Policy & Legal


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    New COPPA Rule to take effect in June

    The Federal Trade Commission’s amended final rule expands parental control over companies that collect children’s data.

    By April 25, 2025
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    Will Trump’s school discipline order drive wider disparities or ‘restore common sense’?

    Some critics worry the directive will hurt marginalized students, but supporters say race-based practices hamper school safety.

    By April 25, 2025
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    Trendline

    Equity in Education

    From early learning to high school, the pandemic impacted equity at all levels of K-12, from persistent and widening achievement gaps to uneven access to school meals.

    By K-12 Dive staff
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    BrianAJackson via Getty Images
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    States drop Section 504 constitutional challenge

    The 17 state plaintiffs don't want to declare the disability discrimination rule unconstitutional but continue to argue that gender dysphoria is not a disability.

    By April 25, 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 new executive orders to a state’s private school choice program being deemed unconstitutional, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By April 25, 2025
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    Federal judges deal major blow to Education Department’s anti-DEI guidance

    The Trump administration's efforts to withhold funds from schools "raise the specter of a public 'witch hunt,'" one ruling said.

    By , Natalie Schwartz • Updated April 25, 2025
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    Trump targets AI, school discipline in new executive orders

    In addition to advancing AI in schools, the orders call for a review of discipline guidance based on “discriminatory and unlawful ‘equity’ ideology.”

    By April 23, 2025
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    What could an executive order on AI in education mean for schools?

    A draft order would direct federal agencies to prioritize artificial intelligence initiatives in schools and to help train students and teachers to use the tech.

    By April 23, 2025
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    Brandon Bell / Staff via Getty Images
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    2 in 5 LGBTQ+ youth face socioeconomic challenges

    Transgender and nonbinary youth were more likely to experience food insecurity, houselessness and unmet basic needs compared to peers.

    By April 23, 2025
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    Justice Department: Maine Education Department at risk of losing $864M

    The federal agency warned last week that it may retroactively pull funding to Maine for past Title IX violations.

    By April 23, 2025
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    Retrieved from MSAD #51.
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    Maine’s K-12 is on the brink of losing federal funding. How did it get here?

    The case may serve as a blueprint for other investigations as Attorney General Pam Bondi has warned "many, many" other states are next.

    By April 23, 2025
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    Supreme Court appears split in key curriculum opt-out case

    The Supreme Court’s opinion in Mahmoud v. Taylor could set precedent on parental opt-out policies and LGBTQ+ curricular content. 

    By April 22, 2025
  • ICE agents lied about having parents’ permission to speak to LAUSD students, senators say

    A letter from California senators to the immigration enforcement agency reveals agents attempted to locate children — without any warrants — in grades 1-6.

    By April 22, 2025
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    Utah judge declares private school choice program unconstitutional

    The decision is part of a longstanding debate about the legality of taxpayer dollars being used for private school tuitions.

    By April 21, 2025
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Layoffs, cuts, chaos: The Education Department in Trump’s first 90 days

    The massive cuts at the federal level have implications for everything from national assessments to education technology. 

    By April 21, 2025
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    PonyWang via Getty Images
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    Teacher AI training remains uneven despite uptick

    Disparities in artificial intelligence implementation continue to emerge between low- and high-poverty school districts, according to Rand Corp.

    By April 18, 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 the Supreme Court’s K-12 docket to a federal education program’s 60th anniversary, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By April 18, 2025
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    Head Start zeroed out in Trump’s preliminary budget plan

    While some conservatives have called the early education program ineffective, supporters point to academic, social and economic benefits.

    By April 17, 2025
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    Despite layoffs, NAEP to continue as planned in 2026

    Grade 8 will see history and civics assessments, while math and reading tests will be administered for grades 4 and 8, the Education Department said.

    By April 17, 2025
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Governors tout career and technical education in 2025 State of States

    An analysis of their talks finds funding, teacher recruitment and retention, and student achievement to be other common threads.

    By Briana Mendez-Padilla • April 17, 2025
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    Institute of Education Sciences cuts imperil high-quality research, lawsuits allege

    Two separate complaints say the Education Department’s downsizing of IES was unlawful and will erode data collection and analysis.

    By April 16, 2025
  • ‘Many, many’ other states next: DOJ sues Maine over transgender athlete policies

    U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi warned California and Minnesota could be next in line for cuts to federal funding over civil rights issues.

    By April 16, 2025
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    School’s in session for SCOTUS: 3 K-12 cases to watch in April

    After a light education docket last year, justices will hear back-to-back cases on issues including LGBTQ+ curriculum and religious public schools.

    By April 15, 2025
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    Retrieved from Brevard Public Schools on April 14, 2025
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    Florida teacher’s employment in jeopardy after using student’s preferred name

    Brevard Public Schools says the state is reviewing the teacher's certification in line with strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws governing classroom name and pronoun use.

    By April 15, 2025
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Bills in Congress detail path to closing the Education Department

    More attention in Congress is being directed toward the federal agency’s future as Trump calls for its closure.

    By April 14, 2025
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    ICE agents denied entry into LAUSD elementary schools

    The DHS maintains that the incidents, which rattled the education community, were "wellness checks on children who arrived unaccompanied at the border." 

    By April 14, 2025