The 2015 passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reverses the trend of federal authority over K12 education. The new law returns state and local authority to levels that have not been seen in decades. One of biggest changes is that ESSA increases fund transferability for key federal programs. Under NCLB, state and local […]
Yoga in one Georgia district is under fire. In March, Bullard Elementary School in Kennesaw made national headlines when parents opposed yoga in school—being used to relieve stress and increase focus among students—because they said it promotes a Far East religion. After a public meeting, Principal Patrice Moore made changes. In a letter to parents, […]
Improving relations with Cuba have renewed interest in educational travel for some U.S. schools this year, with teachers eager to show students a country on the cusp of historic changes. While the U.S. government banned tourism to Cuba in 1963 at the height of the Cold War, educational travel remained legal. The United States and […]
Teenagers and young adults have higher STD rates than any other age group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. So Los Angeles USD started using an app this semester to better connect students to free HIV and STD testing. “The students can now find health services they need in their local area […]
Students will likely choose healthier meals if provided with more comfortable places to eat. Modern lighting and food-court style designs can draw students to dining areas while school gardens can provide learning experiences and also supply cafeterias with fresh, less expensive produce. Students will likely choose healthier meals if provided with more comfortable places to […]
Today’s climate of budget cuts and shortfalls has increased the importance of risk management in school districts. Insurance premiums can wipe out extensive efforts to reduce costs. In the past, school safety has primarily focused on disaster preparation and security issues, but it has come to mean much more. School safety is a holistic approach […]
Fewer than half of high schools and only one-fifth of middle schools offer comprehensive sex education, according to a December report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). No federal requirements exist for sexual education. Decisions about health curricula are usually made at the district level, and vary widely from state to state […]
Guilford County Schools in North Carolina raised $35 million last year to help fund every high school student’s college education in full. The effort is part of the district’s recent partnership with Say Yes to Education, a nonprofit that also works communitywide in Syracuse and Buffalo, New York, to provide scholarships and social services. Say […]
Injecting the arts into science, math, engineering and technology encourages students to think creatively and critically in traditional STEM subjects that, until the recent and widespread adoption of new standards, didn’t often encourage students to think outside the box. The rising popularity of blended STEAM programs reflects a nationwide K12 push to develop the next […]
Emergency room visits for self-inflicted injuries in adolescents have risen significantly since 2009, according to a study in July Pediatrics. Schools looking to curb this behavior have turned to new mental health programs that focus on navigating stress and emotional regulation. An estimated 13 percent to 26 percent of high school students engage in non-suicidal […]
