School Models

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    School bus driver shortage improves slightly with bump in hiring, pay

    Although school bus driver employment has grown by about 2,300 jobs over the past year, the number of positions remains below pre-pandemic levels.

    By • Nov. 18, 2025
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    Week In Review: Education Department activities resume

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from special education concerns to enrollment woes.

    By • Nov. 17, 2025
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    Trendline

    STEM

    From AI to quantum physics, STEM learning opportunities in K-12 are expanding to keep pace with related fields.

    By K-12 Dive staff
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    Lessons learned from Arizona’s universal school choice program

    The state’s universal private school choice program grew 633% between 2021-22 and 2024-25, equaling about 7% of the state’s school population last year.

    By • Nov. 17, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

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

    From enrollment-based decision-making to AI literacy, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • Nov. 14, 2025
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    Where the federal school choice program stands

    The U.S. Department of Treasury is expected to issue proposed rules early next year detailing how the program will operate and how states can opt in.

    By • Nov. 13, 2025
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    Week In Review: Special education debates ramp up

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from enrollment trends to Colorado’s support for universal meals.

    By • Nov. 10, 2025
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    patpitchaya via Getty Images
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    Heightened AI use in special education brings elevated risks

    Nearly 60% of special education teachers reported using AI to develop an IEP or Section 504 plan during the 2024-25 school year, a CDT report finds.

    By • Nov. 4, 2025
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    monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
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    Why middle school is ‘an ideal time’ to invest in CTE

    Exposing younger students to a wide variety of careers will help them begin to form occupational identities, one career and technical education expert says.

    By Ed Finkel • Oct. 29, 2025
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    A potential ‘fix’ for special education?

    A more effective system is needed to address learning challenges all students face, not just those receiving IDEA services, CRPE researchers say.

    By • Oct. 28, 2025
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    Scott Olson/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Educators push for virtual schooling in response to ICE raids

    Chicago joins New York and Los Angeles districts in exploring remote options to ensure students and parents are safe amid the federal immigration crackdown.

    By • Oct. 24, 2025
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    10 ways to strengthen family-school partnerships and support learning

    Being transparent about students' academic performance is one way schools can build trust and connections with parents, says nonprofit Learning Heroes.

    By • Oct. 24, 2025
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    Adam Gray/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    As temperatures rise, math performance drops

    The NWEA findings were especially true for students in high-poverty schools, where air conditioning may not be up to par.

    By • Oct. 23, 2025
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    Column // LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP

    How longevity led to achievement gains in Compton USD

    The Los Angeles-area district, under the direction of Darin Brawley, has seen three straight years of growth on the state’s Smarter Balanced assessment.

    By • Updated Oct. 23, 2025
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    How states can tackle absenteeism among worried immigrant families

    Affirming students' rights to attend school and creating a welcoming school climate can help increase attendance for this population, EdTrust said.

    By • Oct. 21, 2025
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Week In Review: RIFs issued to further gut Education Department

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from fallout of the PowerSchool data breach to modest math gains for some grade levels.

    By • Oct. 20, 2025
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    Nearly 3 in 4 families lack after-school program access

    Low- and middle-income families are more likely to miss out, with cost the most commonly cited barrier.

    By • Oct. 16, 2025
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    Is your classroom culture conducive to cold-calling on students?

    Before engaging students not naturally inclined to speak up, educators should consider whether they’ve cultivated a warm environment, experts say.

    By Ed Finkel • Oct. 15, 2025
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    A side of life skills with your coffee? North Carolina school serves both

    The initiative for students with cognitive disabilities is strengthened by community partnerships, the principal of Charlotte’s Metro School says.

    By Ed Finkel • Oct. 15, 2025
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    Inside North Carolina’s direct admissions program

    A statewide initiative is offering high school students proactive admission to dozens of public and private colleges, following a pilot last year.

    By Danielle McLean • Oct. 13, 2025
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    Week In Review: H-1B visa concerns continue

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from a Supreme Court ruling resulting in very few curriculum opt-outs to gaps in students’ life skills.

    By • Oct. 13, 2025
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    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive
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    How districts help students gain real-life skills

    Incorporating 21st century skills into the school day must be intentional, collaborative and student-driven, speakers told attendees at an AASA summit.

    By • Oct. 10, 2025
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    Opinion

    A skills crisis in our classrooms

    Dysregulation is creating a barrier to learning for many students, signifying a need to focus on executive function skills, two experts write.

    By Ellen Galinsky and Barb Wilder-Smith • Oct. 9, 2025
  • A handful of students walk in a row outside near a school building. They are each holding a cellphone and looking down at the cellphone.
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    Most school leaders report cellphone restrictions, widely seen as beneficial

    Students, teachers and principals view limiting devices as beneficial, but parents have concerns, research shows.

    By • Oct. 9, 2025
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    Fly View Productions via Getty Images
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    How are states approaching K-12 open enrollment?

    Best practices for open enrollment in public schools include transparent district reporting, the Reason Foundation says.

    By • Oct. 7, 2025
  • The U.S. Capitol stands in the distance as morning traffic moves along North Capitol Street Northwest on October 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. The government shut down early Wednesday after Congress failed to reach a funding deal.
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    Week In Review: Mental health grants return and FCC rolls back E-rate expansion

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from the government shutdown’s impact on schools to differentiated teacher compensation.

    By • Oct. 6, 2025