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

Is Summer Breaking America’s Schools? 

A growing body of scholarship shows that the weeks students have off school in the summer months hamper student learning across the board, and exacerbates the divide between the haves and have-nots in the nation’s schools. (U.S. News & World Report)

What and who are fueling the movement to privatize public education — and why you should care

This is an important article by author Joanne Barkan about the history of the movement to privatize U.S. public schools, which is now at the heart of the national debate about the future of publicly funded education in this country.

Equity in K-12 Funding More Complex Than Just Dollars 

Simple parity in K-12 aid isn’t enough; how it’s distributed proves crucial. (Education Week)

CA – Survey Provides Student Feedback on Growth Mindset, Other Aspects of SEL 

Students’ reports of whether they have developed a growth mindset continue to climb steadily throughout their K-12 years, but their assessments of their social awareness skills and feelings of self-efficacy drop sharply beginning in middle school, according to a recent analysis of the results of a social-emotional learning (SEL) survey that the California Office for Reform Education (CORE) administered to its more than 1 million students attending eight urban school systems. (Education Dive)

Why Illinois Will Start Testing 9th, 10th graders with PSAT 

Illinois schools will begin administering the Preliminary SAT in ninth and 10th grades next school year, along with providing the SAT college entrance exam in 11th grade. (Daily Herald)

Levers and Logic Models: A Framework to Guide Research and Design of High-Quality Competency-Based Education Systems 

This report draws upon the previous reports to provide a framework to build an even deeper understanding of competency-based education. (Competency Works)

States Ramping Up Mental Health Education in Schools

Aim is to help students recognize symptoms before a crisis develops. (Star Tribune)