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Recent Editions
Education Slice
National
The U.S. Department of Education will distribute an additional $144m in federal IDEA funding to states and local governments to support special education and early intervention services, marking what the Trump administration described as a significant expansion of resources for students with disabilities and their families. The funding includes approximately $123.6m for IDEA Part B programs, which support children and young adults aged three to 21, alongside $20.5m for IDEA Part C early intervention services for infants and toddlers through age two. The grants will be allocated through formula funding later this year. Federal officials said the money comes from non-expiring funds previously returned to the department in recent years. The announcement comes as educators and advocacy groups continue to warn that IDEA funding has failed to keep pace with rising numbers of eligible students and increasing service costs. The Education Department also introduced new guidance allowing states, for the first time, to use IDEA Part C funding to support expectant parents whose unborn children are likely to qualify for disability services after birth. The Council for Exceptional Children has welcomed the additional investment and called on Congress to provide broader long-term increases in IDEA funding.
Education Slice
California
The U.S. is facing a significant reading crisis, with a new study revealing minimal progress in reading skills among students across most states. Researchers from Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth analyzed test scores from over 5,000 school districts and found that only five states, plus the District of Columbia, showed meaningful growth in reading from 2022 to 2025. "The pandemic was the mudslide that had followed seven years of steady erosion in achievement," said Thomas Kane, a Harvard professor involved in the study. However, California's Los Angeles Unified, Compton, and Modesto districts have emerged as bright spots, implementing phonics-based instruction and targeted support for struggling readers. Despite these successes, many students remain behind pre-pandemic levels, with California students about a third of a year behind in reading. The study highlights the need for effective teaching methods to address the ongoing reading recession.
Full Issue
Education Slice
Texas
Texas school districts are grappling with significant learning losses post-pandemic, as highlighted in the Education Scorecard report by researchers from Harvard and Stanford. The report reveals that districts with either low or high percentages of low-income students are making more academic gains compared to middle-poverty districts, which have 30% to 70% of students receiving federal lunch subsidies. "The federal relief dollars were very highly targeted at the highest poverty districts," said Thomas Kane, a Harvard education professor. While some districts, like Spring Branch ISD, have improved their performance, many others, including Aldine ISD, are lagging significantly behind. The report urges state lawmakers to direct school improvement funds to middle- and higher-poverty districts that are still struggling to recover academically.
Full Issue
Education Slice
Florida
School districts across the U.S. are preparing for potential changes to cafeteria menus after the Trump administration introduced new dietary guidelines tied to the Make America Healthy Again, or MAHA, initiative. The updated standards, championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., encourage Americans to avoid highly processed foods and prioritize nutrient-dense proteins, changes that are expected to eventually influence federal school meal requirements. Nutrition directors and education advocates said the shift could significantly increase costs for schools that already operate on tight budgets. Many cafeterias currently rely on processed, premade foods because they are cheaper, easier to prepare, and require less labor. Transitioning toward more fresh, scratch-cooked meals would require additional funding, kitchen upgrades, and more skilled staff. School nutrition experts said protein is already the most expensive part of a school meal, while federal reimbursement rates remain insufficient to cover rising labor, utility, and food costs. Many districts are also facing the loss of federal programs that helped schools purchase food from local farmers, including the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program.
Full Issue