The Latest

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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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    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.

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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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    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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    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.

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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.

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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?

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    BY THE NUMBERS

    What did teacher turnover look like during the COVID-19 pandemic?

    About 1 in 7 public school teachers changed schools or left the profession between 2020-21 and 2021-22, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

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    monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
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    How educators can help students learn to navigate polarizing issues

    A report from the Or Initiative suggests educators can use digital literacy and encourage civil discourse to support student dialogue.

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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    21 states sue USDA over funding conditions they say would threaten school meal programs

    The lawsuit pushes back on new grant conditions that bar funds being used for programs that support “gender ideology” or “illegal immigration.”

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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    NWEA: Kindergarten redshirting brings short-term academic gains only

    The gains fall away by 3rd grade, and a delay in starting school can cost families an extra year of childcare, the firm's analysis says.

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    Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Judge scraps another school admissions policies lawsuit

    In the wake of SFFA v. Harvard, several challenges have claimed socioeconomic or experience factors are a proxy for race-based admissions.

  • New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels speaks at a podium. He is flanked by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Column // LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP

    How the new NYC schools chief plans to improve rigor and equity

    Building a solid foundation for interventions and changing perceptions around math and reading success are among challenges Kamar Samuels faces.

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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    White House urges Congress to protect children on AI platforms

    The Trump administration released a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence as lawmakers consider bills to improve online safety for youth.