Policy

Some say that what began as a modest incentive meant to foster economic development in a nascent field became a billion-dollar windfall of questionable effectiveness.

A month of amnesty on parking ticket penalties in Syracuse, N.Y., will begin with in-person or mail payments. Online payments will follow — once more than 140,000 tickets dating to 1997 are set up in the system.

The American Council on Education’s Jon Fansmith anticipates major impacts on higher education from federal policies such as the reconciliation bill, the government shutdown and the targeting of international students.

A recent report by RAND Corp found that three quarters of school principals feel phone bans have improved school climate and reduced behavior problems, and only one in 20 said they placed new burdens on administrators.

The state has created a modernized process for getting regulations, economic impact statements and environmental benefit statements published to its administrative regulation website and to the Kansas Register.

Through the new Vulnerability Disclosure Program, state officials invite ethical hackers and residents to help identify and report online vulnerabilities. The initiative covers a range of agencies and partners.

Tariffs are having direct impacts on technology costs, and indirect ones on tuition revenue and institutional planning. This is pushing universities and ed-tech companies alike to explore creative financing options.

Officials from the Pennsylvania State Education Association, formerly opposed to any top-down mandate from the state, were among those who gave testimony in support of a “bell-to-bell” ban, with limited exceptions.

As data centers drive a surge in power demand, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers in Maryland are pressing the operator of the region’s null to ensure residents aren’t left footing the bill.

A new report from CHARGE makes the case for federal spending on clean transportation projects, saying these initiatives grow private investment, create jobs and transition the country toward an improved mobility landscape.

After this year, Oklahoma school boards will have the option to decide whether to keep their current phone-use restrictions in place. Based on results they're seeing so far, it seems likely that many will do so.

Since enacting restrictions on cellphones in school, educators are reporting positive trends in student engagement, discipline and academic achievement, and students have attested to improved focus and mental health.

By combining large-scale assessment data with interactive visualization tools, the Northwest Evaluation Association’s national dashboard offers timely insights into student learning trends.

At the most recent gathering of state CIOs and gov tech vendors, talk turned to ongoing and looming challenges posed by federal budget cuts. Tech leaders gave guidance about how to keep moving forward as problems mount.

The editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette argues for Pennsylvania joining at least 27 other states in restricting student use of cellphones during the school day, given the effects of such policies elsewhere.

Public- and private-sector security leaders examined trends in cyber threats at the recent California Cybersecurity Education Summit. During an attack, one said, responding quickly is still very important.

The report, developed by New America’s RethinkAI coalition by analyzing interviews, policy and pilots across the U.S., aims to provide governments and other entities with AI adoption recommendations.

The New York City Office of Digital Assets and Blockchain, created by mayoral executive order, is intended to support industry growth and ensure the alignment of policies and initiatives across city agencies.