According to presenters at the recent National School Leadership[ Conference, School leaders are vital to setting a culture of inclusion for all students, especially those with disabilities. Thus, school leaders must emphasize to staff, students, and families that all children can learn in age-appropriate general education classrooms with needs-driven curriculum. In fact, inclusive learning benefits students with and without disabilities.
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On September 24, 2024, after a monthslong investigation, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a pair of scathing reports that found the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) failed to properly oversee vendors, follow its own procedures, and properly communicate with students and colleges as they rolled out the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.
The report found, that 74% of the total calls received (approximately for million in all) at USDE call centers went unanswered from January to May, which were the first five months of the FAFSA application cycle.
Responding to GAO officials expressing concern that the USDE could repeat a similar debacle for the 2025-26 academic year, a USDE spokesperson said the agency has already made improvements for the 2025-26 form which will be fully available by December 1, 2024. In fact, starting October 1st the USDE will test the new form with a limited number of students and institutions to help ensure complete functionality when the form fully launches on Dec. 1st.
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On September 23, 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) unveiled a comprehensive toolkit to develop the information literacy skills of educators, students, and families to help the next generation of Pennsylvanians learn how to discern fact from fiction online.
As children find misinformation online and bring it into the classroom, educators are forced to confront it. According to Governor Shapiro, the first step is giving teachers and parents more tools in their toolbox to help teach kids how to think critically about what they find online. Thus, PDE has developed a toolkit for teachers and parents on digital literacy and critical thinking.
The toolkit, which is available to the public on PDE’s website, is designed to help Pennsylvania’s educators incorporate age-appropriate media literacy into their lesson plans and their conversations with students and offers resources about how to recognize biases, distinguish between credible information and misinformation, and create and share content responsibly. Through a collection of evidence-based resources, the toolkit encourages critical thinking, active participation in society, and contextual understanding of past and current events.
Resources in the toolkit are primarily geared toward educators, but there are also tools to help families and their children navigate the media landscape.
Click here to access the information literacy toolkit.
Click here to access the press release.
As schools consider limiting student cellphone and device use at school, disability rights advocates are warning administrators to consider the civil rights of students with disabilities who require assistive technology to access learning. In a statement earlier this month, the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, a nonprofit that works to protect the legal rights of students with disabilities, said the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 give students the right to use assistive technology, auxiliary aids, and other accommodations as agreed upon in an IEP or Section 504 plan.
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New research published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies has found a correlation between the number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) faced by rising kindergartners and the severity of disruptive behaviors, anxiety and depression found in this population. Yet the correlation doesn’t hold for academic and social readiness, with those skills remaining on par with peers who had gone through fewer harmful events.
The correlation between a high number of ACEs and disruptive behaviors, add to previous research about the impact of early childhood trauma. The effects can be both short term for preschoolers and longer term for a child’s K-12 pathways and developmental well-being.
The findings point to a need for greater awareness of mental health issues and suicide prevention support for young children and their families, particularly those in vulnerable populations.
Source: K-12 Dive
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