Leadership Development Framework to Build Stronger Administrative Pipelines School districts face a persistent…
Twenty-five years after 9/11: an over-reliance on technology is leaving us vulnerable
# Twenty-Five Years After 9/11: Why Tech-Heavy Security May Not Make Schools Safer A quarter century after the September 11 attacks, American schools…
Virginia preschoolers embark on their very first day of school
# Virginia Preschoolers Start New Chapter as Classrooms Fill Across the State Preschoolers at Charles City Elementary School, located outside Richmon…
The first day of school: Bells, bikes, buses and big feelings
# Back-to-School Season Brings Joy, Logistics, and Big Transitions Across America The start of a new school year arrived across the country this week…
Why reading interventions plateau—and why New York’s new dyslexia center won’t change that
# Why Reading Interventions Hit a Wall, Even With New York's Dyslexia Center New York is opening a new dyslexia center focused on early identificatio…
Saltwater flooding could radically change which crops are worth growing
# Saltwater Flooding Threatens UK's Most Productive Farmland Saltwater flooding poses an existential threat to some of Britain's most productive agri…
Professor analyzes what schools do and don't teach about 9/11 and the subsequent wars
# How Schools Teach 9/11: A Growing Gap Between History and Classroom Reality Jeremy Stoddard, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, has studie…
How To Enforce a School Cell Phone Policy Without Becoming the Phone Police
# How Schools Can Enforce Cell Phone Policies While Keeping Teacher-Student Trust Intact School cell phone policies fail when enforcement turns into …
A smarter path to standards-based success: How Superior Public Schools united curriculum and data
Superior Public Schools transformed its approach to curriculum and instruction by building a unified system connecting learning standards directly to …
Why every middle school student deserves a second chance to learn to read
# Every Middle School Student Deserves a Second Chance to Learn to Read Most schools invest heavily in phonics instruction during kindergarten throug…
More teens are using summer for college and career prep
# More Teens Using Summer Months for College and Career Preparation Teenagers increasingly view summer breaks not as time off from academics but as s…
DEI in education: Pros and cons
# DEI in Education: Where Advocates and Critics Diverge Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives have reshaped American schools and colleges, but…
Chronic absenteeism could derail K-12 education
# Chronic Absenteeism Threatens Foundation of K-12 Education Nearly one in four American students chronically miss school, creating a crisis that und…
Why new math problems won’t solve our nation’s math problem
# Why New Math Problems Won't Solve Our Nation's Math Problem The United States faces a persistent math proficiency crisis. National Assessment of Ed…
As millions of kids lose SNAP food benefits, free school meals are also at risk
# As Millions of Kids Lose SNAP Food Benefits, Free School Meals Are Also at Risk A sharp decline in food assistance is threatening the nutrition sec…
Building an everyday equitable practice for AI in schools
# Building Equitable AI Use in Schools Requires Daily Practice, Not Just Policies Schools face growing pressure to integrate artificial intelligence …
The rise of remote psychoeducational testing: What school leaders need to know
# Remote Psychoeducational Testing Addresses Critical Special Education Bottleneck Special education services face a staffing and capacity crisis. Sc…
What K-20 leaders should know about building resilient campuses
# Building Resilient K-12 and Higher Education Campuses School buildings form the physical backbone of education systems. When infrastructure fails, …
AI use is on the rise, but is guidance keeping pace?
# AI Integration in Schools Outpaces Policy and Training Schools across the United States are deploying artificial intelligence tools at an accelerat…
Connected campuses: Modernizing education communications for safety and simplicity
# Connected Campuses: Modernizing Education Communications for Safety and Simplicity Schools, colleges, and universities face growing pressure to upg…
NYC schools ban student use of generative AI in classrooms through middle school
New York City's Department of Education has implemented what officials describe as the nation's broadest student-facing artificial intelligence restri…
Understanding the tech giants' oversized influence in American schools
# Tech Giants' Deep Reach Into American Classrooms Raises Questions About Corporate Influence Apple, Microsoft, and other technology companies have w…
A new approach to middle school math data boosted our state test scores
# State's Middle School Math Overhaul Yields Test Score Gains Through Targeted Data Analysis A state education system overhauled its middle school ma…
How Dolly Parton's literacy work affected Indigenous communities in Australia
# Dolly Parton's Literacy Legacy Reaches Indigenous Australia Dolly Parton died on November 6, 2023, at age 79. Her death sparked global tributes foc…
More school districts are shrinking. New research asks whether closures work
# School Closures Don't Save Money the Way Districts Expect, New Research Shows American school districts are shuttering campuses at a steady clip as…
Beyond the dashboard: Why K-12 educators need data literacy, not just data
# K-12 Schools Invest in Tools but Lack Skills to Use Them Effectively Schools spend millions on data dashboards and analytics platforms each year, y…
We stopped waiting for the teacher pipeline–we built our own
# One District Stops Asking Where Teachers Are. It Built Its Own Pipeline Instead. Teacher shortages have become a defining problem for American scho…
When seconds matter: Why in-building coverage is a lifeline for school safety
# When Seconds Matter: Why In-Building Coverage is a Lifeline for School Safety School emergencies demand split-second communication. Yet many U.S. s…
Mis-identifying “504-only” students
# Schools Struggle to Track 504 Students Separately from IDEA, Creating Data Blind Spot Schools across the country are failing to consistently distin…
How early cognitive training leads to lifelong brain strength
# Early Cognitive Training Builds Brain Strength That Lasts Into Adulthood Research into childhood brain development shows that targeted cognitive tr…
From fragmentation to fidelity: How Wayne-Westland built a literacy system that works
# Wayne-Westland Community Schools Rebuilds Literacy from the Ground Up Wayne-Westland Community Schools, serving students in Michigan, confronted a …
When it comes to student attendance, are districts measuring the wrong thing?
# School Districts Fixate on Attendance Numbers While Missing Deeper Learning Struggles School districts across the country are intensifying efforts …
Building pathways to purpose: How we can empower students for an uncertain future
# Building Career Pathways Prepares Students for Jobs Beyond the Classroom Teachers across the country face a mounting challenge: preparing students …
A superintendent’s view: Engagement, not enforcement, is the answer to absenteeism
# Superintendent's Approach to Chronic Absenteeism Pivots Toward Engagement Over Penalties Chronic student absenteeism has emerged as one of the most…
Key tips to help district leaders use data to improve attendance
# District Leaders Gain Tools to Combat Chronic Absenteeism Through Data Analysis Chronic absenteeism stands as one of the most pressing challenges i…
In districts, reaching readiness, retention, and success
# Districts Use Data-Driven Strategies to Improve Teacher Retention and Student Outcomes School districts across the country face a persistent challe…
How schools are handling AI, screen time and slashes to the Department of Education
# Schools Navigate AI Adoption, Screen Time Debates, and Education Department Uncertainty U.S. schools face three overlapping challenges as the 2024-…
Taking a deeper look at students’ well-being
# New Analysis Shows Student Well-Being Improving Despite Academic Headwinds While headlines fixate on declining test scores and pandemic learning lo…
Why digital resilience is critical for U.S. K-12 schools
# Digital Resilience Has Become Essential Infrastructure for U.S. K-12 Schools School districts across the United States face a stark reality in 2025…
Boosting student engagement on World Math Day
# World Math Day Drives Student Engagement Through Gamified Learning World Math Day channels gaming environments to boost student participation in ma…
Data intelligence in education: Building the right foundation for better decisions
# Data Intelligence in Education: Building Systems That Schools Can Actually Use Schools collect more data than ever before. Student performance reco…
Where traditional education falls short in an increasingly digital world
# Traditional Education Models Struggle to Prepare Students for Digital-First Careers Schools built on conventional teaching methods are failing to e…
5 secrets to stronger high school connections
# Building Stronger Connections Between High Schools and Families: Five Proven Strategies High school principals face a persistent challenge: bridgin…
How to navigate historically high absenteeism
# Chronic Absenteeism Remains at Historic Highs, Districts Search for Re-engagement Solutions U.S. schools face a persistent attendance crisis. Chron…
District leaders must adapt to meet changing student mental health and behavioral needs
School districts nationwide confront mounting student mental health and behavioral crises that demand structural change, not incremental fixes. Distri…
College readiness starts in kindergarten: Why rethinking K–12 math is the key
# College Readiness Starts Early: Why K-12 Math Reform Matters for Higher Education Success Senator Bill Cassidy's recent questioning of K-12 math pr…
A viral case against screens in schools is winning converts. Does the evidence hold up?
# The Screen-Free School Movement Gains Traction, But Science Offers a Mixed Picture A neuroscientist's high-profile campaign against educational tec…
Protecting teachers from workplace violence as student behavior challenges rise
# Schools Grapple With Rising Student Violence Against Teachers Student behavior disruptions have intensified across K-12 schools since the pandemic …
A new need-to-know for the AI classroom
# AI in the Classroom Demands a New Focus: Ownership Over Information Teachers face a fundamental shift in what students need to learn as generative …
Answering the question behind the question
# When Students Ask Questions, Teachers Should Listen Deeper The first question a student asks rarely reveals what they actually need to know. This i…
From innovation to impact: Three ways school districts can build a sustainable AI framework
School districts across the United States face a critical inflection point with artificial intelligence. The technology has moved beyond pilot program…
Why students disengage before they fall behind
# The Belonging Gap: Why Students Disengage Before Academic Failure Strikes Student disengagement precedes academic decline. A student can maintain g…
Gender-specific education: Examining boys’ educational needs and learning strategies
# Boys and Girls May Learn Differently, but Gender-Specific Classrooms Aren't the Answer Educational researchers are increasingly examining whether b…
When AI does the work, who does the learning?
# When AI Does the Work, Who Does the Learning? Schools face a deepening tension as artificial intelligence tools proliferate in classrooms. The dile…
4 ways to turn math fears into math cheers
# Four Strategies to Help Students Overcome Math Anxiety and Build Confidence Math anxiety affects roughly one in five students, creating a barrier t…
In a new survey, AI scores high as a math learning tool
# AI Tools Emerge as Trusted Math Resource for High-Performing Students Nearly 70 percent of top-performing math students rely on artificial intellig…
When AI means something different in every classroom
# When AI means something different in every classroom Schools across the country are adopting artificial intelligence tools without consistent polic…
The hidden cost of fragmented student data in K–12 schools
# The Hidden Cost of Fragmented Student Data in K-12 Schools Student information in American K-12 schools lives in fragments across incompatible syst…
3 states are testing out drones as a way to stop school shootings
# Three States Deploy Drones in Schools as Active Shooter Response Strategy Georgia, Florida, and Colorado have begun testing drone technology as a n…
Building inclusive school communities through integrated digital strategy
# Building Inclusive School Communities Through Integrated Digital Strategy Clear communication between schools and families forms the foundation of …
This elementary school banned screens in the middle of the year. Will it solve their reading crisis?
# Elementary School's Mid-Year Screen Ban Targets Reading Decline Mesick Consolidated Schools implemented a sweeping digital device ban across its el…
Oracy is the missing link for multilingual learners
# Oracy Offers Critical Pathway for Multilingual Students to Build Academic Voice For multilingual learners, mastering spoken language skills represe…
Building a better bridge: Prioritizing infrastructure in a pre-K expansion
# New York's Pre-K Expansion Faces Infrastructure Reality Check New York stands at a pivotal moment for early childhood education. The state has alig…
Demonstrating impact with data: How librarians can make the case for increased funding
# School Librarians Turn to Data to Win Budget Battles School librarians across the country face a persistent challenge: proving their worth to admin…
How comprehensive school safety planning protected our teachers and students
# Comprehensive Safety Planning Moves Beyond Checklist into Practice School safety planning often gets dismissed as bureaucratic box-checking. But di…
Beyond the ban: Rethinking cell phone policies in schools with smarter solutions
# Schools Move Beyond Blanket Cell Phone Bans, Adopting Nuanced Device Management Policies Schools nationwide are abandoning all-or-nothing cell phon…
Apple’s MacBook Neo has entered the K-12 debate–are IT teams ready for it?
Apple's new MacBook Neo enters K-12 purchasing conversations at a critical moment. The device promises lower costs than traditional MacBooks, potentia…
Summer isn’t just a season, it’s a strategy
# Summer Learning Programs Emerge as Critical Tool to Close Achievement Gaps Summer break represents one of the most overlooked periods in American e…
Financial education must not sacrifice student privacy
# Financial Education Gains Traction, but Schools Must Protect Student Data Financial education is expanding rapidly across American schools, with mo…
Will schools answer the Canvas breach’s wake-up call?
# Canvas LMS Breach Exposes Systemic Security Gaps in K-12 and Higher Education Instructure's Canvas learning management system experienced a signifi…
How districts can build a shared AI structure
# How Districts Can Build Shared AI Structures That Work School districts deploying artificial intelligence tools face a critical challenge: creating…
The hidden skill many kids are losing
# Children Are Losing the Ability to Construct and Follow Narrative, Education Experts Warn A foundational cognitive skill is eroding in classrooms a…
Engaging K-12 families over the summer
# Summer Communication Strategies Give Districts a Competitive Edge in Family Engagement School districts that maintain active communication with fam…
Building math skills by designing backpacks: How PBL shifted the way students see math
# Building Math Skills Through Real-World Design Projects Project-based learning is reshaping how elementary and middle school students learn math by…
With students tuning out, it’s time to rethink the classroom
# Student Disengagement Signals Need for Classroom Redesign Teachers across the country are reporting a troubling pattern. Students are tuning out at…
Learning doesn’t happen by accident–it starts with consistency and communication
# Student Learning Depends on Consistent Teaching Practices and Clear Communication Between Educators A student's educational experience varies drama…
New generational reading, math scores have bright spots, but there’s still work to do
# New Generational Reading, Math Scores Show Mixed Progress as Achievement Gaps Persist Recent assessments reveal that American students are making u…
Don’t wait for September: Reach students now, when it matters most
# Summer Is Prime Time to Combat Student Absenteeism, Research Shows Schools that wait until September to address chronic absenteeism miss a critical…
Attendance is the scoreboard–connection is the game
# Student Attendance Crisis Demands Connection Beyond School Walls Student attendance has emerged as a leading indicator of academic success, yet sch…
Science achievement is not a one-year event
District leaders operate under intense pressure to boost science achievement scores, often within single school years. Yet research reveals a fundamen…
We need accessible data and greater student agency
# Student Agency and Data Access Emerge as Core Education Priorities Schools face mounting pressure to treat students as active participants in their…
The foundation for student success is a positive classroom culture
# Positive Classroom Culture Remains Essential Foundation for Learning Teachers entering the 2024-25 school year face the usual pressures: lesson pla…
The biggest back-to-school challenge
# Teaching Listening Skills Emerges as Critical Back-to-School Priority Schools across the United States face a growing challenge as students return …
Schools need behavioral assessments to fight chronic absenteeism
# Schools Need Behavioral Assessments to Combat Chronic Absenteeism Chronic absenteeism persists as a defining challenge in American K-12 education, …
Rethinking employability skills in K–12 education
# K-12 Schools Scramble to Define and Teach "Employability Skills" as Workforce Demands Shift Schools across the country face a fundamental question:…
Data-driven decision-making is the key to unlocking K-12 district success
# Data-Driven Decision-Making Emerges as Essential Tool for K-12 District Management School district leaders face mounting pressure to improve outcom…
How to build a positive classroom in the first 5 days of school
Teachers shape student outcomes most powerfully during the first week of school, when they establish classroom culture and trust. Research in educatio…
The one literacy metric schools miss: Students’ love of reading
Schools across the United States prioritize reading fluency, comprehension, and phonics instruction to meet federal and state literacy standards. Yet …
Summer reading for teaching and school improvement: Harnessing the Science of Learning
Teachers and administrators can use evidence-based learning science to improve classroom outcomes, according to guidance aimed at summer professional …
Children learn best on paper: We need better technology, not less of it
Research consistently shows that students retain information better when learning from paper materials compared to screens, yet schools continue expan…
Rethinking MTSS: How schools can turn student data into meaningful support
# Schools Rethinking MTSS to Deliver Targeted Student Support Schools across the country face mounting pressure to translate student data into real i…
Uncovering the college and career readiness shifts that exceptional school systems are making
# Top-Performing School Systems Embed College and Career Readiness Throughout K-12 Education High-performing school districts are rethinking when and…
4 things new principals can do to strengthen school culture
New principals often make a costly mistake in their first year: rushing to change school culture rather than understanding it first. Research and prac…
My son wasn’t dyslexic—he was never properly taught to read
A parent's discovery reveals how instructional gaps, not learning disabilities, may explain many children's reading struggles. Hunter's fifth-grade te…
The best time to be a teacher: Leading with AI and technology in the age of personalized learning
# The Best Time to Be a Teacher: Leading with AI and Technology in Personalized Learning Public education faces a turning point as artificial intelli…
Thriving Kids will start in October. But will the new support system be ready when families need it?
# Summary Ontario's new children's mental health and support system, called Thriving Kids, launches in October, replacing an existing network of serv…
First graders need a chance to explain their math thinking
First graders develop lasting attitudes toward mathematics during their earliest classroom experiences, and research shows that allowing young student…
Today’s classroom isn’t broken–but it wasn’t built for today’s top students
# Classroom Structure Misaligns With Ambitions of Today's High-Achieving Students The traditional classroom structure, while functional, fails to mee…
Schools are building AI rules before they know the destination
# Schools Are Building AI Rules Before Understanding Long-Term Impact American schools are racing to establish artificial intelligence policies witho…
Don’t forget nature’s classroom
Outdoor education delivers measurable gains in academic performance and student well-being, research shows. Students who participate in nature-based l…
Chronic absenteeism isn’t the problem–it’s the signal
Chronic absenteeism serves as a symptom, not a root cause. Schools that treat it as a disciplinary problem miss the underlying issues driving students…
Public benefits play an important role in college access
A new analysis reveals that public benefits programs directly influence whether low-income students enroll in college. The research identifies four sp…
The grading paradox: Better data is key to understanding real subject mastery
# The Grading Paradox: Better Data Is Key to Understanding Real Subject Mastery A disconnect exists between what grades say and what standardized tes…
Digital detox: Reducing screen time creates space to build literacy skills
Elementary school teachers report widespread concerns about screen time's impact on early literacy development. The observation surfaces as classrooms…
Lead with purpose: 3 ways courageous K-12 leadership builds real impact
K-12 leaders across the country face mounting operational pressures while trying to advance student outcomes. A director of maintenance and operations…
Student’s Perception of UX Design on an LMS Course: Designing Online Courses Students Can Actually Navigate
Poor design of learning management systems frustrates students and undermines online course effectiveness. Research shows that user experience (UX) an…
What Nobody Warns You About Teaching College for the First Time
A high school science teacher's chance conversation with a community college led to an unexpected transition into higher education instruction. The au…
The grade gap: Helping parents understand students’ academic progress
Parents struggle to interpret what grades actually mean about their child's learning, creating a communication gap between schools and families. A sin…
Not all screen time is equal
# Screen Time Quality Matters More Than Duration in Schools Schools face mounting pressure to reduce student screen time, but educators and parents n…
What Is A One-to-One Classroom?
# What Is A One-to-One Classroom? A one-to-one classroom gives each student continuous access to a personal digital device for learning. These setups…
An Updated Guide To Questioning In The Classroom
# Questioning Techniques Shape Student Learning and Teacher Assessment Teachers who master strategic questioning unlock deeper student understanding …
5 Ways to Verify Student Learning in the Age of AI
Educators face a persistent problem: AI detectors fail to reliably identify whether students generated work themselves or used artificial intelligence…
Tips and tools to effectively differentiate learning for student engagement
# Differentiated Learning Strategies Help Teachers Meet Students Where They Are Teachers and support staff face a persistent challenge: students arri…
What’s in and out in literacy instruction for 2026
# What's in and out in literacy instruction for 2026 The field of literacy instruction is undergoing a significant shift as educators and researchers…
Why schools and public libraries must unite–in summer and all year long
# Schools and Public Libraries Partner to Combat Summer Reading Loss and Build Lifelong Readers Schools and public libraries operate in separate syst…
Fueling student passion for STEM with project-based learning
# Project-Based Learning Drives Real-World STEM Engagement for Students Project-based learning (PBL) is reshaping how schools teach STEM subjects by …
Staying hopeful and true to oneself is a lesson these 5 kids books offer to kindergartners and other children
# Five Children's Books That Teach Resilience and Self-Worth to Young Learners Kindergarten marks a pivotal transition. Children leave home-based car…
How location precision enhances safety and reduces response times in emergencies
# Location Precision Cuts Emergency Response Times in Schools When a student collapses from a medical emergency or a fire breaks out in a school buil…
A smarter way to modernize aging school facilities
# School Districts Face Critical Choices on Aging Facilities, Need Strategic Framework for Upgrades America's school buildings are aging. Most were c…
Nearly half of high school students now use AI in college search
# Nearly Half of High School Students Now Use AI in College Search Artificial intelligence has become a routine tool in the college admissions proces…
The biliteracy advantage: How heritage languages boost English proficiency and workforce readiness
# Heritage Languages Strengthen English Skills, Research Shows Students who develop proficiency in heritage languages alongside English show measurab…
Strengthening the PK-12 leadership pipeline during a succession crisis
# Strengthening the PK-12 Leadership Pipeline During a Succession Crisis School districts across the United States face an acute shortage of qualifie…
Judge dismisses Trump administration's antisemitism lawsuit against Harvard
# Judge Dismisses Trump Administration's Antisemitism Lawsuit Against Harvard A federal judge in Boston dismissed a lawsuit filed by the Trump admini…