According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released July 2, 2026, between the 2012-13 and 2023-24 school years 42 states and the District of Columbia increased the share of students with disabilities in general education classes. The number of students with disabilities spending some of their school day…
Education graduate degree programs remain excluded from the U.S. Department of Education’s (USDE) “professional” designation, despite the agency recently adding more programs to the list. In fact, on June 29, 2026, the USDE added nursing, physical therapy, athletic training. and occupational therapy to the list, which doubles the federal student…
On June 30, 2026, a coalition of disability and education organizations sued the the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) over its withholding of almost $2B in USDE funds that were appropriated by Congress for education research, data collection, program evaluation,…
On June 24, 2026, a federal court temporarily blocked the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) from applying new regulations significantly restricting which graduate degrees count as “professional.” The designation allows students pursuing such degrees to take out up to $200,000 in federal student loans — double the amount permitted for…
On Thursday, June 25, 2026, Linda McMahon became the first U.S. education secretary to be the target of impeachment proceedings in what is being viewed as a largely symbolic action. Democrats have also introduced articles of impeachment against multiple members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, including Health and Human Services…
As reported by K-12 Dive, according to a summary of state determinations issued June 18, 2026 by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) more than half of U.S. states and territories did not meet annual targets for implementing federal special education services for students with disabilities ages 3-21. The recent…
As reported by K-12 Dive, a report released on June 22, 2026 by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) revealed that staffing reductions at the USDE at the beginning of the second Trump administration appear to have impacted units that were performing legal duties. In fact,…
As reported by K-12 Dive, on June 16, 2026 the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) entered an agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) whereby the HHS will provide administrative services to the USDE in managing and overseeing grants for early intervention and special education. The…
As reported by K-12 Dive, on June 16, 2026, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced it was moving parts of civil rights enforcement functions to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), increasing concern over whether the USDE’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) will be able to properly perform its…
As reported by K-12 Dive, on June 9, 2026 attorneys general in three states (California, Rhode Island and Wisconsin) sued the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) claiming the (USDE) unlawfully discontinued grants in those states that fund professional development of special education staff and support services for students with disabilities.…
