Most-clicked story of the week:
In a landmark ruling on June 30, the U.S. Supreme Court decided girls’ and boys’ sports teams can be separated based on “biological sex.”
The decision in a pair of related Title IX cases dealt a major blow to transgender student inclusion in schools and colleges, particularly in athletics. The issue has proven divisive in recent years as many states have adopted opposing policies on transgender students’ ability to play on teams aligning with their gender identities, or their usage of personal pronouns or certain school facilities.
The number of test-takers expected to be reached annually by the testing giant created in nonprofit ETS’ acquisition of ACT. The deal comes as several universities have made moves to once again require standardized tests in admissions. Terms of the acquisition — which is the second for ACT since 2024, when it was acquired by Los Angeles-based Nexus Capital Management — were not disclosed.
The latest from the Education Department
- Kelly Rogers, acting assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, told K-12 Dive that there are two “misconceptions” about the agency’s interagency agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that need clarity: that school districts will no longer manage students’ individualized special education services and that students’ individualized education program records will be transferred to HHS. Individual child records are not kept at the federal level, she said, and decisions and oversight of individualized services will remain at the local level.
- A lawsuit filed June 30 by a group of disability and education organizations accused the federal government of withholding nearly $2 billion in funds that were appropriated by Congress for education research, data collection, program evaluation and assistance to states and school districts. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the Education Department and White House Office of Management and Budget said the failure to “apportion” the funds will impact all students, including those with disabilities.
- The Education Department expanded the list of fields designated as “professional” in graduate degree programs — but education remains excluded. The additions came after a recent court order temporarily blocked new regulations on the “professional” definition. The definition impacts federal student loan caps in graduate degree programs: Students in programs designated as “professional” have a $200,000 federal student loan limit, while those that are not are capped at $100,000.
Navigating curriculum changes
- Controversial social studies and required reading standards approved by the Texas State Board of Education will overhaul the state’s curriculum to incorporate Biblical stories across nearly all grade levels. The move follows months of criticism over the standards, which opponents argue blur the lines of church-state separation, favor Christianity over other religions, and lack diversity.
- Hayesville Middle School in North Carolina is giving students a leg up on career exploration, helping them to self-assess their interests and strengths while researching various fields using factors like cost of living, taxes and what lifestyle they hope to achieve. Other career development activities the school focuses on include visits from the local community college, career-related field trips, and lessons in money management, community resources and goal development.
- While districts and schools may feel pressure to start using artificial intelligence as it’s rolled out in the world at large, Sarah Levine, associate director of Stanford University’s Center to Support Excellence in Teaching, urges them to take their time. “It’s an opportunity for teachers, administrators and, especially, standardized test developers to think about other things students can do with language besides write very automated essays,” she said.
Dive Awards
