Policy & Legal

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    Trump’s OCR steps up pace for dismissing complaints

    The office charged with protecting students’ civil rights is functioning with limited staff, and its recent dismissal rate has raised questions from former employees.

    By • Updated 4 hours ago
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    STUDY HALL

    Here’s what you need to know about the federal IDEA special education program

    The nearly 50-year-old law sets requirements for states and districts for how to serve students with disabilities.

    By • July 7, 2025
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    Trendline

    Attendance and Absenteeism

    Our latest K-12 Dive Trendline takes a closer look at chronic absenteeism’s impact on schools and where educators are seeing success with attendance.

    By K-12 Dive staff
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    Philadelphia school district enters monitoring agreement to defer criminal prosecution over asbestos lapses

    Superintendent Tony Watlington says the district has committed to greater transparency and tripled its environmental management investments.

    By Robert Freedman • July 7, 2025
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    DragonImages via Getty Images
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    Over 60 organizations sign White House pledge to invest in AI education

    The pledge marks a win for the White House and comes as a state AI regulation moratorium was stricken from the Senate’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill."

    By • July 2, 2025
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    ‘Immediate harm’: Education Department withholds $6.2B from schools

    Title funding for English learners, after-school programs and professional development are among the allocations unavailable to districts and states.

    By • July 1, 2025
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    School participation in CEP keeps rising. ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ could change that.

    Proposed SNAP cuts could harm the Community Eligibility Provision, which helps high-poverty schools serve free meals to all students, FRAC says.

    By • July 1, 2025
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    How would Trump’s FY 26 budget plan reshape special education?

    The White House says its IDEA budget proposal would be less complex and more effective. Critics worry about cuts and reduced accountability.

    By • June 30, 2025
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    All states can now access ESSER late liquidation funds

    The Education Department’s course change will allow all states — at least temporarily — to draw down federal COVID funds preapproved for extensions.

    By • June 27, 2025
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    Courtesy of The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
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    SCOTUS hands win to parents in LGBTQ+ curriculum opt-out case

    The Supreme Court majority wrote that few religious acts are as important to people of faith as the religious education of their children.

    By • Updated June 27, 2025
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    Retrieved from FCC.
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    Supreme Court preserves E-rate in 6-3 ruling

    The decision, which could have upended the federal internet discount program for schools, means schools can continue to apply for the program's funding.

    By • Updated June 27, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From LGBTQ+ students’ feelings on school support to a Title IX investigation’s outcome, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • June 27, 2025
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    Phynart Studio via Getty Images
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    Advocates, lawmakers denounce CTE’s proposed move to Labor Department

    The Trump administration says the career education change will improve efficiencies and spur innovation. Critics say it's "fragmented" and "illegal."

    By • June 26, 2025
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    Can this team-based staffing model reduce teacher turnover?

    Teachers participating in the Next Education Workforce model were less likely to quit compared to those in traditional classrooms, researchers found.

    By • June 26, 2025
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    Senate passes ‘Big, Beautiful Bill,’ putting US closer to offering national private school choice

    Critics say funding public school systems, which educate most of the nation's students, should be Congress’ priority.

    By • Updated July 1, 2025
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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Justice.
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    Education Department finds California trans athlete policy violated Title IX

    If California doesn’t sign a proposed resolution agreement within 10 days, its case could be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for enforcement.

    By • June 25, 2025
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    Why districts should remain vigilant about ICE entering schools

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said immigration enforcement should be “extremely rare” in schools. Still, immigration experts have doubts.

    By • June 25, 2025
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    Halfpoint via Getty Images
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    Missed special education targets show need for support

    The U.S. Department of Education says states needing assistance with IDEA compliance and student outcomes should receive technical assistance.

    By • June 25, 2025
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    John M. Chase via Getty Images
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    Federal judge orders OCR to reinstate laid-off employees — for now

    The Education Department plans to appeal the ruling, which said the RIF had left OCR "incapable of addressing the vast majority" of complaints.

    By • June 24, 2025
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    Spencer Platt / Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Rural LGBTQ+ youth less likely to say schools are supportive

    These students were more likely to find supportive communities online and used them at higher rates than their urban and suburban peers, a report said.

    By • June 24, 2025
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    Jatuporn Tansirimas via Getty Images
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    Phone bans proliferate as digital media’s harm to students grows clearer

    Though many studies link screentime to emotional and behavioral problems, one group of researchers urges that correlation may not mean causation.

    By • June 23, 2025
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    Illustration: Cathryn Virginia for Industry Dive

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    STAFFED UP

    The future for teacher diversity in a world of DEI scrutiny

    Districts and states are being advised to “tread carefully” as some continue to promote teacher diversity efforts in a difficult legal and policy landscape.

    By • June 20, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From a Title IX regulation proposal to an analysis of how immigration raids impact school attendance, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • June 20, 2025
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    Caroline Colvin/K-12 Dive
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    Supreme Court upholds Tennessee ban on youth gender-affirming care

    Some 26 states have passed bans on gender-affirming care for children since 2021, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

    By Susanna Vogel • June 18, 2025
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    kali9 via Getty Images
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    Majority of high schoolers say they don’t feel prepared for post-graduation

    In a survey, about half of students said they’ve never had a job or internship, and more than a third said they’ve never gone for a college visit.

    By Carolyn Crist • June 18, 2025
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    How immigration raids impacted school attendance in 5 California districts

    A Stanford analysis of schools in California’s Central Valley found a 22% rise in student absences it attributed to an increase in local immigration enforcement.

    By • June 18, 2025