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These are some of the things we’ve been reading about:

A roundup of education research findings in 2018.

How the new Congress will impact education at the federal level.

A New Orleans school addresses students’ post-traumatic stress disorder.

To read more, click on the following links.

Research & Practice

2018 in Research: How Principals Lead, Gates Faltered, and Teens Balk at ‘Growth Mindset’
Ed Week Inside School Research Blog: 2018 has been a fascinating year in education research. If support for federal education studies at times seemed a bit touch-and-go this year because of funding threats and White House plans to merge agencies, there were still plenty of meaty findings for practitioners. Of all the research stories reported this year, readers were most interested in a look at how more than 90,000 principals guide improvement in their schools. 

‘What if Someone was Shooting?’
The Washington Post: More than 4.1 million students endured at least one lockdown in the 2017-2018 school year alone, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by The Washington Post that included a review of 20,000 news stories and data from school districts in 31 of the country’s largest cities. Lockdowns save lives during real attacks, but even when there is no gunman stalking the hallways, the procedures can inflict immense psychological damage on children convinced that they’re in danger. 

School Retention Linked to Violent Crimes in Adulthood in New Study
Ed Week Inside School Research Blog: Test-based retention in 8th grade increases the likelihood of criminal conviction by age 25, according to a new study in a working paper posted by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The study focused on Louisiana students who were held back in 8th grade between 1998-1999 through 2000-2001 because they just scored just below the cutoff on tests designed to determine whether they were ready for promotion to 9th grade. Their outcomes were compared with those for similarly low-performing students in the same state who were promoted to 9th grade during the same time period.

Policy

What to Expect on Education in 2019
Politico: Welcome to 2019. As Democrats assume control of the House, all eyes in the education world will be on what the new dynamic in Washington will mean for congressional oversight of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the Trump administration Education Department. And there’s much more on the horizon for education issues this year. Here’s a preview of what to expect this year in education. See related article: Ed Week Politics K-12 Blog “Trump, Congress, ESSA and More: Six Issues to Watch in 2019.”

Around the Nation

Literacy at the Laundromat
U.S. News & World Report: Inside one of about 14 laundromats in Chicago’s low-income neighborhoods, librarians gather all available children for Laundromat Story Time, a Chicago Public Library program that combines early education principles with public outreach and a dash of parental modeling. Amid the muffled churn of the washers and the humming of dryers, anywhere between a handful to more than a dozen children hear stories, sing songs and play games designed to help their brains develop. The event also aims to tacitly instruct parents on how to repeat the experience for their kids, working to reverse poor literacy rates in underserved communities.

Trauma Is the Norm for Many New Orleans Kids. This School Was Made for Them.
Huffington Post: A survey released in 2015 of about 1,200 New Orleans kids ages 10 to 16 found that children in New Orleans displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder at more than three times the national average. The New Orleans Center for Resilience is a nonprofit K–8 school with two locations in the city, a rare lifeline to the few who get in. The 27 kids enrolled in the center’s program have some of the most extreme behavior needs in the city, often stemming from trauma or mental illness. When it opened in 2015, it was the first school of its kind in New Orleans, offering a blend of traditional classes like math and English, as well as therapy and counseling. In a city where student mental health resources remain scant, there are few places like it today.

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