Latest news with #K-12Dive
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Unfrozen: White House releases remaining $5B for K-12 programs
This story was originally published on K-12 Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily K-12 Dive newsletter. The Trump administration will release the remaining fiscal year 2025 K-12 grant funds that it had frozen — nearly $5 billion — to states and districts, the Office of Management and Budget confirmed Friday. The funding for student academic supports, English learners, immigrant students and teacher training was supposed to be available July 1, but was not released pending a "programmatic review" by OMB, the White House's budget arm. That review was to ensure the grants align with Trump administration policies and priorities, OMB told K-12 Dive earlier this month. The office had said initial findings showed "many of these grant programs have been grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda.' On Friday, a senior administration official told K-12 Dive in an email, "Guardrails are in place to ensure these funds will not be used in violation of Executive Orders or administration policy." Earlier this week, OMB began releasing $1.3 billion it had withheld for after-school and summer programming under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, according to the Afterschool Alliance. The remaining funds to be released are: $2.2 billion for Title II-A for professional development. $1.4 billion for Title IV-A for student support and academic enrichment. $890 million for Title III-A for English-learner services. $375 million for Title I-C for migrant education. Education officials, Republican and Democratic lawmakers, education organizations, parents and nonprofits had all urged OMB to release the funds that were approved by Congress in an appropriations bill that President Donald Trump signed in March. They said the weekslong delay in accessing the money was already causing "budgetary chaos" for schools, which began cancelling contracts, laying off staff and eliminating programs when the funds didn't arrive as scheduled. The disruption also spurred two lawsuits. A survey by AASA, the School Superintendents Association, found that nearly 30% of districts said they needed access to the withheld funds by Aug. 1 to avoid cutting programs and services for students. By Aug. 15, survey respondents said they would have to notify parents and educators about the loss of programs and services. The survey was conducted earlier this month and drew responses from 628 superintendents in 43 states. On Friday, David Schuler, AASA's executive director, said in a statement that he was pleased the "critical" funds would now be available to schools. Sen Patty Murray, D-Wash., vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement Friday, "There is no good reason for the chaos and stress this president has inflicted on students, teachers, and parents across America for the last month, and it shouldn't take widespread blowback for this administration to do its job and simply get the funding out the door that Congress has delivered to help students." Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, addressed the news during a keynote speech Friday at the Together Educating America's Children conference in Washington, D.C., according to a press release. "Today, they backed down: our lobbying, our lawsuits, and our advocacy for why these funds matter to kids, it worked." Weingarten said. Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, said in a Friday statement, "These reckless funding delays have undermined planning, staffing, and support services at a time when schools should be focused on preparing students for success.' Recommended Reading Lawsuit adds pressure on Trump administration to release K-12 funds Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Chicago Tribune
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: A second chance for school choice in Illinois
Illinois hasn't had true school choice since state lawmakers let a low-income scholarship program sunset at the end of 2023, much to the delight of teachers' union leadership across the state. But some hope has returned to the families who lost their lifeline when Invest in Kids expired. Tucked into President Donald Trump's budget reconciliation bill is a new school choice program that provides a tax credit to people or corporations that donate up to $1,700 each year to scholarship-granting organizations. Students are eligible for these scholarships if their household income is at or below 300% of the area median income. If that sounds familiar, it's because the tax credit model is very similar to how Illinois' Invest in Kids program worked. But there's a catch: Participation is voluntary. Each state gets to decide whether to take part in the program. To participate, officials have to opt in, and if they join, they also choose which scholarship organizations are eligible. They have to choose to participate each year. So now the ball's back in Gov. JB Pritzker's court once more. Pritzker is going to have to make a difficult decision. Back in 2023, the governor said he would've signed legislation extending Invest in Kids back. Of course, that legislation never made it to his desk. This time around, without the General Assembly being involved, he's going to face stiff opposition from the union movement. If he opts into the program, union leadership will view it as a betrayal. The governor should opt in anyway. This is a federal program that won't cost the state a dime, and once again it would give options to our state's low-income families who don't have the luxury of affording private tuition even if their kids are struggling in their neighborhood school. While standardized testing isn't perfect, it is one of the only clear metrics we have to gauge academic performance. What the results show is that just 26% of third- through eight-graders who are low-income are reading at grade level. But more than test results, student happiness matters. And kids don't thrive in schools where they don't feel safe, seen or challenged. When a kid is bullied in school or just can't learn in a traditional classroom environment, families can switch schools — if they have the means. But low-income families can't do that. Even those who oppose school choice — such as Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is an outspoken critic of this federal initiative — recognize the injustice of a two‑tier education system. 'One thing we should certainly not be doing is creating a two-tier education system in America — private schools for the wealthy and well-connected, and severely underfunded public schools for low-income, disabled and working-class kids,' he said back in June, K-12 Dive reported. 'That is not what this country is supposed to be about.' The difference is, we believe more choice is one way to narrow that gap rather than widen it. Illinois' Invest in Kids school choice program was popular, with a majority of voters supporting the concept, according to a 2023 poll from Impact Research. We supported it, too. Just consider who these privately funded scholarships helped: Kids whose family incomes were below 300% of the federal poverty level were eligible. In the 2022-23 school year, more than one-quarter of scholarship recipients came from families earning less than the federal poverty level — $26,500 for a family of four. Nearly two-thirds had household incomes below 185% of the poverty line, or $49,025 for a family of four. More than half of the low-income students who received scholarships through Empower Illinois — by far the largest distributor of scholarships under Illinois' Invest in Kids program — were Black or Hispanic. Springfield abandoned thousands of needy students when it dropped Invest in Kids a year and a half ago. Thankfully, now Illinois has a chance to correct its mistake. All we have to do is opt in.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
California high school reimagines classrooms as ‘learning studios'
This story was originally published on K-12 Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily K-12 Dive newsletter. Compton High School in California is debuting a new campus with a novel approach to classroom instruction: Instead of having their own traditional classrooms, teachers will use shared learning studios for instruction. Each learning studio will be fully equipped with movable furniture, projection screens, assisted hearing devices, a Chromebook cart with 30-35 devices, and interactive display boards. While not having a dedicated classroom has been the reality for 'floating teachers' nationwide due to space limitations in some school buildings, the creation of the learning studios at Compton High School stems from a $225 million effort to modernize the school and explore technological improvements, according to Principal Larry Natividad. According to the National Education Association, classrooms play an integral part in creating a safe and inviting learning environment for students. While the learning studio approach essentially functions similarly to college classrooms, it raises some concerns about providing high school students with the stability and relationship-building opportunities needed for that age group. To help make up for some of that potential loss, NEA recommends offering teachers training on how to build connections with students instead of simply walking in, teaching and leaving. Compton Unified School District leaders and architects worked together to develop the idea of learning studios as part of a new approach to public education, Natividad said. He said the approach aims to foster more collaboration and community building among teachers. When educators are not teaching a class, they will work with colleagues to plan and share ideas in collaboration rooms based on grade level or subject area. 'We want to get away from the idea that teachers are private practitioners. Rather, we're part of a community," Natividad said. "Right now, a teacher could conceivably be isolated and really working in a silo. By doing this, we break the silos, and we're actually building communities of practice.' If teachers need a private space to talk to a parent or to do some tutoring, he said, they can utilize one of the individual conference rooms or study session rooms that will also be available. Natividad added that another benefit to the learning studios model is that teachers can set up the room in whichever way best suits that day's class. The movable furniture lends itself to reconfiguring the spaces as needed, whether that be for small groups or large classes. However, the walls of the learning studios — including some that are retractable so a room can be as big or small as needed — are untraditionally bare. Natividad said that the school is holding off on hanging items on the walls until it better understands the spaces. He noted that finding a balance between maintaining the school's fresh, new look while including effective teaching practices that truly support student learning, is key. Natividad said the general reaction to the learning studios from teachers has been a mix of excitement and caution. School administrators, he added, are committed to working closely with both staff and the teachers union to ensure all voices are heard, especially when it comes to establishing professional expectations. To support this effort, the school has established committees made up of teachers and staff to help develop systems that promote a positive school culture. Recommended Reading North Carolina elementary school embraces gaming, robotics in STEM-driven relaunch Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Youngest students see big reading gains post-COVID on DIBELS assessment
This story was originally published on K-12 Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily K-12 Dive newsletter. Young students are showing notable improvements in their early reading skills since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, new research shows. About 68% of K-2 students are on track to learn to read, according to end-of-school-year assessment data from DIBELS, the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. That's a jump from mid-school-year data that showed only 56% of K-2 students were ready to learn to read. Disappointing reading results throughout K-12 post-COVID spurred states and districts to invest in professional development in science of reading for teachers and reading supports for students. U.S. Education Linda McMahon has named literacy education as her No. 1 priority. Kindergartners have shown the greatest improvements, according to an analysis of DIBELS data from Amplify, a curriculum and assessment company. Amplify's mCLASS platform is used to help teachers administer the DIBELS assessment. Data from the end of the 2024-25 school year show 70% of kindergartners were at or above reading benchmarks. That's up from 68% in 2023-24 and 49% in 2020-21. First graders also demonstrated impressive gains. By the end of the 2024-25 school year, 70% of 1st graders were on track to learn to read. That's up from 68% for the 2023-24 school year and 56% from 2020-21. Second graders increased their reading performances by 8 percentage points, from 57% on track for early literacy skills in the 2020-21 school year to 65% this past school year. Each grade has shown some improvement in each school year since a low point in 2020–21, following COVID-related school closures. This embedded content is not available in your region. 'Five years out from the pandemic, we're seeing encouraging signs that early literacy recovery is taking hold as more students across all early grades are on track to learn to read, with kindergarteners and first graders leading the recovery,' said Paul Gazzerro, director of customer data at Amplify, in a July 2 statement. Despite the improvements, there are still areas of concern. Amplify notes, for example, that progress in early literacy skills is slowing year over year. The analysis also points to gender disparities in early reading performances. For students who are on track for learning to read, boys start the school year in each grade with the same or better early reading scores as girls. But then K-1 girls outpace boys by the end of the year. In 2nd grade, girls still lag at the beginning and middle of the school year but narrow the gap by the end. To continue supporting early readers, Amplify recommends school districts: Analyze student data and adjust grade-level instruction to support students who are at risk. Research the root causes behind students' struggles with grade-level instruction and allocate resources to support at-risk students. Monitor students' reading progress. Support professional development to help teachers understand science of reading approaches. Create opportunities for young students to enjoy reading in all school-based settings. Recommended Reading Literacy is McMahon's top priority. Senators ask, where's the money?
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Education Department eyes program cuts, consolidations in FY26 budget plan
This story was originally published on K-12 Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily K-12 Dive newsletter. The Trump administration revealed more details of its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal for the U.S. Department of Education on Friday, detailing its vision for how the agency would support students with disabilities and those from low-income families while also cutting federal red tape and expanding school choice incentives. Last month, the White House released an FY 2026 "skinny" budget that included a more than $4.5 billion cut in K-12 funding. The more comprehensive budget recommends a total of $66.7 billion for all Education Department activities, which would be $12 billion, or 15.3%, less than its current funding level. "Our goal is clear: to make education better, fairer, and more accountable by ending Federal overreach and empowering families, schools, and States who best know the needs of their students," the budget document said. The budget recommends maintaining funding for Title I, Part A grants to low-income school communities at $18.4 billion and an increase of $677.5 million — for a total of $14.9 billion — for Part B state grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Other K-12 programs slated for increases or level funding include the charter school grant program ($500 million), Impact Aid ($1.6 billion), Indian education ($194.7 million), and career and technical education ($1.45 billion). But several other programs are targeted for spending reductions and eliminations under a new K-12 Simplified Funding Program. The K-12 SFP merges 18 current competitive formula funding grant programs into one $2 billion formula grant program that the administration said will spur innovation and give states more decision-making power. Programs that used to have dedicated line budgets — such as the McKinney-Vento grant to support students experiencing homelessness, the 21st Century Community Learning Centers for before and afterschool learning programs, and the Title II, Part A program to support teacher effectiveness — would be consolidated in the K-12 SFP. Some other programs are being recommended for defunding. Those programs include teacher and school leader incentive grants, the Supporting Effective Educator Development grant, the English Language Acquisition state grants, and full service community schools. Eliminating these programs would ensure fiscal discipline, reduce the federal role in education and give states more authority to make their own fiscal decisions, the budget document said. Many of the proposed cuts are to programs that the Trump administration said are too "woke" or rooted in diversity, equity and inclusion practices. For example, the White House said it wants to eliminate $315 million for Preschool Development grants that the administration said was a "push" to include DEI practices into early childhood programs. Another $77 million is recommended for cuts to Teacher Quality Partnerships because the grants were used to "indoctrinate new teachers," the White House said. Equity Assistance Centers, which are funded at $7 million currently, would be eliminated because the technical assistance work includes divisive topics such as critical race theory, DEI, social justice activism and anti-racist practices, according to budget documents. One program previously thought to be considered for elimination — the Head Start early learning program for young children — is now recommended for level funding at $12.3 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. While the Trump administration has released more details of its FY 26 plan, justifications for the proposals are still being developed. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon will appear before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee panel Tuesday to discuss the funding requests. Some conservative organizations applauded the spending plan. Madison Marino Doan, a policy analyst in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation, said the request represents what the Education Department calls a "responsible wind-down" of the agency, which is welcomed by the conservative group. Doan said The Heritage Foundation is especially encouraged by the proposed consolidation of 18 grant programs into the K-12 SFP. "If implemented effectively, the department has indicated that these changes would reduce administrative burdens and compliance costs, allowing more resources to flow directly to students and classrooms, and giving states and districts greater flexibility to meet their unique needs," Doan said. Many education associations, however, were quick to condemn the fiscal plan, the first annual budget proposal of President Donald Trump's second term. AASA, The School Superintendents Association, said it was "disappointed" in the budget recommendations and opposes the cuts and consolidations. 'In an attempt to provide flexible district funding, the President proposed cuts to resources that are imperative to delivering services for rural schools, evidence-based reading instruction, professional development for educators, supports for English-language learners as well as music, art, and STEM programs,' AASA said in a statement. For special education grants, the Trump administration wants to consolidate preschool grants to states and IDEA, Part D funding for technical assistance and teacher preparation into the Part B program. Funding for IDEA Part C for services to infants and toddlers with disabilities would remain a separate formula grant program. Although the fiscal design would give states more flexibility with spending the Part D dollars, the budget proposal said states would still be required to meet key IDEA accountability and reporting requirements. AASA points out that consolidations mean that the administration's proposed $677.5 million increase for IDEA Part B won't see much of a boost because those programs were collectively funded at $676 million. Myrna Mandlawitz, the policy and legislative consultant at the Council of Administrators of Special Education, said the problem with lumping the Part B, the preschool grant program and Part D together is that those sections of IDEA allocations were meant to be their own funding avenues to ensure each population served by those programs get the fiscal attention they need. "When all the money is just sent to states, some states do well and some not so well," Mandlawitz said. Jodi Grant, executive director of Afterschool Alliance, offered a dire warning if the budget proposal was accepted as written, saying that funding cuts to after-school programing will lead to "more academic failures, more hungry kids, more chronic absenteeism, higher dropout rates, more parents forced out of their jobs, and a less STEM-ready and successful workforce.' In a statement, Grant said, "Unless Congress rejects this devastating proposal, afterschool and summer learning programs in every corner of the country will close and our child care crisis will worsen dramatically." Eddie Koen, president of the Institute for Educational Leadership, criticized the proposed elimination of Full-Service Community Schools and the K-12 SFP consolidation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. "The Department of Education's FY26 Budget Request falls far short of funding the evidence-based, bold, family and child-centered strategies our students, families, schools, and communities urgently need,' Koen said in a statement. Even leaders who are overseeing programs recommended for increases or level funding voiced their concerns. "Maintaining funding for a third consecutive year — without accounting for inflation, workforce competition, or increased needs — is effectively a deep cut," said Yasmina Vinci, executive director of the National Head Start Association, in a statement. "It means programs will be forced to make impossible choices, including reducing enrollment, cutting hours, or laying off staff." The federal government is technically operating on the approved FY 2024 budget since Congress has not finalized a FY 2025 spending plan. An extension of the FY 2024 budget, or continuing resolution, runs through Sept. 30, and the 2026 fiscal year starts on Oct. 1. But as the Trump administration has already begun downsizing the Education Department and cutting programs, Democrats in Congress have criticized the White House for not adhering to the spending plan and for delays in getting approved money to states and districts. A May 16 letter to McMahon from three Democratic leaders of congressional appropriations committees chided the Education Department for what the lawmakers said are delays in providing states and school districts with information about expected formula funding. "We implore the Department to reverse course, stop creating chaos, provide states and school districts with information about the resources Congress provided in the 2025 appropriations law and begin to support states and their school districts in the effective implementation of federal law," the letter said. According to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, President Trump is expected to submit a request to Congress this week to rescind funds already appropriated. In addition to debating funding levels for FY 26, Congress is also working on a massive tax and spending package that seeks to make permanent tax cuts enacted in 2017 under the first Trump administration. The budget reconciliation package aims to reduce taxes and offset costs of new priorities under the second Trump administration, including a new federal private school choice initiative.
