Data from the most current school year shows persistent achievement gaps compared to pre-pandemic trends, except for the country’s youngest students who saw above average achievement gains, according to a report released July 11 by NWEA. Using data from 6.7 million U.S. public school students […]
LEAs line up funding sources as the end of ESSER dollars nears
With the availability of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) II funds coming to a close in September and the third and final round of dollars expiring in September 2024 with a liquidation deadline of 120 days after the fact, local educational agencies around […]
Loss of free school meals results in lower participation
There has been a significant decline in student participation in school meal programs since the end of the national universal meals program, according to a report released in June by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC). Survey findings from 91 large school districts in […]
Preparing for ethnic studies implementation
The California Department of Education held a webinar, “Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum Train the Trainer Certification,” on Aug. 2 to review the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC), district implementation guidance, instructional guidance, sample lessons and topics, and resources developed by local educational agencies. Assembly Bill […]
School Boards in Action: 5 Questions with Peter Noymer, Los Gatos Union SD
Peter Noymer, board president, Los Gatos Union School District in Santa Clara County What are some promising practices taking place in your district? The Los Gatos Union School District is fortunate to have several newer initiatives. We have been able to bring our student–counselor ratio […]
‘No child left offline’: Experts discuss the digital divide
Rural students, urban students in digitally redlined areas, Native American youth and students in non-traditional settings like adult education programs are among those most negatively impacted by the digital divide, according to Kristina Ishmael, deputy director for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Education […]
Research highlights long-term economic impacts of addressing barriers to high school graduation
Addressing the systemic inequities that lead to higher rates of chronic absenteeism and disciplinary infractions and lower high school graduation rates among the most impacted student groups would benefit the children themselves, as well as society as a whole, according to a recent brief from […]
Trends in community schools implementation
With $4.1 billion in funding for community schools grants and technical assistance, California has made the largest investment in community school implementation in the country. Its efforts, as well as those in other states, are examined in the Learning Policy Institute’s (LPI) recent report State […]
Schools play an important role in immunization awareness
National Immunization Awareness Month provides the opportunity to review student vaccination records at “check point” grades According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), reported kindergarten and first grade immunization rates in 2021–22 decreased slightly from before the pandemic. The proportion of kindergarten students […]
Preparation programs not sufficiently training new educators to teach children how to read
Most programs at the colleges and universities that prepare future elementary teachers still do not fully cover the science of reading, according to a recent report from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Among the nearly 700 teacher preparation programs analyzed, only 25 percent […]