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Recent Editions
Education Slice
National
Support for all-day school phone bans is growing, with 48% of American adults now in favor, and more than two-thirds of U.S. states requiring districts to restrict phone use. A nationwide study of nearly 5,000 schools from the Pew Research Center, using lockable Yondr pouches, found that personal phone use in class fell sharply, from 61% of students to 13%. The benefits, however, have taken time to emerge. Schools typically experienced disruption during the first year of a ban, but by the second year, disciplinary problems declined, and students reported improved well-being. Despite these gains, schools with bans in place for three years showed almost no improvement in test scores or students’ self-reported attention, and there was little evidence of an effect on attendance, chronic absenteeism, or online bullying. Researchers suggest students may simply redirect their attention to friends, daydreaming, or online content on school laptops. The findings indicate that phone bans can successfully reduce classroom phone use and may improve behavior and well-being, but expectations that they will significantly boost academic performance have not yet been borne out.
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Education Slice
California
Nearly 300,000 K-12 students in California experienced homelessness during the 2024-25 school year, reaching a record high of more than 298,000, according to a UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools report. Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students were disproportionately affected, with one in 12 identified as homeless, while many districts with the highest numbers were concentrated in Southern California. Although suspension and chronic absenteeism rates among homeless students have declined, they remain significantly higher than for the overall student population, and homeless students continue to record lower math and reading proficiency and graduation rates. Researchers said the statewide figure is likely an undercount because it only includes students who were formally identified as experiencing homelessness.
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Education Slice
Texas
Six Austin ISD campuses that earned C grades or higher in 2026 inherited four consecutive years of unacceptable accountability ratings after receiving students from schools that closed this summer. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) warned that an F in 2027 could count as a fifth consecutive failing rating, potentially triggering campus closure or appointment of a state board of managers. TEA also criticized the district’s late-July closure of Paredes Middle School, saying it “imposed an avoidable hardship on students and families” and questioning whether the anticipated fourth F influenced the decision. District officials said they expected the accountability histories to transfer and emphasized that receiving campuses retain their 2026 grades. An A, B or C next year would clear the inherited failing streak.
Full Issue
Education Slice
Florida
STEM learning has become increasingly common in after-school programs, with 92% of parents whose children participate reporting access to science, technology, engineering, or math activities, up from 73% in 2020 and 69% in 2014, according to an Afterschool Alliance survey of 30,000 parents and guardians. About 6.4m of the 7m children enrolled in after-school programs now have regular STEM opportunities, including hands-on activities designed to build curiosity, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. However, another 22.6m children whose parents want after-school programming cannot access it because of barriers including cost and limited capacity. The report calls for expanded funding, particularly in underserved and rural communities, and recommends including after-school providers in legislation designed to promote STEM education.
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