Policy & Legal

School nutrition directors prepare for next academic year with and without universal meals

With no funding to provide all students free meals, one Colorado school district expects to raise meal prices by 50 to 75 cents.

By Anna Merod • May 20, 2022

Lawmakers and witnesses discuss race, gender in classrooms

Where some in a Thursday congressional hearing saw curriculum limits as censorship and intimidation, others said divisive topics distract from instruction.

By Kara Arundel • May 20, 2022

Explore the 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

A look at 11 years of Title IX policy in public schools

As the Biden administration readies a new rule governing the federal sex discrimination law, we look back at major events in recent Title IX history.

By Naaz Modan , Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • May 18, 2022

House panel: Juvenile justice reforms need coordinated school-community response

Speakers at a House subcommittee hearing discuss how involving youth in extracurricular activities and employment can prevent delinquency.

By Kara Arundel • May 18, 2022

These 5 charts illustrate school finance entering the pandemic

A new analysis offers a snapshot of the "limbo" many states and districts were dealing with just prior to the distribution of federal relief funding.

By Naaz Modan • May 17, 2022

Ed Dept offers 18-month extension requests for ARP spending

AASA says extensions would allow districts time to plan facility improvements while dealing with challenges from supply chain and labor shortages.

By Kara Arundel • May 13, 2022

Why states and districts are struggling with ARP's maintenance of equity

Different local accounting approaches and delays in actual spending figures have made implementation difficult, education experts say.

By Kara Arundel • May 13, 2022

Big money, big ideas: Will schools seize the day along with the cash?

A former school district CFO writes administrators have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to make bold moves that expand effectiveness and opportunities.

By Erin Covington • May 13, 2022

Could overturning Roe v. Wade impact high school dropout rates?

Many of the same student subgroups who are already lagging in academic achievement are also less likely to be able to access abortion care.

By Naaz Modan • May 12, 2022

NCES: States entered pandemic with smaller year-over-year funding increases

The most recent data only accounts for about three months of COVID-19 closures, and many states had not yet disbursed federal relief funds.

By Naaz Modan • May 11, 2022

ESSER spending decisions influenced by changing demands

A survey of district finance leaders shows actual spending priorities over time, including more focus on academic recovery with ARP money.

By Kara Arundel • May 10, 2022

Vaping lawsuits regain steam after COVID-19 closures

One attorney said that joining lawsuits can help districts recover damages for resources invested in managing vaping-related problems.

By Naaz Modan • May 9, 2022

Ed Department begins review of often misunderstood Section 504 rules

A public comment period will start the process for amending regulations for accommodations for students with disabilities in K-12 and higher education.

By Kara Arundel • May 6, 2022

LAUSD makes 'historic' $50M investment to address digital divide

Los Angeles Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said internet access is a “civil right” when he announced a districtwide connectivity program.

By Anna Merod • May 6, 2022

Inflation, shortages make districts pivot on ESSER spending plans

Districts should convey changes to the public during board meetings to quell potentially disgruntled stakeholders.

By Naaz Modan • May 5, 2022

'Handle With Care' helps schools address growing student trauma

Amid the youth mental health crisis, district leaders share how a trauma response program is useful in quickly providing support and care for students.

By Anna Merod • May 5, 2022

USDA: States can still apply for limited school nutrition waivers

The number of summer meal programs are expected to shrink this year now that a majority of pandemic-era waivers are set to expire June 30.

By Anna Merod • May 2, 2022

More than half of first-time teachers in Alabama leave within 3 years

A new statewide analysis on teacher shortages leads to calls for more data — and more support systems for new educators.

By Anna Merod • April 29, 2022

Ed Dept: LAUSD must make up for special ed services missed during school shutdowns

An investigation found the district failed to remedy the lack of services promised to students with disabilities, among other violations.

By Kara Arundel • April 29, 2022

Ed Department plans to issue Title IX proposal in May, not April as expected

Advocates for sexual assault survivors had pressed the agency to speed up its timeline for publishing the highly anticipated draft rule.

By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf • April 28, 2022

Advancing an equity-oriented science of education

The president of the William T. Grant Foundation sees new opportunities at the other end of unprecedented challenges for U.S. education.

By Adam Gamoran • April 28, 2022

'This doesn't seem like a new problem': Supreme Court hears coach prayer case

The outcome of the case could require administrators to make "difficult judgment calls" down the road.

By Naaz Modan • April 26, 2022

Proposed Ed Dept rules are 'sneak attack' on charter schools, opponents say

The agency wants more transparency with for-profit organizations and to encourage collaboration between charters and traditional public schools.

By Kara Arundel • April 25, 2022

NCES: Schools scale back significantly on quarantines, masking

As much of the nation experiences low community spread of COVID-19, fewer schools required masks or needed to quarantine students in March. 

By Naaz Modan • April 25, 2022

Universal school meal efforts grow in states

Advocates of free meals for all students feel hopeful about gaining state momentum as a key federal June 30 deadline looms.

By Anna Merod • April 20, 2022