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Here are some of the things we’ve been reading about this week:

Community colleges and Head Start form partnerships to provide child care for students who are parents.

Early drawing and building skills linked to children’s enhanced education and behavior. 

New California teaching standards increase focus on family engagement and social-emotional learning.

To read more, click on the following links.

Research & Practice

EdWeek: Unsafe Health Claims Dominate Social Media. Health Class Can Give Students Vetting Tools
The Journal of the American Medical Association-Pediatrics highlights the impact of health misinformation from online influencers on children and adolescents. The study emphasizes the need for schools to integrate critical thinking and research skills into health education to equip students in navigating online information and misinformation. Areas like nutritional supplements, weight management, sexual health, immunizations, and vaping are particularly rife with misinformation. Teenagers, finding certain topics difficult or embarrassing to discuss, often turn to online sources anonymously, leading to potential long-term health consequences. The analysis suggests introducing media literacy into the curriculum, teaching students to critically evaluate health claims, verify information, understand algorithmic biases, and recognize click-bait tactics.

Science Daily: Early drawing and building skills linked to enhanced education and behavior in children
A study from the University of Surrey and Birkbeck, University of London, indicates a link between fine motor skills in preschool children and better GCSE scores (equivalent to a scored high school diploma in the United States) with fewer behavioral problems. Activities like drawing, folding paper, and block building during early childhood may influence educational and behavioral outcomes in primary and secondary school. The research, involving over 9,000 preschoolers assessed at ages 2, 3, and 4, revealed associations between fine motor skills and higher GCSE grades at age 16, as well as fewer behavioral problems and ADHD symptoms. Even after considering socioeconomic factors, the connection between fine motor skills and later outcomes persisted. The authors suggest incorporating blocks or drawing materials alongside books for young children.

Policy

EdWeek: Counselor-to-Student Ratios Show Improvement, But Looming Fiscal Cliff May Threaten Gains
The ratio of school counselors to students in the U.S. has improved for the ninth consecutive year, decreasing by over 5% to 385 students per counselor in the 2022–23 academic year. This positive trend comes amid challenges like behavior issues and a youth mental health crisis. However, as pandemic relief funds dwindle, concerns have arisen about maintaining investments in counselors, social workers, and psychologists. The national average still exceeds the recommended ratio of 250 students per counselor, with only New Hampshire and Vermont meeting this standard. Notable improvements occurred in New York, the District of Columbia, and Indiana, while Arizona saw an increase. Mental health services were a priority for pandemic relief spending, but with funds ending, districts may face challenges in sustaining student mental health support, potentially affecting services despite the overall positive counselor-to-student ratio trend.

Higher Ed Dive: Community colleges, Head Start partner to expand affordable child care access
The National Head Start Association (NHSA) and the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) have launched a five-year project, “Kids on Campus,” aiming to place Head Start early learning programs on community college campuses. This initiative could address the barriers to affordable and quality early learning for children from low-income families. Currently, 130 community colleges host Early Head Start or Head Start programs, but financial and logistical challenges must be addressed. The partnership could benefit college student parents by providing free, high-quality childcare and early education, utilizing Head Start expertise on-site, and offering Head Start locations near target populations. The user guide, part of the project, shares examples of successful partnerships, such as one with Manchester Community College in New Hampshire. Challenges include aligning schedules and clarifying eligibility for services between Head Start and college programs.

EdWeek: The ‘Homework Gap’ Is About to Get Worse. What Should Schools Do?
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), providing discounted broadband internet to low-income households, faces potential funding depletion by the end of April. Nearly 23 million households heave enrolled since the program’s 2021 launch. The program offers a discount of up to $30 per month on internet services and provides a one-time discount for device purchases. The potential end of ACP, coupled with the suspension of new enrollments, raises concerns among school districts about exacerbating the “homework gap” and impacting communication channels between schools and parents. Efforts to extend ACP funding via a proposed $7 billion bill are underway in Congress. Districts are exploring alternatives, including partnerships with local entities and leveraging the FCC’s E-rate funding for school bus Wi-Fi.

Around the Nation

EdSource: New California teaching standards increase focus on family engagement, social-emotional learning
California’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing has approved revised Standards for the Teaching Profession, aiming to emphasize culturally responsive teaching, social-emotional learning, and family engagement. These standards guide teachers’ professional development and evaluation, describing the knowledge, skills, and abilities expected of effective, experienced teachers. The new standards, set to roll out in the 2025-26 school year, include six domains such as engaging all students in learning, creating effective environments, understanding subject matter, planning instruction, assessing students, and developing as a professional educator. Key shifts from the 2009 version include a holistic approach, a focus on family and community engagement, and the inclusion of sections on personal attitudes, biases, and ethical reflection. Some urged the commission to delay implementation for a year to allow for better preparation, while others stressed the urgency to improve for students.

The Hechinger Report: After more than a dozen states said no to a new summer food benefit for children, advocates worry about filling the gap
The Lowcountry Food Bank in South Carolina faces challenges reaching all children in need during the summer due to transportation barriers. While the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program (Summer EBT) provides eligible low-income families an additional $40 per month for groceries, South Carolina, one of 15 states missing the January 1 deadline, opted out. Governor Henry McMaster cited a desire to move past pandemic aid, and other leaders expressed concerns over political or logistical issues. The state’s existing summer meals programs, like the USDA-run initiative, have seen declining participation from sponsors since 2019. Barriers such as transportation and the inability of working parents to access meal sites persist, prompting calls for reevaluation and potential participation in Summer EBT next year.

EdWeek: K-12 Enrollment Rebounds in Upper Grades as Lower Grades Remain Below Pre-Pandemic Levels
Public school enrollment in the U.S. slightly rebounded in the fall of 2022, but it remained 1.2 million students below pre-pandemic levels, according to federal data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Overall enrollment reached 49.6 million at the start of the 2022-23 school year, a 1% increase from 2021-22 levels but a 2% drop from 2019-2020. Enrollment trends differed for younger and older students; pre-K through 8th grade enrollment dropped by 4% between 2019 and 2022, while 9th through 12th grade enrollment increased by about 2% during the same period. These trends may complicate district planning, especially regarding finances, facilities, programs, and staffing. The data reveals the changing landscape of school enrollment influenced by pandemic disruptions, declining birth rates, and the growth of school choice programs.

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