The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) provides a resource for state and local education systems. Supporting Child and Student Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Mental Health Needs, which provides information and resources to promote mental health and the social and emotional well-being of students.Included in the resource are seven key challenges…
On November 8, 2022, NAPSA joined 41 other national organizations in signing on to a letter supporting the EDUCATORS for America Act (S 3360/HR 6205), which would invest in and revitalize federal educator preparation programs. That has been sent to all members of the US Congress. The letter states that…
Calling federal school meal policy on alternative milk an “issue of equity as it places an unfair burden squarely on minority children,” 31 Democrat members of Congress have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address the issue. Currently, children who are lactose intolerant must provide a doctor’s note…
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) report on 2021 suicides quantify what many of us have already observed: U.S. suicide deaths rose after a brief decline. The increase is most profound among young men, 15 to 24 years old, for whom the suicide rate was double (+8 percent)…
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation follows ongoing research confirming COVID-19’s negative impact on student mental health. Children ages 8 to 18 should undergo screenings for anxiety, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended via a statement published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Though there is…
The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a joint Dear Colleague letter warning school district special education directors, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) coordinators, and Head Start grant recipients s that delayed evaluations and placement concerns could violate the…
The White House announced that it plans to work with Congress to expand access to free school meals for 9 million more children by 2032 as a first step toward creating a pathway to universal school meals. The plan was outlined among other steps in the White House’s National Strategy…
A Republican-led request for documents related to federal school reopening guidance was denied by the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee. Accusations about special interests and political collusion over national school reopening guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic dominated a markup hearing held by the House Education and Labor Committee. Lawmakers…
While crime committed by youth and incarceration of teens has decreased over the past 25 years, there is still a critical need for prevention and intervention initiatives, including those supported by schools, according to panelists and lawmakers speaking at a virtual hearing on juvenile justice hosted by the U.S House…
On July 28, 2022, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee proposed a 13% increase for K-12 in fiscal year (FY) 2023. The proposed spending plan includes $20.1 billion for Title I grants and $15.3 billion for special education grants. Also included in the FY 2023 bill is $12 billion for Head…
