K-12

A pair of high school students in Pennsylvania created a program called Girls Need Space to host events and discussions that would encourage other female students to pursue STEM fields and careers.

Contrary to promises that the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) would not be affected by cuts, the data-collecting agency was stripped of the vast majority of its workforce.

To improve reading and math proficiency, K-12 schools should make deals with ed-tech vendors that calculate payments based on results, so purchases are accountable and vendors make more money if their tools are effective.

Safety concerns from families and staff prompted Harford County Public Schools to buy 11 Opengate weapons detection systems, but the district intends to use them primarily for events, not daily screening.

The Georgia Senate is considering a bill that would ban cellphones in elementary and middle schools. Lawmakers say restrictions for high schools may follow once today's younger students are used to going without phones.

Most K-12 ed-tech leaders are responsible for overseeing student data privacy in their districts even though it’s not part of their job descriptions, and the Consortium for School Networking has resources to help them.

In response to students hiding vape pens, a school district in Pennsylvania is considering allowing staff to use handheld security devices to scan students suspected of hiding contraband.

The Gen Z representative who authored the bill, which would give local district leaders some control over their own policies, told colleagues she remembered how distracting phones were when she was in school.

The College Board is issuing refunds and rescheduling the SAT exam for about 10,000 students after a glitch caused the Bluebook app, which hosts the exam, to submit their tests too soon.

K-12 schools are embracing the use of educational apps for many functions, and while administrators feel positive about this approach, parents and teachers may have “app overload,” according to a report last week.

A history teacher at Richland High School uses AI for image generation, to search curriculum rundowns to see if he’s missed anything, and for the high school tabletop role-playing game club that he advises.

In part due to concerns about cheating, Michigan teachers have been slow to implement AI, according to the June 2024 survey by Michigan Virtual that found less than 30 percent of 1,000 teachers use AI in the classroom.

Fall Mountain Regional School District has notified 623 vendors that some of their identifying information was in a spreadsheet accessed by unauthorized parties through a phishing scheme in November 2024.

WeWillWrite, an ed-tech tool from Norway that launched in the U.S. last week, uses fast-paced, anonymous classroom writing competitions, along with AI imagery and analysis, to teach students the features of good writing.

A cyber attack by a Russian hacking group in February compromised private student data, and the district is advising those affected to change their passwords and remain vigilant in looking out for identity theft.

Ohio lawmakers last year passed a bill requiring schools to limit phone use during the day, but Gov. Mike DeWine called on them to finish the job and pass a bill banning phones from use during school hours altogether.

The American Federation of Teachers and two other labor unions have sued the Education Department for violating federal privacy laws by granting DOGE access to the agency's data systems.

ED laid off nearly half of its employees this week. Sources say the cuts have dismantled the Office of Educational Technology, which produced the National Education Technology Plan, among other resources.