News From the Field
Catch top headlines sharing relevant news and stories about Linked Learning practices, schools, and students.
COVID-19 learning lags could reverse narrowed achievement gap
In a narrowing of the achievement gap over the past nearly five decades, Black, Hispanic and Asian students showed more improvement than their White classmates in math and reading test results of over 7 million tests completed by U.S. students between 1971 and 2017, according to a study published in research journal Education Next.
California plans to double school counselors amid shortage
California announced plans to add 10,000 counselors to its public schools over the next few years, in a move that would double the number of school counselors at a time when mental health is considered fragile among the nation’s youth.
As states tackle teacher shortages, which plans show the most promise?
The Pennsylvania Department of Education announced a three-year, comprehensive teacher shortage strategic plan dubbed “The Foundation of Our Economy.” The announcement follows a bipartisan agreement by state lawmakers to raise education funding by $1.8 billion.
Research highlights positive impacts of math-focused summer learning
Summer math learning programs can be effective in mitigating learning losses disproportionately experienced by low-income pre-K-12 students during the pandemic, according to research published by the American Educational Research Association.
How Project EPIC aims to align middle school PBIS, mental health supports
The research initiative at four schools in three states centers on strong school-family-community partnerships to improve student mental health outcomes.
Improving belonging, social-emotional wellness requires coordination across all levels of K-12
School systems can strengthen social-emotional wellness in students with and without disabilities by promoting a sense of belonging that helps students feel appreciated, accepted and needed, said speakers at a virtual session of the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs’ Leadership and Project Directors’ Conference.
Collaborations needed to boost K-12, higher ed enrollments
Enrollment declines in both schools and colleges call for comprehensive and collaborative actions to investigate the root causes and find solutions to boost attendance and engagement, said speakers during a session at the National Forum on Education Policy, hosted by Education Commission of the States in Washington, D.C.
Ed Dept encourages year-round enrichment programming with Engage Every Student Initiative
The U.S. Department of Education announced an initiative to help districts use funds from the American Rescue Plan, along with state and local funds, to make high-quality out-of-school time programs available to students year-round.
‘Clock ticking’ on helping high schoolers recover from pandemic losses
Education experts suggest school systems should pay special attention to high schoolers over the next five years as they prepare for graduation due to pandemic-era setbacks