K-12

After being targeted by a cyber attack last week, Kearney Public Schools in Nebraska are still holding classes this week without phones, computers and other network-dependent systems.

By 2015, for-profit management companies ran a large share of the cyber schools across the U.S., but for Commonwealth Charter Academy, separating from them brought in more money, independence and control over curricula.

Even after the initial pandemic-era rush to cyber charter schools subsided, Commonwealth Charter Academy has continued to grow because many parents are dissatisfied with their local public schools.

A recent report from the Center for Democracy and Technology found four main risks that increase as schools adopt AI more widely: cyber attacks, bullying, technology malfunctions and troubling interactions with chatbots.

There is no New Jersey law governing cellphones in schools, but school districts can win a minimum of $500 in grant funding from the state Department of Education for adopting bell-to-bell cellphone bans.

The state has opened grants to cover electric school buses and charging infrastructure through mid-December, with preferences for districts in low- to moderate-income communities.

The cybersecurity company Proxyware says it detected over 192,000 digital attacks on Virginia students this year. A handful of schools across the state are now working with the company to eliminate cyber attacks at the source.

The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance has restored limited access to education savings accounts after an unspecified incident last week, which authorities are still investigating.

During a webinar this week hosted by PowerSchool, ed-tech experts urged districts to adopt proactive training and data practices that integrate cybersecurity and ethical AI use across all levels.

A collaboration between the Connecticut Department of Education and the Office of Workforce Strategy has enlisted industry partners to work with high schools on offering more than 300 Industry Recognized Credentials.

Lessons in digital literacy and citizenship, along with positive teacher-student relationships, may help schools combat the negative impact of online influencers on boys who struggle with loneliness or low self-esteem.

Given the results of school cellphone restrictions so far, some education leaders argue that overreliance on screens and devices in general is responsible for years of declines in student attention and achievement.

Modeled after its Hour of Code campaign, Code.org's new Hour of AI initiative means to prepare students and families for the future of artificial intelligence through practice with coding and AI tools.

Opening this fall, the Colome Cyber Academy will give students individualized learning plans tailored to their goals, intended to meet growing demand for flexibility amid declining enrollment at traditional schools.

Pennsylvania only renews charters of cyber schools that agree to enrollment caps, but those schools can continue to operate without a charter. Some cyber leaders say this approach gives those schools more freedom to grow.

An Internet outage is affecting all networks at a public school district in Illinois, complicated by the 1:1 device plan the district typically relies upon. Teachers and students are back to pencils and papers this week.

The acquisition combines live tutoring with AI-driven assessments, offering an alternative model for personalized literacy instruction. It’s indicative of growing interest in AI-powered tutoring.

The online learning platform Udemy has seen a fivefold increase in AI-related enrollments this year, but some experts warn against falling for hype that frames AI as a quick fix for issues in education and the workforce.