CDC releases ‘roadmap’ to school reopening; CDPH releases maps showing school reopening status

In a flurry of activity on Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health held a series of press conferences on school reopening and issued new tools and guidance meant to support the return to in-person instruction. Although […]

Latest California Healthy Kids Study highlights areas that could use improvement in schools

Even before the coronavirus pandemic left more children isolated and experiencing higher levels of stress, a decline in mental health was being reported by students in the golden state, according to the latest California Healthy Kids Survey results. Coordinated by the California Department of Education […]

Past chronic absence data can help identify students most in danger of falling behind during pandemic

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, one out of six children — or 8 million U.S. students — experienced some level of chronic absenteeism,  according to an analysis of the most recent federal data. Those with the most absences are also in the groups hardest hit […]

State digital divide taskforce discusses legislation to expand broadband connectivity

The first 2021 meeting of California’s Closing the Digital Divide Task Force on Feb. 2 provided viewers a more in-depth look at some the initial proposals put forth by lawmakers to boost broadband access to students and communities. “For us, this is one of the […]

Litigation and school districts: Providing FAPE amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Despite the remarkable efforts school districts have made to meet the legal and practical requirements of educating all students during the COVID-19 pandemic, lawsuits related to distance learning and school closures were inevitable, including lawsuits related to educating students receiving special education services. For some […]

Governor’s school reopening plan misses first deadline

While the proposed Feb. 1 deadline for districts to apply for Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Safe Schools for All plan has passed, conversations around school reopening continue to dominate the education policy landscape. The Governor’s plan has faced significant pushback from school officials, labor unions and […]

New brief finds learning loss more acute among specific student subgroups

A Jan. 25 brief from Policy Analysis for California Education finds that there has been significant learning loss in both English language arts and mathematics, with students in earlier grades most affected. Additionally, low-income students and English learners are among those falling further behind. As […]

2021 Black History Month honors the African American family

First celebrated in 1926, February has marked a time to commemorate and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans for nearly a century. The Black History Month 2021 theme, “Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity,” explores the African diaspora, and the spread of Black families across […]

The digital divide is still an issue despite recent progress, study shows

Local educational agencies did an impressive job increasing access to computers and the internet during the fall school term, but there remains a persistent digital divide, especially for Black, Hispanic and low-income students, according to a new study. Researchers at the Center for Neighborhood Knowledge […]