Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
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70 years later: The story of Brown v. Board of Education in pictures
The landmark ruling spurred resistance, desegregation orders, busing and school choice. Here's a look back — and forward to where integration stands today.
Naaz Modan, Kara Arundel, Anna Merod, Shaun Lucas and Jasmine Ye Han • May 16, 2024 -
Special education advocates warn of ‘chilling effects’ from anti-DEI efforts
A researcher at the Heritage Foundation, however, says DEI rollbacks would benefit the special education community.
Kara Arundel • March 20, 2024 -
How lockerless schools are shaping building design
As locker popularity wanes, schools are removing them and finding other uses for the spaces; educators and parents note an end of an era.
Kara Arundel • Feb. 20, 2024 -
School milk carton shortage may last through school year, but brandless packaging brings relief
Manufacturer Pactiv Evergreen said it’s producing half-pint cartons at maximum capacity as a supply chain disruption still challenges dairies and schools.
Katie Pyzyk • Jan. 16, 2024 -
Another record high: Counting school shootings in 2023
Varying — and in some cases lacking — definitions and data make the issue hard to track, as experts continue to pursue solutions for both prevention and recovery.
Naaz Modan and Kara Arundel • Dec. 20, 2023 -
Duties Deferred: The price students pay when schools pass the buck on Title IX
Case records document a pattern of schools deferring to law enforcement and other outside agencies — and failing to protect students in sexual assault and harassment cases in the process.
Naaz Modan and Julia Himmel • Dec. 13, 2023 -
Why more colleges are adopting direct admissions
The practice — which notifies students that they’re admitted before they even apply — is taking off at public systems and some private institutions.
Lilah Burke • Dec. 12, 2023 -
‘Opportunity’ knocked — and stayed: Successes and flaws of DC’s private school voucher program
While some credit the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program as a "lifeline" for thousands of low-income students, others are pushing for its demise.
Kara Arundel, Shaun Lucas and Julia Himmel • Nov. 21, 2023 -
‘Opportunity’ knocked — and stayed: Two decades of private school vouchers in the nation’s capital
As private school choice programs increase across the U.S., the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program gets credit, and blame, for leading the way.
Kara Arundel, Shaun Lucas and Julia Himmel • Nov. 20, 2023 -
Equity in IDEA: Finding solutions to racial disproportionality in special ed
Efforts to remedy overrepresentation of students with disabilities takes time and collaboration with general education, experts say.
Kara Arundel, Shaun Lucas and Julia Himmel • Aug. 1, 2023 -
Equity in IDEA: Why racial disparities are increasing in special ed programs
A nearly 100% increase in the number of districts identified as significantly disproportionate is causing school leaders to examine data and practices.
Kara Arundel, Shaun Lucas and Julia Himmel • July 31, 2023 -
MOVEit mass exploit timeline: How the file-transfer service attacks entangled victims
The slow-moving disaster has ensnared some of the world's largest enterprises. Cybersecurity experts expect further damage to come.
Matt Kapko • July 18, 2023 -
‘Wave’ of litigation expected as schools fight social media companies
Districts are joining a complaint against Meta, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, but some doubt the firms can be blamed for teens’ mental health struggles.
Kara Arundel • June 1, 2023 -
K-12 anticipates a summer of school construction
As schools plan for a surge of ESSER-supported upgrades over summer break, many administrators remain concerned about spending deadlines.
Kara Arundel • May 10, 2023 -
Districts turn to AI to keep guns out of schools
With school shootings on the rise, some educators seek solutions in artificial intelligence as others urge caution.
Kara Arundel and Anna Merod • Feb. 15, 2023 -
School shootings reach unprecedented high in 2022
There’s been an on-campus shooting ‘pretty much every single school day’ this fall, the founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database said.
Naaz Modan and Kara Arundel • Dec. 21, 2022 -
‘Tripledemic’ upends school operations, requires adjustments
Administrators share strategies on how they are working to minimize sickness and missed class time.
Kara Arundel • Dec. 19, 2022 -
Star-Spangled Bans: No place for Pride in some schools after anti-LGBTQ laws spread
Counselors, educators and students are paying the price for policies that make students feel unsafe as their mental health and lives hang in the balance.
Naaz Modan, Jasmine Ye Han and Shaun Lucas • Nov. 17, 2022 -
Star-Spangled Bans: Anti-CRT policies lead schools to downplay race, history
“Divisive concepts” regulations are dividing entire communities, with people and children of color caught in the middle.
Naaz Modan, Jasmine Ye Han and Shaun Lucas • Nov. 16, 2022 -
Star-Spangled Bans: How Trump’s call to preserve U.S. history energized a movement to erase it
As classroom censorship laws spread, school cultures, climates, and even curricula are shifting at all levels of the education system.
Naaz Modan, Jasmine Ye Han and Shaun Lucas • Nov. 15, 2022 -
Fighting fentanyl: Schools tackle opioid crisis head-on
Educators are on the front lines of the trauma facing students and families — and working to be part of the solution.
Kara Arundel, Shaun Lucas and Jasmine Ye Han • Oct. 26, 2022 -
4 ways transitioning to a 4-day school week impacts districts
Moving to a shorter week offers a variety of advantages for students and educators, but it is not without challenges.
Elena Ferrarin • Aug. 3, 2022 -
'Waiting for the next thing': What it's like teaching after a mass shooting
Educators are expected to teach through emotional and psychological side effects reaching far beyond communities impacted by tragedies.
Naaz Modan • May 26, 2022 -
Remote learning special ed litigation lower than expected
Though disruptions continue and statutes of limitations on missed services have yet to expire in some places, a lawsuit spike hasn't materialized.
Kara Arundel • April 12, 2022 -
As Ed Dept weighs Title IX changes, pressure mounts from growing state anti-LGBTQ measures
Districts are caught between a rock and a hard place as they navigate conflicting state laws and federal urges to support LGBTQ students.
Naaz Modan • April 6, 2022