Education news archive — Page 5
Explore 185 stories on the decisions, evidence, and tools shaping education.
Education Department accreditation rule opens for comment until Sept. 21
The Federal Register notice starts a live rulemaking window on accreditor recognition, transfer-credit oversight, and the evidence colleges may need to show on student outcomes.
Ohio schools start year counting excused absences toward chronic absence
Districts now have to notify families earlier, track missed hours for any reason, and organize tiered support before attendance problems become truancy cases.
Pre-K review says much of the evidence base is weaker than it looks
An August 2026 working paper reviewing 120 reports on state and local pre-K says many studies used comparison groups too weak for strong causal claims. In longer-term achievement results, randomized evaluations were more likely than other designs to point in a negative direction.
DOJ reviews William & Mary scholarships over race-linked criteria
The Title VI review spans undergraduate, education and law-school programs, signaling that federal scrutiny is moving beyond admissions into aid, mentoring and other student benefits. DOJ has not made a finding of wrongdoing.
UNU Macau opens global AI and education competition, deadline Sept. 15
The 2026 contest is aimed at teams with credible education-AI projects, not just ideas, and ends with staged judging plus a Macau final on Nov. 26. Finalists get hotel accommodation and limited travel support, but applicants should verify eligibility details in the live form.
Texas posts preliminary 2026 A-F school ratings as districts face next steps
Most districts and campuses held steady or improved, but the Aug. 14 release now sets off appeals, turnaround planning, and new public scrutiny before final ratings in December.
Pulitzer Center opens paid fall 2026 teacher fellowship on global health
U.S. educators in grades 4-12 have until Sept. 1 to apply for a virtual fellowship that offers a $600 stipend, 30 PLUs, and guided support for building and teaching a short unit tied to global health reporting.
What districts should learn from the Varsity Tutors for Schools shutdown
As schools lock in fall tutoring, Nerdy’s closure of its school unit shows why districts need contracts that cover data ownership, service continuity, staffing backups, and research-aligned quality checks.
NUS expands ChatGPT Edu campuswide, with advanced tools piloted first
Starting Aug. 31, NUS will give all students, faculty, and staff access to ChatGPT Edu through a managed workspace with stronger privacy controls, while requiring new students to complete AI training and testing advanced tools in selected courses first.
Unions sue over graduate loan caps affecting education degrees
A new lawsuit challenges the Education Department’s RISE rule, arguing that its narrow definition of professional degrees leaves many education programs under lower federal borrowing limits just as colleges finalize fall aid packages.
Colleges get Jan. 15 deadline to fix missing FVT/GE data
Federal Student Aid says more than 1,900 institutions still have missing or under-reported filings from the 2024 and 2025 cycles, while the Oct. 1, 2026 reporting deadline stays in place and schools weigh an early move to STATS reporting.
Study: Extra ESSER aid near a Title I cutoff got offset by local tax cuts
An NBER working paper found that districts just above a 5% poverty threshold received about $390 more per student, but lower local revenue collections erased any rise in per-pupil spending and left no measurable math or reading gains.
OpenAI’s education plugins push ChatGPT toward managed school workflows
Three new role-based tools for K-12 teachers, college faculty, and students are aimed at institution-managed workspaces, putting access, governance, and privacy questions at the center of school AI adoption.
Illinois school aid rose, but fewer districts meet adequacy targets
Illinois’ FY2027 Evidence-Based Funding distributions added $350 million, yet the statewide gap to 90 percent adequacy widened as cost updates, poverty data, and replacement-tax revenue shifted.
Education Dept. opens Title VI probes at San José State and SF State
The federal investigations stem from complaints alleging antisemitic harassment, but they are not findings of liability. Our breakdown explains what OCR is likely to examine first, from complaint records and supportive measures to how campuses separate protected speech from actionable harassment response duties.
DOJ says Duke Law admissions violated Title VI
The department’s finding centers on short-answer prompts, reviewer tags, and other race-linked signals in Duke’s 2023-25 admissions process. For law schools and graduate programs, it is a warning that workflow design is now a frontline compliance issue.
New York’s preliminary test results show a sharper setback in reading
Statewide ELA proficiency fell five points to 48%, while math rose to 57% and science to 47%, giving districts an early benchmark for fall planning before final November data.
Sacramento City Unified asks state to step into budget fight
After county officials rescinded part of the district’s rescue plan, Sacramento City Unified appealed to the state as mediation begins days before school starts.
2027-28 FAFSA beta starts, with live aid records reaching colleges
Students in the first beta round are submitting real 2027-28 FAFSA forms, and a small number of official ISIRs may reach colleges and states before many campuses begin their usual aid cycle.
Knowles opens 2027 fellowship for new high school math and science teachers
The national program plans to select up to 40 teachers entering years one through three and offers four years of mentoring, stipends, grants, and peer support. The final deadline is Jan. 19, 2027.
First Workforce Pell approval lets Iowa EMT students use federal aid
The Education Department cleared Iowa Central Community College’s 14-week EMT course, giving colleges the first practical model for how a short workforce program can qualify for Pell.
WestEd finds early gains in outcome-based tutoring and ed-tech contracts
A study of eight early-adopter districts suggests the approach works best when leaders clearly define target students, set measurable goals, and protect implementation before contracts begin.
Ofqual fines EAL £150,000 over apprenticeship assessment failures
The regulator said 44 learners were assessed against the wrong version of an assessment plan, eight certificates were revoked, and appeals handling also failed. The case shows how weak version control and results governance can affect learner outcomes and employer trust, especially in safety-linked qualifications.
New York school pauses robot-teacher pilot as lawmakers seek a ban
Salamanca City Central School District halted its planned fall Realbotix rollout while it works through student privacy terms and community concerns, and New York lawmakers responded with a bill to bar AI-enabled humanoid robots from instructional roles.