Articles are meant to inform members of significant reporting and commentary on public schools and do not necessarily reflect the views of CSBA.
New documentary highlights struggles of rural schools
A new feature-length documentary premiered Oct. 6 in Sacramento that takes viewers inside rural schools, sharing the stories of students, educators and families, and shining a spotlight on the challenges rural schools face and the resilience of their communities. “Forgotten Schools: America’s Quiet Crisis” features […]
High school student perspectives on cellphone restrictions
With 80 percent of high school students attending campuses with some form of a cellphone ban in place, a new brief covers national research conducted by Hopelab and Data for Progress in summer 2026 on teens’ perspectives.
Breaking down silos and providing data across departments are key to supporting English learners with disabilities
An Oct. 15 webinar hosted by Education Week brought together a panel of experts to answer the question, how can school districts better support English learners with disabilities?
National teachers union forges ahead with framework for AI in schools
In an Oct. 13 webinar, “A National Conversation on AI in Education: Policy, Privacy, and Practice with Randi Weingarten,” hosted by the Campaign for Grade Level Reading, education leaders examined the goals, challenges and implementation of an emerging framework for schools and the use of […]
Building bridges and strengthening outcomes for Native American youth in Del Norte
Native American Heritage Month, observed each November, serves as a reminder to local educational agencies to examine whether or not current policies, curriculum and more are contributing to ensuring schools are genuinely recognizing, respecting and nurturing Native American students. Del Norte Unified School District/County Office of Education’s Golden Bell-award winning tribal partnership program provides a powerful example of the importance of building strong relationships with local Indigenous tribes and the value of putting in the work to maintain them.
Small Schools, Big Ideas: Emery USD centers student health and wellness
Like nearly all local educational agencies, Emery Unified School District students and families have struggled in the past decade with increased cost of living, diminishing social safety nets like food benefits and more. These factors outside the school walls have profound impacts on students in the classroom, which is why Emery USD established its Wellness and Health Department in 2016.
An overview of education funding in California
Staying roughly equivalent with inflation, state funding for K-12 education increased by 24.2 percent between 2020–21 and 2025–26 hitting record highs in recent years, according to the Public Policy Institute of California’s October fact sheet “Financing California’s Public Schools.”
Marin COE supports districts in AI discovery
To build collective understanding about artificial intelligence and its potential role in education, in 2026–27, the Marin County Office of Education is hosting a multi-part AI Policy Development and Adoption Series for local district leaders.
2026 CAASPP and Dashboard release show little student progress
On Oct. 15, the California Department of Education released updates for the California School Dashboard and the results of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). The Dashboard and CAASPP results paint a picture similar to the past several years: incremental progress and vast disparities between student groups.