The following resources focus on the educational climate and betterment of those serving the K–12 educational community.

Time to Reimagine Educational Research in America  Good and accurate data is vital. No state can make sound decisions without good data and every state wants to know how they stack up against their neighbors. (RealClearEducation)

Indiana Superintendent Considers Lowering School Age Requirement  Indiana’s state superintendent says it might be time to lower the age students are required to attend school. (WLKY News CBS)

California – State Could Reap Big Economic Benefits with Later School Start Time  While California legislators debate a bill to ban secondary schools from starting before 8:30 a.m., a new report shows the change could contribute $10.2 billion to the state’s economy within 10 years and $24.8 billion after two decades. (EdSource)

Suburban Schools Begin Measuring Kindergarten Readiness  The Illinois State Board of Education this week announced it will begin tracking the developmental readiness of kindergarteners statewide through the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey, or KIDS. (Daily Herald)

Later School Start Times in the U.S.  This report estimates changes in the economic performance of 47 U.S states following a delayed school start time, which includes the benefits of higher academic performance of students and reduced car crash rates. The study suggested that delaying school start times to 8:30 a.m. is a cost-effective, population-level strategy which could have a significant impact on public health and the U.S. economy.  (RAND Corporation)

As States Seek to Reduce Suspensions, Schools Look for Ways to Handle Discipline  Administrators aim for balance between addressing racial disparities while still supporting teachers. (Education Dive)

Beyond the Core: Advancing student success through the arts  This Education Trends reportBeyond the Core: Advancing student success through the arts, explores how the arts bolster the development of deeper learning skills, includes policy considerations and provides examples of programs that increased access to the arts in education.

Schools Around the US Are Finally Pushing Back Their Start Times — And It’s Working  To date, schools in 45 states have adopted a policy similar to Solebury’s. Each falls in line with the prevailing best practices proposed by organizations like the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. (Business Insider)

Kids Community Support Webinar  Advance Illinois and The Ounce of Prevention invite members of community and education advocacy organizations webinar September 22 from 9am to 10am to learn more about KIDS – the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey – which is being implemented statewide by ISBE this fall. KIDS is an observational tool designed to help teachers and families deepen their understanding of each student’s skills and development.