EDUCATION NEWS

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School Board Notes

We are still on our summer publishing schedule for School Board Notes. The next issue will be emailed Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024.

Current Issue:Governor Signs Bills to Boost Literacy, Aug. 21, 2024

NEW JERSEY

NJ.com

N.J.’s earliest high school start times begin at 6:55 a.m. See where your HS ranks. (msn.com)

High school students across New Jersey have already started to set alarms as early as last week, and some will have to set them early – like, really early – for the first day of school.

NJ Spotlight

More than 11,000 students learning English enrolled in Newark Public Schools

English language learners make up more than a quarter of the district’s enrollment this school year.

Teachers on a quest to better explain scientific topics

Princeton University program helps public and private school teachers.

What NJ credit-rating upgrades will depend on, according to Wall Street

Credit-rating firms identify strong budget reserves and full public-worker pension payments as key factors.

OCNJDaily

Ocean City School District to Participate in State Study on Educational Practices

Ocean City High School’s (OCHS) innovative educational methods have shown a positive impact on students’ academic development, and the state Department of Education (NJDOE) wants to learn more, according to a school district news release.

NorthJersey.com

Back-to-school tips to help students succeed this year

Transitioning from a fun-filled summer to attending school can be challenging. A psychologist shares how to ease the back-to-school process.

NATIONAL 

Associated Press

Texting on phones or afraid to be ‘canceled,’ students are quiet in class. Schools are fighting back

Students are struggling to stay engaged in class at a time of poor mental health, shortened attention spans, reduced attendance and worsening grades.

Education Week

Why Cellphone Bans Aren’t the Cure for Student Anxiety (Opinion)

Simple solutions can’t solve a complex problem. Here’s what we need to do instead.

Head Start Teachers Will Earn More—But Programs Might Have to Serve Fewer Kids

A new rule will raise wages for Head Start employees, but providers won’t get more funding.

Equitable Access to AP Courses: How Each State Is Doing

College Board data broken down by race and ethnicity helps educators assess gaps in equity.

How Student Access to AP Courses Has Changed Over Time

More data is needed to assess if inequities exist in students’ access to advanced courses.

How Students Say School Policies That Target LGBTQ+ Youth Affect Them

LGBTQ+ students who go to a school that has at least one policy that aims to restrict the rights of LGBTQ+ students have worse mental health and higher suicide risk than their peers in schools without such policies, a national survey from The Trevor Project shows.

Schools Are Now Political Battlegrounds. We’ve Been Here Before

U.S. history is filled with moments of polarization. What’s different about today?

USA Today

Teachers banned slang after hearing too much ‘rizz’: A helpful lesson or ‘anti-academic’? (msn.com)

Standard rules commonly implemented in schools nationwide are to raise your hand, be respectful, and follow directions. Some teachers want to add a new one that has sparked discourse online: banning slang in the classroom.

Wall Street Journal

How to Help Students Panicked by School Smartphone Bans (msn.com) 

This summer schools across the U.S. have adopted new policies to curtail student smartphone use. These changes should free up students to focus on learning and engage in the real-life social interactions that are crucial to healthy development. They should also help address the mental-health crisis among adolescents.