In observance of National Coming Out Day and National Youth Substance Use Prevention Month, the U.S. Department of Education held a webinar on Oct. 25 to provide resources to support substance use prevention efforts for LGBTQ students as well as strategies to promote positive school […]
CSBA’s ELA submits amicus letter in support of blocking proposed tax measure
On Nov. 9, CSBA’s Education Legal Alliance (ELA) filed an amicus letter urging the California Supreme Court to hear the case of Legislature of the State of California et al v. Weber (Hiltachk). In a unique procedural process, the petitioners in the case, the state […]
Engaging families to address youth mental health
An October policy update from the National Association of State Boards of Education shares the importance of family engagement and empowerment as local educational agencies continue to address the youth mental health crisis. In national polls, parents identify their children’s mental health as a top […]
SBE takes nuanced look at chronic absenteeism, assessment data and more
During its final meeting of 2023, the California State Board of Education adopted revisions to the Local Control and Accountability Plan template and instructions, and discussed results of recently released statewide testing and absenteeism data. In October, the California Department of Education released the results […]
AI policy guide provides LEAs critical resources
A new resource produced by a group of organizations with expert knowledge on education and technology can serve as a starting point for local educational agencies as they look to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) safely, effectively and responsibly into classrooms. A collaboration of TeachAI, Code.org, […]
Is workforce housing right for your district?
By Property Planning Solutions by DCG Strategies School districts have always sought to recruit and retain the best and brightest to educate our children. But over the past few decades, there has been a steady and alarming increase in high-quality teacher shortages across the state. […]
California schools will take additional steps to protect students from fentanyl under new law
California is now one of just a handful of states that will require students to learn about the dangers of opioids, including information about deadly synthetic pills containing fentanyl, under legislation signed on Oct. 13 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Senate Bill 10 mandates that every […]
Spike in chronic absenteeism can overwhelm schools; fixes require collaborative approach
Nearly 30 percent of K-12 students were chronically absent in the 2021–22 academic year, according to a review of federal data released Oct. 12 by Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University. U.S. Department of Education data showed 66 percent of […]
Resources to support student well-being
As students continue to grapple with their mental health in the aftermath of pandemic disruptions, the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ (NASSP) Sept. 13 webinar, “Be Well: Centering Mental Health in Schools,” offered a variety of resources available to school leaders to support their […]
Reducing disparities in early intervention access will require more data collection
Sharing federal data about infants and toddlers who are referred, evaluated and found eligible for early intervention services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act would assist states in identifying and solving disparities in services, according to a report released Oct. 5 by the U.S. […]