As the number of special education complaints increases, some experts in the field and educators are wondering if artificial intelligence is playing a role in helping more families express their dissatisfaction with the services provided by their child’s school. Though the evidence is more anecdotal than empirical, this concern has…
On September 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced a new resource to help states build capacity for problem-solving and program improvements. The resource encourages states to take greater ownership of problem-solving and finding effective solutions to challenges as the USDE shrinks in both size and scope. It…
The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) quietly released results of the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) for the 2023-24 school year, but redacted data collected on nonbinary students’ experiences. A tranche of federal data related to some LGBTQ+ students and their experiences in schools was withheld, even though the remaining…
On September 2, 2026, a bipartisan bill was introduced in the U.S. House that seeks to prevent the transfer of four U.S. Department of Education (USDE) offices to other federal agencies. Those USDE offices lead activities for special education, postsecondary education, Native American education, and elementary and secondary education. According…
As reported by K-12 Dive, an August 26, 2026 social media litigation settlement between Meta and 52 states and territories looks to make sweeping changes to how youth interact with these platforms in efforts to reduce harm to youth mental health. The lawsuit was originally filed in 2023 and claimed…
A Massachusetts policy that restricts where private school students can receive publicly funded special education services is at the center of the lawsuit. Do state educational benefits carry over to students attending private schools? That’s the question the U.S. Supreme Court is being asked to review as they finalize their…
On August 26, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) disseminated a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) informing school districts it will consider all mental health screenings and other student surveys, such as those related to sex behavior or attitudes, to be “required” by a school district even when presented as…
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in partnership with other federal agencies, has announced that it is developing a national autism elopement alert system for missing children and adults with autism. The goal of the project is to strengthen response coordination among emergency personnel, first responders and…
On August 24, 2026, the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, Department of the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) published proposed rules in the Federal Register that would give itself more leeway in how and why it cancels federal grant funding. The rule changes would codify methods for cancellation of grant…
In an August 20, 2026 Dear Colleague letter (DCL) issued by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), the agency defended technology use in classrooms, saying the use of educational technology is a separate issue from the use of recreational technology. The letter acknowledged the growing concerns from parents, educators, and…
