Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, August 1, 2020

THIS WEEK Education Research Report

Education Research Report

THIS WEEK 
Education Research Report





To improve students' mental health, Yale study finds, teach them to breathe
When college students learn specific techniques for managing stress and anxiety, their wellbeing improves across a range of measures and leads to better mental health, a new Yale study finds. The research team evaluated three classroom-based wellness training programs that incorporate breathing and emotional intelligence strategies, finding that two led to improvements in aspects of wellbeing. Th
The benefits of a pre-kindergarten program endure in elementary and middle school
Preschool programs provide opportunities to improve early childhood educational outcomes as well as long-term outcomes, such as improved educational attainment, improved socioeconomic status, and improved health in adulthood. However, recent studies of long-term impacts have shown equivocal results, with some educational gains occurring immediately following participation in preschool that dimini
States Should Make the FAFSA Mandatory
Three states have now enacted “Mandatory FAFSA” policies, which require twelfth graders to either apply for federal student aid or expressly opt out before they graduate. With another thirteen states considering enacting their own policy, it is one of the fastest-moving movements in college access policy, but its outcomes and nuances are not yet well understood. This report contests the view that

JUL 30

Teacher Employment Contract Policies
This newest 50-State Comparison scans state statute and regulation — and in some cases, case law — to capture policies that address teacher employment contracts. These policies can impact compensation and evaluation, and in some states, they dictate collective bargaining rights, strikes and permissible reasons for layoffs. You can view comparisons of policies across states or individual state pro
Principles for Effective Assessment During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This paper summarizes the findings from a panel of assessment experts on diagnostic assessments and their role in helping educators and parents support student learning. The panel is part of the Evidence Project, an effort to close the gap between research and policy in K-12 responses to COVID-19. Teachers, schools, and school systems will face unprecedented challenges when schools eventually reo

JUL 29

Major Milestones and Achievements in Protecting Students' Rights
Today, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released its Annual Report to the Secretary, the President, and the Congress (Annual Report) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 . The Annual Report illustrates the significant progress made throughout the first three fiscal years of the Trump Administration (FYs 2017-19) in processing complaints, closing cases, and requiring schools to protect students' civil right
Tweens, Teens, Tech, and Mental Health: Coming of Age in an Increasingly Digital, Uncertain, and Unequal World 2020
In the years leading up to 2020, researchers and advocates expressed growing concerns about a mental health crisis among young people in the United States. Alongside rising rates of depression and suicide, increased social media and technology use seemed like an obvious culprit at first—but the latest findings tell a more complex and nuanced story. When the coronavirus pandemic upended our lives,

JUL 28

Two-thirds of U.S. public school districts have schools with physical barriers that may limit access for people with disabilities
Full report What GAO Found , according to GAO's survey of district officials. Barriers, such as a lack of accessible door hardware and steep ramps, can make it challenging for students, teachers, and others with disabilities to use public school facilities (see fig.). In 55 schools across six states, the most common areas with barriers GAO observed were restrooms, interior doorways, and classroom
Over a Decade After Katrina, Racial Inequities Resurface in Federal Response to COVID-19
To inspire support for public health directives, many warn COVID-19 does not discriminate—everyone’s susceptible. The reality is more complicated. We are not “all in this together.” Racism ensures this, and New Orleans’ experience following Hurricane Katrina illustrates one way that racial inequities play out in times of crisis. In a report released today by the National Education Policy Center,

JUL 27

Results from National Survey on Public Education’s COVID-19 Response
The American Institutes for Research (AIR) is releasing early results from a national survey on how U.S. school districts responded to the coronavirus pandemic last academic year. The preliminary results of The National Survey of Public Education’s Response to COVID-19 includes data from about 500 school districts that have completed the survey, so far, representing nearly every U.S. state. AIR r

JUL 24

The Continued Underrepresentation of Black and Latino Undergraduates at the Nation’s 101 Most Selective Public Colleges and Universities
THIS REPORT EXAMINES how access for Black and Latino students at the nation’s 101 most selective public colleges and universities has changed since 2000, and whether these institutions are serving an undergraduate student body that represents the racial and ethnic diversity of their particular state’s population. Access scores, ranging from 0 to 100, measure how well each institution’s Black and
erica’s Preschoolers Lose Important Learning Opportunities Due to Pandemic
America’s preschools schools failed to provide students adequate support after shutting down in-person instruction in March due to the coronavirus pandemic according to anationwide survey by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) at the Rutgers Graduate School of Education. Most parents reported their children received some remote educational support services when preschool c

JUL 23



Education Research Report