The Latest

  • A teenage boy looks into a microscope in a biology class.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    What one summer STEM program is doing to expand high schoolers’ horizons

    Summer Science Program International engages diverse cohorts of juniors in a variety of disciplines on 13 college campuses across North America.

  • The Illinois State Capitol building.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Illinois passes law defining play-based learning

    The state is among a handful to officially adopt such a definition, delineating both guided play and student-initiated play for young learners.

  • A person in a suit stands in a government building with historic artwork and statutes in the background
    Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Supreme Court rejects second student speech case in a week

    In a dissent, Justice Samuel Alito urged the court to consider taking up a future case to clarify the limits of school speech.

  • Small children are playing with wooden blocks with colorful see-through windows. An adult hand is seen in the photo
    Image attribution tooltip
    Lourdes Balduque via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Should Head Start require pre-K teacher pay parity?

    Many commenters on a proposed rule said more federal funding is needed in addition to Head Start workforce wage and benefits standards. 

  • U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission exterior
    Image attribution tooltip
    Caroline Colvin/K-12 Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    DOJ deems EEOC’s disparate impact discrimination guidelines unconstitutional

    The push against disparate impact liability has been a focus of the Trump administration, including by the Education Department.

  • Two students are in a school library near bookselves and are passing a book over the bookshelf
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    How a Maryland district renovated 48 school libraries in 1 year

    Prince George’s County Public Schools worked with partners that provided new furniture, lighting, books and tech devices.

  • A teacher is standing in a classroom while several students and another teacher are seated at tables with papers on the tables.
    Image attribution tooltip
    SolStock via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    3 states sue over cancelled special education teacher training grants

    California, Rhode Island and Wisconsin say the cuts are harmful. The Education Department says it remains committed to students with disabilities.

  • A large group of people stands holding signs that read, "We love our immigrant families and stay out of our schools, ICE."
    Image attribution tooltip

    Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio/AP

    Image attribution tooltip
    Tracker

    ICE activity on K-12 school grounds

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said immigration enforcement actions at schools should be "extremely rare." Here's where they’re happening.

    Updated June 12, 2026
  • The top of the U.S. Capitol Building's dome is pictured on a cloudy day.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Win McNamee via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Week In Review: Proposed Ed Department cuts and school nurse burnout

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from more federal scrutiny of districts’ LGBTQ+ policies to mixed signals on students’ academic gains.

  • A judge's gavel is shown in a close-up photo sitting on a pedestal on a desk in a courtoom
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trump administration appeals ruling against $100K H-1B visa fee

    The fee has caused concern among higher education experts that it would hamper colleges’ ability to recruit foreign scholars and instructors. 

  • 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"
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Screenshot: Rep. Gwen Moore/YouTube.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Treasury previews guidance for first federal school choice program

    As the formal rulemaking process moves forward, the scholarship tax credit program that launches in 2027 continues to draw both opposition and support.

  • Kamar Samuels speaks at a podium as Zohran Mamdani listens behind him.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    NYC schools face public pressure to pause AI use for 2 years

    Student data privacy was cited as a key concern in a letter to the city’s mayor and school chancellor from 29 members of city council.

    Updated June 12, 2026
  • A room full of people are sitting at tables and looking at papers and computers on the tables.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from House Appropriations Committee on June 10, 2026
    Image attribution tooltip

    Ed Dept would see 10% budget cut under House committee plan

    The FY27 spending bill undercuts the Trump administration's proposed budget, but rejects efforts to consolidate certain grant programs.

    Updated June 15, 2026
  • A person wearing a suit speaks into a microphone on a podium
    Image attribution tooltip
    Andrew Harnik/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    4 California districts face DOJ reviews over LGTBQ+ policies

    San Francisco Unified School District is among systems under scrutiny for parental notification and transgender inclusion policies.

  • Four people sit at a table with microphones. Behind them are people seated in rows
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from House Education and Workforce Committee Democrats on June 10, 2026
    Image attribution tooltip

    School culture wars come to Capitol Hill

    Lawmakers questioned district leaders from Chicago, San Francisco and Virginia's Loudoun County about student pronouns, gender transition and other policies.

  • A photo illustration of a circle encompassing a question mark, pencil, and scantron test.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

    Image attribution tooltip
    POP QUIZ

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

    From proposed Education Department budget cuts to new reading data from the Nation’s Report Card, what did you learn from our recent stories?

  • Kimberly Richey looks into the distance
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions.
    Image attribution tooltip

    OCR launches DEI probe into Denver-area school district

    The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights cites teacher training and a parent committee as examples of alleged "rampant racially-discriminatory programming."

  • A close-up of a hand with a pencil filling in test answer sheet bubbles.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    9-year-olds show some growth as 13-year-olds stagnate in NAEP long-term trends

    Both age groups report reading for fun less frequently compared to past decades, according to new data from the Nation’s Report Card.

  • A close-up of an elementary student writing with a pen in a workbook on a desk while studying in a classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How 2 schools are dialing back screen time

    Some educators see literacy, fine motor and mental health benefits by emphasizing hands-on activities in the classroom.

  • A teenage student studying online while using a laptop at home.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The homework conundrum: Quality or quantity?

    Researchers say there is not enough strong evidence to support the oft-cited recommendation of 10 minutes per grade level per night for homework.

  • DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee is pictured at a desk between three students during a middle school math competition.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by District of Columbia Public Schools
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    DC Public Schools leads nation in academic recovery. Here’s why.

    A focus on strategic planning and programming drove impressive gains in the nation’s capital, writes outgoing chancellor Lewis Ferebee.

  • Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Federal agencies propose mandatory E-Verify participation for grant recipients

    The rule would provide an “additional safeguard” to existing employment eligibility requirements, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

  • Donald Trump sitting in the Oval Office.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Trump’s $100K fee for H-1B visas struck down

    A federal judge ruled that the fee amounted to an unlawful tax on the visa program for highly skilled workers. 

  • A yellow school bus is seen from the side with an open door and a handful of children walking up the steps into the bus.
    Image attribution tooltip
    FatCamera via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Children’s well-being has worsened — particularly in education

    Among four indicators tracked by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, education saw the sharpest decline between 2019 and 2024.

  • Students work on computers while a teacher instructs in front of them in a classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Over half of teachers say AI is harming students’ critical thinking

    In addition to highlighting educators’ concerns on student AI use, a poll by NPR and Ipsos found that 3 in 5 teachers use AI on the job.