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NPR

A deep dive on U.S. reading and math scores, and what to do about them

U.S. students were still nearly half a grade level behind in both math and reading in the spring of 2024, compared with achievement levels before the pandemic, according to the Education Recovery Scorecard, a data-rich deep dive into student learning.

U.S. education policy is at a crossroads. This congressional hearing shows why

President Trump and Republicans have also voiced a desire to use their congressional majorities to overhaul higher education and create a federal tax credit program that would help families nationwide pay for private schooling.

A guide to what the U.S. Education Department does (and doesn’t) do

Here's a look at what the Department of Education does and doesn't do—and how much of it is protected by acts of Congress.

After fires, LA students yearn to get back to school, and a normal life

For many young students, school feels like a lifeline. Now, they’re feeling displaced, and yearning to return to see their friends and get back to learning. Some school are opening in phases.

Midwest schools struggling to serve students experiencing housing instability

Children with disabilities are far more likely to be subject to restraint or seclusion, suspended, expelled, referred to law enforcement or arrested at school, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s most recent civil rights data collection.

We asked experts to grade Biden’s job on education. They gave it a C average

Of the 14 experts NPR consulted for a recent NPR poll, the Biden administration got no A's, a bunch of B's, two B-/C+'s, two C's, two D's, two F's and one "incomplete" for work left unfinished. That averages out to be a C.

Special ed students benefit from being integrated at school. It doesn’t always happen

"Study after study is showing that there's no harm to being included, but there's great risks of harm to being segregated," says Jennifer Kurth, a professor of special education at the University of Kansas.

Apprenticeships are a trending alternative to college—but there’s a hitch

Only 1 in 4 adults now says a four-year degree is extremely or very important to get a good job, according to Pew Research Center. Nearly two-thirds of 14- to 18-year-olds say their ideal education would involve learning skills on the job—as in apprenticeships—according to a survey by the ECMC Group.

Supreme Court rejects challenge to Boston’s school admissions policy

NPR The Supreme Court declined to review a Boston school admissions policy reserving seats for top GPA students in each neighborhood. This is the second time the court has avoided intervening in geographically based admissions since its 2023 ruling against affirmative action.

Teens can’t get off their phones. Here’s what some schools are doing about it

Some states are trying to legislate against pervasive phone use in schools. Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana have statewide restrictions — and states like California, Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Virginia have policies requiring districts or schools to create policies banning phones, according to findings from EducationWeek.

Trump’s Ed pick, Linda McMahon is a big proponent of school choice

In a statement on Truth Social, Trump said, as secretary of education, McMahon "will fight tirelessly to expand 'Choice' to every State in America, and empower parents to make the best Education decisions for their families."

Schools in Asheville are reopening in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene

After weeks of being shut down in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, public schools in Asheville, North Carolina, are reopening. Asheville City Schools is opening...

Some colleges are targeting financial aid to middle-class families

For Emily Kayser, the prospect of covering her son’s college tuition on a teacher’s salary is “scary. It’s very stressful.” To pay for it, “I’m thinking, what can I sell?”

Schools worry about student safety when their facilities are used as polling places

At Mount Washington Elementary School in Kentucky’s Bullitt County, tiny kids excitedly lined up for the bus. Overhead, a loudspeaker blared names of last-minute...

Exclusive: Watchdog finds Black girls face more frequent, severe discipline in school

Black girls face more discipline and more severe punishments in public schools than girls from other racial backgrounds, according to a groundbreaking new report by a congressional watchdog.