Universal school meal policies lead to higher participation rates, more challenges

Providing school meals to all students at no charge increased lunch participation in the five states that offer universal school meals, and raised breakfast participation rates in four of those during the 2022–2023 school year, according to a report released in February by the Food […]

Policies restricting teaching of controversial topics impact educators in states without such policies

Results of the RAND Corporation’s 2023 State of the American Teacher survey released Feb. 15 showed that nationally, 65 percent of teachers report limiting discussions about political and social issues in class — nearly double the share of teachers who are located in states that […]

New instructional materials resources are available to aid trustees  

Instructional materials are central to students’ educational success, and local governing boards play a critical role in ensuring the smooth adoption of materials the reflect the diversity in their communities.  A new CSBA brief, “Instructional Materials Adoptions: State and Local Governing Board Processes, Roles, and […]

Report highlighted renewed fervor among state policymakers in supporting CTE

Advance CTE and the Association for Career and Technical Education released their 11th annual review of CTE and career readiness policies from across the country in February, finding that in 2023, 47 states enacted 115 policies, marking the second-highest number of states taking action to […]

Preparing students with disabilities for the workforce 

San Joaquin County Office of Education has long prepared students with disabilities for jobs that would allow them to lead more independent lives upon graduation, and by overcoming recent obstacles including the COVID-19 pandemic, county officials have developed additional programming that has further benefited students.  […]

Better oversight of support and improvement plans is needed at all levels, GAO finds

Oversight of comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) plans meant to serve as a guide for underperforming schools’ improvement processes is lacking, according to a Jan. 30 study released by the federal Government Accountability Office (GAO). Just 42 percent of CSI plans were found to be […]

State Board looks ahead on Dashboard and accountability; adopts revised instructional materials guidance

During a jampacked meeting of the California State Board of Education (SBE) on March 6, the board reviewed the 2024 Accountability Workplan, approved a revised document providing guidance for reviewing and piloting instructional materials, and more. Dashboard and accountability The board reviewed the 2023 California […]

Community building is necessary to establishing healthy school cultures

Creating school cultures that support young people and minimize violence and bullying requires ongoing work — a topic explored by experts in a Feb. 14 webinar hosted by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, […]