Student Success

Chicago Public Schools’ ‘Black Student Success Plan’ is under investigation

Education Department launches an investigation into an allegation that Chicago Public Schools' remedial program discriminates against students of other races. 

What will happen to districts that defy Trump’s DEI order?

A growing number of states say they are removing DEI from their schools even as some leaders refuse to comply.

Maine at risk of losing its federal K12 funding

U.S. Department of Education is on the verge of defunding Maine's schools over what the agency says are Title IX violations involving transgender athletes.

Feds launch new team to investigate transgender athletes

Launch of the "Title IX Special Investigations Team" comes one day after the Trump administration threatened to withhold Title I funding over DEI programs.

Schools must now prove anti-discrimination compliance to preserve funding

As of this week, K12 school districts must certify their adherence to Title VI or risk a loss of federal assistance, according to the Department of Education.

Education Department touts wave of Title IX investigations

This month alone, the Department of Education has launched investigations of at several school districts and state education departments. Each case shines a light on what exactly the federal agency is looking for and how you can avoid conflict.

Summer literacy: An important way to close learning gaps

Structured summer literacy programs using familiar resources help students avoid the summer slide and start the school year strong.

This new FAQ answers your questions about DEI guidance

A new resource answers leaders' questions about Education Department's new laws prohibiting DEI programming.

How schools are—and are not—revamping DEI programs

Both K12 and higher ed are scrambling to define their policy in response to the Trump Administration's order to end all DEI programming.

Student mental health: Early intervention is most important

Student mental health will continue to suffer if schools don't have the resources to intervene until kids are in crisis, a new report contends. 

These 10 states have the highest chronic absenteeism levels

By the 2023-24 school year, four states each witnessed chronic absenteeism rates above 30%, new research confirms. Other states weren't far behind.

Here’s when you need to reevaluate DEI programming

K12 and higher education institutions may be punished for not halting all diversity, equity and inclusion-based initiatives.

Here’s what superintendents think of the Title IX reversal

State Superintendents have mixed opinions of the revert to Title IX's 2020 regulations. Here's what they're saying.

New executive order bans transgender athletes from girls’ sports

K12 schools that fail to comply with Title IX regulations will risk receiving federal funding, said Trump during Wednesday's signing ceremony.

New Title IX protections are wiped out by Trump administration

Gender identity and sexual orientation will no longer be protected under Title IX. Instead, schools will return to enforcing protections on the basis of biological sex.

Illusion of the ‘A’: How to look beyond short-term success

If the ultimate goal of education is to prepare students for life, then our focus must shift from rewarding fleeting success to fostering genuine understanding that lasts.

Here are 5 strategies for improving chronic absenteeism

While chronic absenteeism saw modest improvements, it's still a significant challenge in schools nationwide, new research affirms.

4 K12 predictions to help you lead effectively in 2025

Are you prepared to navigate 2025's challenges? Here are some predictions to help guide your list of priorities for the new year.

How this district improved graduation rates by 25 percent–and how you can, too

The Lansing School District has pioneered an intentional approach to boosting graduation rates. And here's the good news: It's seamlessly replicable.

You may want to borrow this district’s successful smartphone rules

Many schools are enforcing strict policies that keep students from checking their smartphone throughout the entire school day. This superintendent is doing it a little differently.

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.

Why this superintendent aims to ‘push the genius in every child’

Martin County School District Superintendent Michael Maine is in his second year as the top educator in the district. This year, he wants his staff to know that anything short of excellence is not good enough for kids.

Social-emotional assessments: Things you need to know before implementation

Are the items written with language appropriate for the intended audience? Is the assessment reliable across diverse groups of respondents? Here's some research on how to choose the right assessment for your students.

ACT scores are still declining, new data shows

In the last five years, average composite ACT scores nationwide were the lowest among the 2024 graduating class at 19.4.

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."

Here’s the student perspective on chronic absenteeism

The majority of these absences are a result of illnesses or doctor's appointments, new research affirms. But a substantial amount of students say school is too boring.

Know this for next week: How to create trajectory-changing schools

There's no "silver-bullet" solution or perfect curriculum for building an academically solid cohort of students. Instead, leaders ought to focus on these three areas.

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.

Community Schools Roundtable: Data-Driven Systems for Physical, Social, & Mental Health Support

Date & Time: Wednesday, October 2nd at 2 pm ET

In this DA webinar, learn how Hamilton County Schools (TN), Hartford County Schools (MD), and Lancaster Public Schools (CA) are building sustainable whole-child systems that are informed by student voice and leverage community partners to proactively support the physical, social, and mental health of our students. Their approaches are united by an emphasis on data-informed decision making.

***All attendees will be able to safely download "Growing Community: The Community Schools Framework in Action Across Three States."

Smartphones have derailed childhood. Here is how to fix it

In our latest webinar, best-selling author Jonathan Haidt shares with school leaders the most effective ways to create a truly phone-free school and re-engage students.

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.