K-12

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.

Lexington-Richland School District 5 is considering investing in an AI assistant to help with developing tests and worksheets, individualized student feedback, or translating texts to multiple languages and reading levels.

A new educational facility in Wisconsin built through a private-public partnership teaches students about mechatronics, engineering design, computer programming, industrial control systems, robotics and drones.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins canceled state funding to OverDrive, a digital platform that lets users download and read books on their personal devices, over concerns about inappropriate material.

The Michigan Department of Education this week will host the first of two virtual job fairs to combat widespread teacher shortages, where districts statewide can list openings and interact online with candidates.

A cyber attack in late 2024 exposed names, dates of birth, student identification numbers and Medicaid identification numbers, but not Social Security numbers or financial information, of current and former students.

A report this week from the nonprofit Center for Internet Security shows that most school cyber attacks rely on human error and tend to spike during exam weeks and other busy, high-pressure times.

Huntsville City Schools are installing weapons detection systems from Opengate at its elementary campuses. The district put Evolv weapon detectors at high schools in 2023, and Opengate systems at middle schools in 2024.

All public school districts in Washington state are transitioning from a patchwork of websites for student career planning to the new High School and Beyond Plan online platform, as mandated by the Legislature in 2023.