K-12

A Jan. 22 report from the Office of Educational Technology and Office of Special Education Programs dispels the myths of assistive technology devices and shares improvements that experts have witnessed in that space.

Proposed legislation in New York City would compel the city Department of Education to distribute facts at the beginning of each school year about social media addiction and its potential health impacts.

Methuen Public School District, like others in Massachusetts, is looking at state grants to purchase lockers or pouches to store cellphones, as well as to support professional development and school culture activities.

The U.S. Department of Education’s first-ever National STEM Festival will take place April 11-13 in Washington, D.C., celebrating innovative projects from students in grades six through 12 who won national competitions.

The policy for K-12 teachers, which takes effect Sept. 1, requires a specific certification from the Board of Regents or proof that the teacher has taught a computer science class since the 2017-2018 school year.

Seven experts from public education, nonprofits and the private sector predict shifting priorities around critical thinking, cyber defense, artificial intelligence, personalized education and data-based decisionmaking.

School in Chicopee, Longmeadow, Springfield and Westfield are among 23 districts and other public agencies scheduled for cybersecurity awareness training through the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security.

Recent hacking, phishing and ransomware schemes have wrought havoc on networks at Garden State town halls, hospitals and schools, such as Freehold Township School District, which had to cancel classes on Monday.

Officials at Muscogee County School District in Georgia say they haven't applied for funding for electric buses because the mileage range and charge times would cause significant delays with transporting students.

Freehold Township Schools in New Jersey were closed Monday after officials discovered a cybersecurity incident that did not appear to affect the regional school district. They declined to disclose further details.

The only two school districts in Wyoming to receive EPA Clean School Bus grants returned the money after deciding electric charging devices couldn’t handle their region’s extreme temperatures.

About 350 students in grades 6-12 will attend the regional Pennsylvania Technology Student Association conference, with over 50 events and competitions in which they can qualify for the national conference.

The state’s Department of Health Care Services is also working with K-12 districts to make the Soluna and BrightLife Kids digital mental health apps available on school-issued devices and in school wellness centers.

Pontiac City School District in Michigan put $15.65 million in federal grant money through the Clean School Bus Program toward 40 electric buses, with chargers covered by the DTE Charging Forward program.

Facing budget cuts, Baltimore City Public Schools will convert a virtual learning program for students in second through fifth grades into a city school, so it will be eligible for state funding and other resources.

According to a survey by the school software company Clever, most K-12 administrators predict more cybersecurity spending in the near future, and most districts have cybersecurity insurance or are planning to acquire it.

Addressing the subject of artificial intelligence at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last week, panelists said students will need to learn how to identify truth, have meaningful conversations and think critically.

The goal of media literacy, sometimes called digital citizenship or information literacy, is to help students think critically about the news that is presented to them.