Citing an overwhelming number of comments to sift through, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) missed its October deadline to finalize two proposed sets of Title IX regulations (i.e., athletics and broader Title IX guidance). The original deadline was actually May 2023, and USDE has yet to announce a new…
According to research by EAB, an education consulting firm, to reduce chronic absenteeism school districts should use targeted and tailored approaches that focus on three populations — parents, teachers and secondary school students. Approaches should be based on empathy and clear communication about attendance expectations and the value of in-person learning. EAB…
On October 24, 2023, forty-one states and the District of Columbia are suing Meta, accusing the parent company of Instagram and Facebook of concealing the adverse effects their platforms have on children and adolescents and deploying harmful contents that target those youth. In one filing in the U.S. District Court…
Due to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) final rule that took effect on October 26, 2023, approximately 3,000 more school districts will be eligible to serve free breakfasts and lunches to all students under an expansion of the Community Eligibility Provision. The final rule amends the Community Eligibility Provision’s…
On October 19, 2023, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) introduced legislation to prepare principals, superintendents, and other school leaders to facilitate high-quality early childhood education programs in school districts. The Creating Early Childhood Leaders Act would provide school leaders with the tools and training to support…
Filling special education staffing positions continues to be very difficult task, including teaching and nonteaching (classroom aide) jobs. Although numbers nationwide show a smaller percentage of U.S. public schools reported feeling understaffed compared to the start of last school year, 45% versus 53%. In a ddition to the needs in…
As reported by K-12 Dive, a new guide from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) purports that a two-phase approach that relies on data schools already have available can help educators identify a diverse pipeline of gifted and talented students. The guide encourages districts eschew a referral-based system and use the…
According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, last school year’s influenza season was more severe for children and youth and also started earlier than most previous seasons. The report showed cases emerged in early October 2022 and peaked in late November and December. Rates of flu-related medical visits…
In a letter to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) dated October 13, 2023, twelve education organizations requested that USDE announce a firm release date for the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The USDE has stated that the release of the revised form will occur this December, but the…
Proposed guidance released October 2, 2023 by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) that protects LGBTQ+ individuals from harassment and discrimination in the workplace could come into direct conflict with spreading state and local policies on pronoun use and facility access for transgender school employees. The EEOC guidance would consider intentional…
