The Latest

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    Retrieved from Halifax County Schools.
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    Deep Dive

    DOJ lands desegregation order dismissals even where segregation remains

    About half of nearly 60 dismissed cases cover areas more segregated now than three decades ago, a K-12 Dive analysis shows.

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    How to help students understand what they don’t know

    Guiding students toward understanding the limits of their knowledge on familiar topics is a critical layer of engagement, experts say.

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    Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools builds bridges to quantum computing

    The district is installing a quantum computer at one high school that will be usable in early 2027 and has built local partnerships on curriculum.

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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    New York opts into national school choice program

    Thirty-one states and counting have now signaled they'll participate in the controversial Education Freedom Tax Credit plan.

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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    Loss of teacher prep grants affects teacher pipeline, survey finds

    When the Trump administration cancelled grants in two key programs, some teacher candidates dropped out and others failed to enroll, research shows.

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    How can leaders ensure professional development sticks?

    Opportunities to test things in the classroom and receive feedback are more effective than disconnected or always-online approaches, researchers say.

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    andresr via Getty Images
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    Week in Review: Head Start, school choice plans draw pointed comments

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from school closures in Colorado to a warning about student mental health screenings.

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    Tracker

    As student enrollment declines, a look at public school closures

    Adams 12 Five Star Schools’ enrollment is falling faster than anticipated in the last decade, leading to a recent decision to close six schools in the Denver-area district.

    Updated Oct. 9, 2026
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    skynesher via Getty Images
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    54% of state sex ed bills proposed in the first half of 2026 were restrictive

    Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia legally require sex education, but only five require a comprehensive approach to the subject.

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    Colorado’s Adams 12 district approves 6 school closures

    The Denver-area district said its enrollment has declined faster than projected, following a pattern statewide as housing costs rise and birth rates decrease.

  • Young child looks out of window from a yellow school bus, which has the words Head Start printed on the side.
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    Mario Villafuerte via Getty Images
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    Efficient or a gutting? Head Start proposed rule polarizes commenters

    More than 40,000 commenters weighed in on the Trump administration's proposal to revamp standards for the federal early childhood program.

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    What role could AI play in reimagining assessment?

    The technology’s uses in testing could include creating a snapshot of where a learner is and what their needs are based on results, says one expert.

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    Trump administration threatens federal funds over mental health screenings

    The departments of Justice and Education cited school districts' "patterns of noncompliance" with FERPA and PPRA in a letter to state attorneys general.

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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 Trump administration warnings over school mental health screenings to new chronic absenteeism data, what did you learn from our recent stories?

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    Retrieved from Hillsborough County School District on October 06, 2026
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    School district book bans rose further in 2025-26

    PEN America also said that over 4,500 new titles have been added to its book removal database, indicating an expansion of book restrictions.

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    The top K-12 conferences to attend in 2027

    For educators looking to gain best practices on leadership, classroom tech, curricula, policy and more, these events offer a variety of options.

  • The exterior of an elementary school with a sign on the left brick wall that says "Black Bob Elementary School."
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    (2025). Retrieved from Facebook/Black Bob Elementary School.
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    Kansas’ Olathe Public Schools to close 6 schools next fall

    The district pointed to falling enrollment and insufficient state special education funding in its decision. But some families are pushing back.

  • An elementary school student and adult sit at a table in a classroom. They are looking at the inside of a book on the table.
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    Fly View Productions via Getty Images
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    Strong relationships are critical to building student resilience, researchers say

    Students need chances to learn from failure, overcome traumas and empower themselves, say two experts from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

  • A person stands at a podium outside the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Other people are standing beside the person. A sign on the podium says "Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act"
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    Retrieved from Screenshot: Rep. Gwen Moore/YouTube.
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    Rules fuel debate over who benefits from the federal school choice plan

    Opponents say the program is tilted to benefit private school students. Supporters say it has the potential to raise billions of dollars for students.

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    Progress to reduce chronic absenteeism slows nationwide

    Despite the concerning trend, Iowa and Rhode Island are among states where attendance experts see success.

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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Week In Review: A slew of new K-12 policies and guidance

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from teacher pay incentives to a federal demand to “defend the spend.”

  • The U.S. Supreme Court in the District of Columbia.
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    Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    K-12 cases to watch during the Supreme Court’s 2026-27 term

    In the term that begins Oct. 5, justices will weigh hot-button issues related to Title IX and the separation of church and state.

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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    IRS proposes rule for groundbreaking school choice program

    The controversial program is estimated to provide $26 billion in taxpayer contributions annually for education expenses for public and private school students.

  • Two people are in the Oval Office at the White House. One person is standing and the other is sitting at a desk.
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Education Department wants grantees to ‘defend the spend’

    Officials say written justifications will add accountability, but some administrator associations are concerned the additional layer will lead to funding delays.

  • A jar of cash sits next to a stack of books on a teacher's desk.
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    How many states are embracing strategic teacher pay policies?

    State policies incentivizing teachers in hard-to-staff subjects and schools could help districts spend “smarter,” the National Council on Teacher Quality says.