On April 17, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced that a severely diminished crew will administer and analyze the Nationās Report Card (NAEP) as planned in 2026. According to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, āThe Department will ensure that NAEP continues to provide invaluable data on learning across the U.Sā and āThe 2026 NAEP assessments in reading and math are on track for administration in January 2026.ā
For more from K-12 Dive, click here.
According to a lawsuit filed in Maryland district court on April 16, 2025 by the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE), āDramatic, unreasoned, and unlawful actionsā taken by the Trump administration to significantly downsize the U.S. Department of Educationās(USDE) Institute of Education Sciences (IES) are making it impossible to carry out education research. The lawsuit further avers that the funding and staffing cuts made to IES will hamper the instituteās ability to conduct impartial, high-quality research and share those findings with educators, researchers and policymakers, according to the federal lawsuit, which was filed in Maryland district court.
Another lawsuit that disputes IES shrinkage was previously filed by the Association for Education Finance and Policy and the Institute for Higher Education Policy on April 4th in federal court in Washington, D.C.
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A series of bills in Congress are aimed at closing the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). In the Senate, the Returning Education to Our States Act, outlines where each of the USDEās responsibilities would be transferred. The bill also proposes to convert federal education funding into block grants, which it is claimed would give states more flexibility on how to spend federal fund. That bill is sponsored by Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D). Under the bill the USDE would close one year after the billās enactment. Rounds has said that the bill would save $2.2 billion per year. Also in the Senate, S. 1148, simply says the USDE should be terminated on December 31, 2026.
In the House, H.R. 2456, The Orderly Liquidation of the Department of Education Act, sponsored by Rep Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), proposes an Office of Education within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which would include a director of education position. This would take things back to the pre-USDE days when an Office of Education resided within the old U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. In addition, mirroring S. 1148, H.R. 899 states that the USDE should be terminated on December 31, 2026.
Closing the USDE requires a Senate supermajority of 60 votes. For more from K-12 Dive, click here.
Building Financially Savvy Students: Teaching Personal Finance in K-12
Thursday, April 24 | 2:00 PM (ET) | 11:00 AM (PT)
As personal finance becomes a required subject in many states, itās crucial to understand why early financial education matters and how to teach it effectively.
This webinar will explore the growing trend of state-mandated personal finance in K-12 education, the impact on studentsā future financial well-being, and practical strategies for educators, parents, and advocates.
Vector Solutions Launches School Climate Surveys for K-12 Staff and Students
School climate refers to the way staff and students feel about their school, and it can play an important role in everything from teacher retention to student and staff mental health and academics.
Research shows that a positive school climate helps students and staff feel more connected to their schools, supports positive student-teacher relationships, and improves attendance. It can also help reduce bullying, risky behavior, and disciplinary issues. For staff, a positive school climate contributes to high morale and helps to create a culture of continuous improvement.
Vector Solutions is a leader in providing online courses and resources to support the safety and well-being of both staff and students. To help K-12 schools measure school climate, it has introduced three new school climate surveysāone for middle school students, one for high school students, and one for staff members.
Overcoming 3 Key Professional Growth Challenges: Stories from K-12 Districts
Robust professional development opportunities and effective educator and staff evaluations help schools retain top talent and support professional growth. However, managing those processes can be complex and time-consuming.
Administrators in schools and districts across the country describe common challenges in managing staff professional development and evaluations.
Download this guide to explore these three common challenges and how the effective implementation and successful use of technology solutions have helped these districts overcome them.
K-12 Staff & Student State Compliance Training Mandates
State training mandates can change rapidly, making it complicated for K-12 schools and districts to stay current on mandates and state compliance.
Vector Solutions’ comprehensive collection of state compliance guides highlights your stateās specific training mandates for staff and students and matches them with relevant Vector Training courses, ensuring that schools and districts can easily find the training needed to help them stay compliant. Topics include:
-List of Compliance Requirements
-Links to Related Legislation or Policy Documentation
-Details on Audience and Training Frequency Requirements
-Recommended Training Courses
To See Pennsylvania Mandates CLICK HERE
The PA Chapter of the American Assosication of Pediatrics expresses a sincere “Thank you” to everyone who was able to stop by the PA AAP sponsor table at the PAPSA conference last week. It was wonderful to connect in person and share the work of the PA AAP. For those who may have missed us or attended virtually, PA AAP is providing access to the resources provided during the event.
The goal of the PA Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics’, Healthy Teeth Healthy Children (HTHC) program is to bring essential oral health resources to school nurses, students, caregivers, and administrators. PA AAP aims to simplify the access and delivery of important oral health resources, particularly for schools that may not have an active dental provider of record or a Certified School Dental Hygienist on staff and is committed to expanding partnerships with school districts across Pennsylvania, providing resources to support not only oral health but also the overall health and well-being of students.
For your reference, PA AAP has included a link to both the PA AAP website and the HTHC program webpage to see the work of the overall Chapter and other programs within.
PA AAP has also included a link to one of its partners, the Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health, for additional resources you can order for free pertaining to oral health, nutrition, tobacco/nicotine, workforce, HPV prevention and so much more.
If youāre interested in learning more about the PA AAP oral health toolkit for school nurses and professionals or would like details on how to implement a topical fluoride varnish program, please donāt hesitate to reach out to PA AAP Oral Health Project Manager Jacqueline Pugliese via email. Her contact information is below. She will be happy to provide more information or arrange a time to discuss further.
Jacqueline Pugliese, RDH, MPH
She/her/hers
Oral Health Project Manager
PA Chapter, American Academy of PediatricsĀ
661 Moore Road, Suite 200King of Prussia, PA 19406
Phone: 484-446-3055[email protected]