HomeArchive › Policy & Legislation

Policy & Legislation

The latest Policy & Legislation news affecting school districts across America, updated twice daily and credited to original publishers.

All Stories Budget & Finance Technology & AI School Safety Infrastructure Policy & Legislation Leadership
District Admin
Policy & Legislation
Texas lawmakers push for later school start dates amid summer heat

State Rep. Jared Patterson is preparing legislation that would move the start of the school year to after Labor Day. The post Texas lawmakers push for later school start dates amid summer heat appeared first on District...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
SC Students Improve in Math and Reading, but Less Than Half Meet Math Benchmarks

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Elementary and middle school students posted their best scores yet on end-of-year standardized tests, though more than half still can’t calculate as expected for their age, according to state testing...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Opinion: Head Start Was Built to Include Children With Disabilities. Don’t Weaken It

The federal government last week proposed sweeping changes to Head Start, describing them as a way to expand access for children. For families of children with disabilities, the question is what support will still be...

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
15% of Texas Schools scored below a ‘C’ on the state accountability scores

The scores grade how well specific campuses and school districts as a whole perform academically and prepare students for college and to enter the workforce. The post 15% of Texas Schools scored below a ‘C’...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Unions sue Education Department over ‘professional’ degree rule

Under a new rule, the designation allows students to take out $200,000 in federal student loans versus $100,000 for other graduate programs.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Colorado school board involved in ‘public Christian school’ drama violated open meetings law, judge rules

The Pueblo County District 70 school board is likely to immediately appeal the decision from a state judge that found it violated open meetings law.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Opinion: Don’t Blink: Why NYC Reads Must Stay on Course

Nearly 25 years ago, I walked into the U.S. Department of Education at what felt like a remarkable moment in the history of reading instruction. The National Reading Panel had just been released, and for the first time...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
A controversial Colorado education group was in danger of dissolving. A 2013 agreement just saved it.

Pikes Peak State College planned to drop its membership in a controversial public education group. Now, it will stay on for 10 more months.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Chicago Board of Elections rules on final challenges to school board candidacies

Candidates walk inside the Chicago Board of Elections Supersite in downtown Chicago to file paperwork on Monday, May 18, 2026. The board made its final rulings on petition challenges Tuesday.

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
The school year begins in LA with one big change

This year brings a new challenge for Armaghan Khan and many other teachers in the nation's second-largest school district: Ban screen time for younger students, and significantly limit it for older kids. The post The...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Most 4-year graduates work in same state as their alma mater, report finds

States looking to grow their college-educated workforce should focus on "homegrown talent” over wooing outside workers, according to the analysis.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
NYC is acting faster on special education legal orders but still misses most deadlines

Manhattan federal Judge Loretta Preska signed a court order in 2023 requiring to the city to complete dozens of reforms to more quickly provide special education services and payments to families. The city has yet to...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Newark piloted the state’s cellphone ban with positive results. Here are lingering concerns.

Newark piloted a cellphone ban last school year. The experience was positive in several respects, but teachers and parents still have concerns.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Nearly 15 Years After Student Discipline Reform, School Suspensions in Mass. Are Falling. Are Emergency Removals Taking Their Place?

In 2012, after child advocates spent years trying to reduce punitive suspensions in schools, Massachusetts passed sweeping education reforms under Chapter 222, kickstarting a longstanding policy shift away from...

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
Trump administration moves to deregulate Head Start, opening door for sweeping change

The Trump administration is proposing significant changes that would diminish the program's federal standards and give states and parents more control. The post Trump administration moves to deregulate Head Start,...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
The Heritage Foundation releases sweeping model bill to overhaul higher ed

The conservative think tank framed the proposal as a way for state lawmakers to “codify the principles” of the Trump administration’s higher ed compact.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Education will be a key topic as Benson and James face off in Michigan governor’s race

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, left, and Michigan U.S. Representative John James won the Democratic and Republican primaries Tuesday and will face off in the November general election.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Oklahoma Jewish Charter Case Heads to Court as Debate Spreads to Other States

The founders of a proposed Jewish charter school in Oklahoma will appear in federal court Wednesday to argue that the school should be able to open even though the state charter board turned down its application. The...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
These New Exams Will Test California 4-Year-Olds’ English Fluency With Playful Games

California schools now have two screening instruments that use playful games and stories to test 4-year-olds’ language skills without making them cry. The California Department of Education this spring approved two...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
McMahon calls on college leaders to commit to policy reforms by end of year

Her "Call to Action" repeats many themes from the 2025 proposed higher ed compact, such as viewpoint diversity and campus protest rules.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Trump Overhaul Could Gut Head Start Standards, Leaving States to Set the Rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is planning a dramatic overhaul of Head Start that would gut its quality standards, upending the hallmarks of the early education program for...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Who Decides Which Stories Children Get to Read?

As book bans surge nationwide, Jan Lacina — professor at Texas Christian University and associate editor of the Early Childhood Education Journal — explores the benefits of diverse children’s literature in her new...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Illinois Governor Signs School Cellphone Ban to Avoid Student Distractions

Students in all Illinois public schools will soon have to abide by rules barring them from using cellphones or other personal electronic communication devices during school hours unless they have been given specific...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Bipartisan group of senators introduce bill to ban legacy admissions

Similar proposals have kicked around for years in Congress, but they’ve yet to become law despite sharpened public scrutiny of the practice. 

The 74
Policy & Legislation
California Will Add Science Scores to Its School Accountability System. Why It Matters

Short of dropping a dead weight copy of the state Education Code on your foot, a State Board of Education agenda item on the California School Dashboard normally wouldn’t evoke tears. But Jessica Sawko’s tears earlier...

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
Texans Try new tactic to remove Ten Commandments from schools

A lawsuit filed by three parents argues that the displays violate a state religious freedom law and asks for them to be removed before school starts in August. The post Texans Try new tactic to remove Ten Commandments...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Senate panel OKs bill to block Education Department’s postsecondary office transfer

The proposed legislation moves to the full Senate just weeks after the House introduced 10 bills that would codify some of the agency’s transfers.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
New Staffing Models Put Strong Teachers Out Front

In Carlsbad, N.M., a tiny district in the southeastern corner of the state, nine of its 12 schools have turned teacher assignments upside-down, inviting their best teachers to coach a team of colleagues, model lessons...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Court blocks in-state tuition for undocumented students in Illinois

The ruling marks another victory for the U.S. Department of Justice, which has sued more than a dozen states over similar policies. 

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Mayor Zohran Mamdani names 13 school board members, cementing control of NYC schools

Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed 13 members to New York City's Panel for Educational Policy, giving him control of the board that votes on school closures, contracts, and major policy decisions.