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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 more Education Department layoffs to new data on student pandemic recovery, what did you learn from our recent stories?

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    Students make modest math recovery, but stalled on reading progress

    A new dashboard shows K-8 national and state-level math and reading achievement trends pre- and post-pandemic.

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    Is your classroom culture conducive to cold-calling on students?

    Before engaging students not naturally inclined to speak up, educators should consider whether they’ve cultivated a warm environment, experts say.

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    Teachers are struggling with work-life balance, but there are ways to help

    Educators report they’re more likely to face job intrusion and job flexibility issues than adults working in other sectors, according to a Rand Corp. survey.

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    A side of life skills with your coffee? North Carolina school serves both

    The initiative for students with cognitive disabilities is strengthened by community partnerships, the principal of Charlotte’s Metro School says.

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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    What to know about the Education Department’s latest round of RIFs

    Education experts warn of potential disruptions to the oversight of civil rights protections and funding reimbursements due to severe staff reductions.

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    Disability groups urge against assessment and accountability waivers

    Allowing the waivers could lower expectations for students with disabilities, they told the U.S. Education Department.

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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education/Flickr.
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    RIFs rip through federal Office of Special Education Programs

    With OSEP reportedly decimated, one special education expert asks: How can IDEA "possibly function"?

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    California high schoolers to gain automatic offers to Cal State under new law

    A pilot version of the program proactively offered thousands of students acceptance into the public university system.

    Updated Oct. 14, 2025
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    Week In Review: H-1B visa concerns continue

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from a Supreme Court ruling resulting in very few curriculum opt-outs to gaps in students’ life skills.

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    Inside North Carolina’s direct admissions program

    A statewide initiative is offering high school students proactive admission to dozens of public and private colleges, following a pilot last year.

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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    As Trump imposes hefty H-1B visa fee, how many districts rely on them?

    Over 500 districts hired educators from overseas under the program during fiscal year 2025, according to a new NEA analysis.

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    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive
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    How districts help students gain real-life skills

    Incorporating 21st century skills into the school day must be intentional, collaborative and student-driven, speakers told attendees at an AASA summit.

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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    California takes ultra-processed foods off the school menu

    Schools must begin phasing out these foods in mid-2029, and vendors will be prohibited from offering them in mid-2032.

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    Risks from AI use are growing alongside its popularity in schools

    Greater school use increases the likelihood of data breaches, bullying and other issues, a Center for Democracy and Technology survey said.

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    Retrieved from U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions.
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    Richey confirmed to lead Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights

    Kimberly Richey, who also served in Trump’s first term, steps into the role as the office faces a significant backlog and a halved workforce.

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    SEL improves student grades, test performance

    The meta-analysis of its benefits comes after parent and lawmaker pushback against social-emotional learning and as some educators rebrand the practice.

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    Most school leaders report cellphone restrictions, widely seen as beneficial

    Students, teachers and principals view limiting devices as beneficial, but parents have concerns, research shows.

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    Opinion

    A skills crisis in our classrooms

    Dysregulation is creating a barrier to learning for many students, signifying a need to focus on executive function skills, two experts write.

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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    National Constitution Center expands ‘101’ curriculum to middle schoolers

    The nonprofit’s free civics curriculum is paired with a related toolkit that includes an interactive Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

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    Octavio Jones via Getty Images
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    How school boards reflect their constituencies — and where they don’t

    Board members have more positive views of their districts and are more critical of charter schools, a Fordham Institute and Wallace Foundation report says.

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    Here’s how science of reading can be tailored for dual-language learners

    Despite misconceptions that the approach is one-size-fits-all or English-only, a Children’s Equity Project report details how it can work for bilingual students.

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    Retrieved from K-12 Dive.
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    Maryland district gets few opt-out requests after Supreme Court mandate

    Curriculum opt-outs were requested on behalf of fewer than 1% of almost 150,000 students attending Montgomery County Public Schools.

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    Appeals court refuses to block Trump’s Title IX funding change

    The order deals a setback to a Virginia district that’s one of the first to push back on the administration’s strategy.

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    Fly View Productions via Getty Images
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    How are states approaching K-12 open enrollment?

    Best practices for open enrollment in public schools include transparent district reporting, the Reason Foundation says.