The Latest

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    Alamy
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    Week In Review: A $17.25M student data privacy settlement and the end of ESSER

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from AI’s use in reviewing books and curricula to diminishing returns for career and technical education.

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    What the $17.25M PowerSchool Naviance settlement means for school districts

    District leaders will face questions from families who receive settlement notices as ed tech pushback grows, a K-12 cybersecurity expert says.

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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    LGBTQ+ students report schools feel more hostile

    Two-thirds of students reported feeling unsafe because of their LGBTQ+ identity in 2024-25, according to data from an annual survey by Glisten.

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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    H-1B visa program hits cap for the next fiscal year

    Immigration and the H-1B visa program have been targets of the Trump administration, and many changes have left employers scrambling to comply.

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    Deep Dive

    As AI enters book ban disputes, here’s what it means for school districts

    Tools seeking to help districts get ahead of challenges have resulted in auto-flags for thousands books, from political memoirs to the works of Shakespeare.

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    AI is moving quickly. How can districts keep up?

    In an ILO Group webinar, education leaders detailed how they implement and govern AI by sharing responsibilities across departments and piloting tools.

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    CTE programs’ earnings boosts may diminish over time, study finds

    Construction, transportation and manufacturing were associated with stronger wage returns for students, according to a Fordham Institute study.

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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on the past week’s K-12 news

    From superintendents’ average tenure length to the end of ESSER spending, what did you learn from our recent stories?

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    Professional development is linked to higher scores, but what works best?

    Coaching and collaboration were among aspects found to be particularly useful in a review of meta-analyses by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

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    Getty Images
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    How scaffolding prior knowledge into new concepts can build engagement

    Framing material in the context of what students already know can make it more relevant and culturally responsive, teacher educators say.

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    Permission granted by BluPearl Photography for CCSSO
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    3 state education chiefs share how they’re leading innovation efforts

    Leaders from Connecticut, Wisconsin and Alabama explain how partnering with stakeholders and staying the course through reforms can bring improvements.

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    Should executive functioning be more thoroughly embedded in math curricula?

    Cognitive flexibility and collaboration are among skills strengthened by the subject, researchers say.

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    San Jose USD closes 5 elementary schools after 20% enrollment drop

    The California district reported it lost 6,000 students since the 2017-18 school year as birthrates decline and the Bay Area’s cost of living goes up.

  • A student is wearing a mask and is in a classroom behind a plastic barrier. A gloved hand is in the forefront of the photo.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    ESSER pandemic spending is over. What will its legacy be?

    Education finance experts say the effectiveness of relief funds is hard to measure — but schools would be worse off without the money.

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    Caroline Colvin/K-12 Dive
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    DOL seeks to hike H-1B visa holder wage rates to curb ‘abuse’ of program

    While schools are unlikely to be affected by the proposed changes, AASA said it’s still concerned about the $100,000 H-1B fee imposed by President Donald Trump last year.

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    Getty Images
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    This student-led mental health group has seen promising results so far

    Laguna Beach High School’s peer-to-peer mental health initiative, the Student Support Collective, is proving to boost student safety and belonging.  

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    Tracker

    As student enrollment declines, a look at public school closures

    We’re tracking districts’ plans to shutter or consolidate schools amid enrollment pressure from falling birthrates and growing school choice.

    Updated March 31, 2026
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    Getty Images
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    Week In Review: School meal funds in the courts and new staffing data

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from the Education Department’s latest interagency agreement to superintendents’ average tenure.

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    The average length of current superintendents’ tenure? 5.4 years

    A growing percentage of district leaders also report declining economic conditions in their districts in a new AASA salary and benefits study.

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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education/Flickr on March 25, 2026
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    Interagency agreements now number 10. Here are the details.

    Supporters say the Education Department outsourcing reduces federal bureaucracy. Critics claim it adds confusion.

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    Retrieved from Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board.
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    Oklahoma charter board faces second suit over Jewish school’s rejection

    Rejecting a religious group's bid to open a public school is unconstitutional, the organization’s lawsuit claims.

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    Illustration: Cathryn Virginia for Industry Dive

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    STAFFED UP

    Maryland sees return on investment in grow-your-own programs

    High school participants in the Teacher Academy of Maryland were 45% more likely to become teachers within 10 years, researchers found.

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    DeKalb County prioritizes feedback on school closure, repurposing list

    Up to 28 schools could be closed, converted or repurposed, the Georgia district said as it seeks to balance enrollment across its buildings.

  • A student sits on a red couch in a library and looks down at a book in their lap.
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    YorVen via Getty Images
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    Grade 3-8 students need updated literacy skills supports, report says

    The Advanced Education Research & Development Fund report offers insights into where older readers struggle and advice on how to help them.

  • A photo illustration of a circle encompassing a question mark, pencil, and scantron test.
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on the past week’s K-12 news

    From pushback against an education-related Supreme Court ruling to new data on kindergarten redshirting, what did you learn from our recent stories?