3 special education funding strategies states can use to support districts

A K-12 funding expert with the American Institutes for Research says state special education funding systems need to be evidence-based and student-focused.

By Kara Arundel • Aug. 25, 2026

The emerging promise of teacher apprenticeship programs

About four years into the effort to address teacher shortages, two recent studies reveal apprenticeships may be successful in recruiting local educators.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 25, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from K-12 Dive

K-12 Dive has gathered some a selection of our best coverage as a one-stop resource on the trends to watch in the months ahead.

By K-12 Dive staff

Feds to propose H-1B fee that would stack with controversial $100K payment

Employers should expect litigation against the new fee once it is finalized, a source told HR Dive, similar to what occurred after last year’s fee was announced by President Donald Trump.

By Ryan Golden • Aug. 24, 2026

3 ways states can support innovative high school principals

Gaps between new school models’ demands and principals’ preparation "can undermine even the best-designed models," says a NASBE report.

By Kara Arundel • Aug. 24, 2026

Week In Review: Education Department issues Dear Colleague letters on discipline, tech use

We’re rounding up last week’s news, from an E-rate proposed rule to the latest on Ten Commandments laws.

By Roger Riddell • Aug. 24, 2026

Education Department proposal would make it easier to end grants

The move would give the agency broad authority to end grants, including “for convenience,” after such approaches have led to legal disputes.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 21, 2026

Test yourself on the past week’s K-12 news

From increased vaccine exemptions in kindergarten to E-rate’s uncertain future under the FCC, what did you learn from our recent stories?

By Anna Merod • Aug. 21, 2026

Greater Head Start flexibility will empower program leaders

Policy changes under the Trump administration will improve quality and access, write two top federal officials.

By Alex Adams and Lizbeth Casco White • Aug. 21, 2026

Education Department goes to ed tech’s defense in new guidance

A Dear Colleague letter said recreational and educational technology use are not synonymous — while also acknowledging screen time concerns.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 20, 2026

Judge deals blow to Trump administration’s gutting of Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program

An "abstinence-only approach" led to "unreasonable or unexplained" grant cancellations, said the judge, but he stopped short of reinstating funds.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 20, 2026

Efforts to keep ICE off of school grounds ramp up

Immigration enforcement activities on or around schools remain a concern for many educators at the start of the 2026-27 school year.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 20, 2026

How would Head Start programs fare if federal standards are pared down?

Under state standards, metrics like adult-to-child ratios and accessibility would worsen, according to a Children’s Equity Project analysis.

By Naaz Modan • Updated Aug. 20, 2026

Kindergarten vaccine rates continue downward trend

The National Association of School Nurses says it's "deeply concerned" with the Trump administration's goal to reform the childhood vaccine schedule.

By Kara Arundel • Aug. 19, 2026

OCR calls on schools to ‘stop racial balancing’ in new discipline guidance

A Dear Colleague letter said weighing discipline policies' racial outcomes and making decisions based on them is race discrimination under Title VI.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 18, 2026

FCC opens comment period on E-rate’s future

E-rate, which provides discounted internet services to build connectivity for schools, gave $10.5 billion to districts between 2021 and 2025.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 18, 2026

Ten Commandments law appealed to Supreme Court

Justices are set to consider two cases out of Texas that aim to block such laws, which have regained momentum in recent years.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 17, 2026

Week In Review: Unions sue over ‘professional’ degrees

We’re rounding up last week’s news, from the educational impact of extreme weather to chronic absenteeism data.

By Roger Riddell • Aug. 17, 2026

Houston ISD stays at B rating in 2025-26

Three years into Texas’ takeover of the district, one of its most troubled schools has risen from seven consecutive F ratings to its first-ever A.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 14, 2026

Test yourself on the past week’s K-12 news

From the latest data on written state special education complaints to a lawsuit against the Education Department, what did you learn from our recent stories?

By Anna Merod • Aug. 14, 2026

CISA issues K-12 cybersecurity guidance as schools’ risks persist

The agency’s free guides for district leaders come as the education sector continues to face a perfect storm of cyber vulnerability and limited resources.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 14, 2026

New York City Public Schools to place ‘school avoidance’ liaisons in every building

The nation's largest school system will task the personnel with addressing a student behavior that affects up to 15% of youth and fuels chronic absenteeism.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 13, 2026

Dyscalculia affects almost as many students as dyslexia. What can districts do?

Most districts don't have the systems in place to screen for the learning disability related to numbers and math, CRPE said in a report.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 13, 2026

With disparate impact out, what’s next for systemic discrimination cases?

The Trump administration’s move against unintentional discrimination will likely narrow or close investigations, education civil rights experts say.

By Naaz Modan • Aug. 13, 2026

Unions sue Education Department over ‘professional’ degree rule

The lawsuit seeks to vacate the agency’s exclusion of advanced degree programs in fields like education, which caps student loans at $100,000.

By Anna Merod • Aug. 12, 2026

Miami-Dade eliminated free school meals. They won’t be the last.

A senior policy analyst at the Center for American Progress breaks down how and why the nation’s third-largest district lost access to district-wide free meals.

By Paige Shoemaker DeMio • Aug. 12, 2026