How to Improve STEM Education

How to Improve STEM Education

Systemic change is needed in today’s education system for major improvements in STEM education for students, according to an article in eSchool News. Federal agencies, states and school districts should increase use of innovations that can improve STEM education from pre-K through high school, according to a new congressionally-mandated report from the National Academies of Sciences,…

Pediatricians: Severe Discipline Can Harm Students’ Mental & Physical Health

Pediatricians: Severe Discipline Can Harm Students’ Mental & Physical Health

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends schools reduce the use of exclusionary discipline (suspension or expulsion, for example) through trauma-informed practices and collect and analyze discipline data to identify areas for improvement, according to an article in K-12 Dive. Suspending or expelling a student can have lifelong, harmful consequences, according to an updated APP…

AI Will Revolutionize Teaching Without Replacing Teachers

AI Will Revolutionize Teaching Without Replacing Teachers

Anant Agarwal, founder of edX and MIT professor, argues that artificial intelligence won’t replace teachers but rather enhance their capabilities, according to an Education Slice summary of a New York Times report. AI frees teachers from repetitive tasks such as grading and administrative duties to spend more time engaging and inspiring students, he says. Tools…

Watch for These Three Mental Health Trends in 2025

Watch for These Three Mental Health Trends in 2025

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 10-year data summary trend report notes that 40% of high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness; 20% seriously considered attempting suicide; and almost 10% attempted suicide, according to an article in K-12 Dive.  Here are three potential K-12 mental health issues to watch in…

7 Strategies to Fix Chronic School Absenteeism

7 Strategies to Fix Chronic School Absenteeism

Educators and public officials across Baltimore City and Maryland know that kids chronically missing school is a problem. The hard part is coming up with a solution, according to a series of stories on the issue published by The Baltimore Sun. Thousands of Baltimore City students missed at least 60 days of school in the…

Cutting Edge Schools Deliver Innovative Practices

Cutting Edge Schools Deliver Innovative Practices

Innovative schools share several common themes, according to recent research by the Center on Reinventing Public Education and Transcend and reported in K-12 Dive. These schools: Anticipate challenges Maintain consistent school-wide practices Use evidence-based practices to solve problems most important to students and families.   Factors outside of a school’s control — such as funding…

Six Strategies for Resolving the Teacher Shortage

Six Strategies for Resolving the Teacher Shortage

eSchool News offers six ways to encourage students to consider careers in teaching, a long-term answer to the K-12 teacher shortage: 1) Offer a career and technical education (CTE) program of study. This is a progression of industry-focused classes that create accessible pathways for students to gain skills needed for college and career success–-and that…

How to Support Language-Diverse Classrooms

How to Support Language-Diverse Classrooms

One in 10 public school students in the United States is classified as an English learner, according to an article in The 74. Still, many educators feel underprepared to support language-diverse classrooms effectively. Here is some advice for providing a productive learning environment for everyone: 1) Check your own biases Understand and overcome your own…

Using Theater to Help Prevent Violence in Schools

Using Theater to Help Prevent Violence in Schools

When Michele Hillen-Noufer started NorCal Arts, a Sacramento-based arts education organization in 2020, she was hoping to bring theatre’s transformative emotional power to young people, according to an article in EdSource. The organization works with about 10,400 students in the Sacramento region, including the Sacramento City Unified School District, Folsom Cordova Unified School District, the Elk…

Struggling Readers Need Support

Struggling Readers Need Support

More than half of the 500 educators surveyed by the Project for Adolescent Literacy (PAL) say middle and high schools lack sufficient time and resources for effective reading interventions, according to an Education Slice brief. Rachel Manandhar, an education specialist, notes: “Many respondents indicated that they are sounding the alarms based on their experience day…