Student behavior

SEL in high school: How K12 leaders provide better support

Along with ongoing political pushback in some parts of the country, one barrier to SEL programs is that mental health positions are often funded by grants and other short-term sources, a new report contends.

School safety: Why the human element is so important

The human element outlasts any federal relief program or obsolete hardware, and it’s the most important component of any district’s safety strategy, says one administrator.

School safety: How to shift from reaction to prevention

Schools need to rethink safety through a comprehensive framework that assesses, plans, tracks and audits safety solutions across both proactive and reactive measures.

Deepfakes: Why they are now K12’s problem, too

Students and teachers are now contending with "a substantial amount" of sexually explicit deepfakes and other troubling forms of what tech watchdogs call "non-consensual intimate imagery."

Know This For Next Week: Most kids have hope

As you set the course for the next week and the rest of the school year, know this: Most kids—a whopping 95%—say they are hopeful about the future. 

Attendance boosts: How to drive achievement and engagement

Let’s commit to making our schools places of inspiration and possibility, where students show up eager to learn, grow and thrive.

Let’s take a look at back-to-school’s ‘Big 3’

Here's what comes next as leaders formulate post-ESSER spending plans, craft smartphone policies and try to keep kids in schools.

Chronic absenteeism: Addressing the cultural shifts behind a new normal

By recognizing how the reasons for chronic absenteeism have shifted over time, we can develop targeted, innovative approaches to ensure all students benefit from the irreplaceable experience of daily, in-person learning.

Sensory rooms: See this district’s innovative new models

Here's one rule for creating a powerful K12 sensory room: It doesn't necessarily have to pop on Pinterest. It only has to appeal to students and teachers who will rely on the space to provide a calming break from regular school day activities.

8 ways you can boost student attendance now

Strong family engagement is one of the most potent tools district leaders can use to raise student attendance and achievement.

Absenteeism: School is now “optional” for some families, report warns

Attendance has improved "modestly" since the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, attending school has apparenlty become less important for some families.

Student mental health: Teens are feeling a little better

The latest data from the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey show that slightly fewer teens in 2023 reported persistent sadness or hopelessness, compared to two years prior.

Student misbehavior on the rise? Let’s focus on character development

By reframing character education through the lenses of ‘being’ and ‘doing’, school administrators can partner with educators to curb the rising rates of misbehavior.

School cellphones: 2 more states consider big bans

Los Angeles USD has approved the nation's largest districtwide cellphone ban, which will take effect in January and also targets social media. 

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: How to reframe the teen brain

Tiffany Shlain's new documentary, "The Teen Brain," looks through the lens of neuroscience to help teens—and their parents and teachers—better understand the upsides of an intense period of growth and development.

Sandy Hook Promise: How to spot students who need more support

"It's really about how do you help someone months, weeks or even years before they ever reach the point of thinking about hurting themselves or hurting someone else," Sandy Hook Promise co-founder and CEO Nicole Hockley says on the latest episode of District Administration's "Talking Out of School" podcast.

Teachers around the world are facing similar hurdles—and AI, too

In a global McGraw-Hill poll, more than half of educators said that issues at home, insufficient family support and other external influences are the "largest obstacles to student success."

How this district created an anti-bullying initiative that actually works

This year, Wayne Township Public Schools set a goal to reduce bullying reports by 10%. Here's how they've more than quadrupled their expectations as of April.

No phone zones: Statewide bans are emerging across K12

 A new Indiana law requires public school districts to prohibit students from using cell phones during class time. Vermont lawmakers consider it a civil rights issue while Oklahoma offers financial incentives.

5 ways districts can better handle social media threats

School leaders should work with law enforcement to develop a response plan that starts discreetly, at a lower intensity, and scales up rapidly if a threat becomes credible.

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: Can we conquer chronic absenteeism?

"The churn that's happening in classrooms is now affecting everyone. It's affecting the ability of teachers to teach, teachers to set classroom norms, and kids to learn," Attendance Works Executive Director Hedy Chang says on this week's podcast.

Chaplains in public schools? What’s behind a new push

Lawmakers proposing the bills are pointing to counselor shortages but are not completely playing down the religious aspects of putting chaplains in schools.

How teachers can be even better allies during mental health crisis

Student leaders were asked: “What is one thing you want your teachers to know about your personal experience in school, online and with peers?” 

Want a new way to retain teachers? Try behavior data

Behavioral intervention is strengthened by data, and data is hard to come by when documentation is time-consuming and manual.

Data and bullying: How to break down the problem

Avoidance of the situation is the most common response to bullying, which often amplifies the negative repercussions of the behavior.

Want students to be more engaged? Don’t ban cellphones!

Banning cellphones to increase student engagement is about effective as making a nuclear power plant safer by upgrading the shed where workers park their bicycles, an edtech thought leader warns.

Teachers need time, technology and strategies to personalize a student’s journey

Focusing on the student-teacher relationship doesn’t mean telling teachers to connect and engage students, and then walking away. Nor is it about finding the best technology to take over as much teaching as possible.

How to help families overcome social media health problems

The medical community doesn’t have a full grasp on just how social media affects the health of students but a new report offers some solutions without calling for an outright ban.

More students are now being arrested when violent threats disrupt schools

Violent threats are made against schools and students almost every day, often causing lockdowns or closures and increasingly leading to criminal charges.

Reading as a remedy: One of the best ways to build resilience in students

Reading and access to books help children build resilience and can have a positive impact on overall mental and physical health, the latest research shows.

AI is tracking student suicide risk. Here are 6 ways to improve the technology

Many educators agree that AI monitoring tools can identify at-risk students but some worry the technology may also "compromise student privacy and perpetuate existing inequalities."

8 promising solutions to the outsize impacts of student discipline

Black boys and girls and students with disabilities continue to be suspended and expelled at rates that remain higher than their shares of total K12 enrollment, the latest data shows.

Suicide prevention: 5 steps for better protecting our students

The most effective solutions start long before a student begins thinking about committing self-harm, says Brandy Samuell, a former K12 administrator who is now director of product management at eLuma, a teletherapy provider.

Antisemitic incidents roiling higher ed are now spreading to K12

In Florida, a ripped Israeli flag was found at Equestrian Trails Elementary School, which is part of the Palm Beach County School District. Swastikas have been drawn at other K12 buildings.

The vaping crisis: Districts resort to dramatic measures, including indictments

Several counties in Alabama are taking what's surely among the nation's most aggressive responses to the problem: Vape courts.