Iowa
News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Iowa
Budget & Finance
Spending ESSER Funds Will Come Down to the Wire for Some Districts. Here's Why
Schools have until September to commit federal relief dollars. In some cases, spending every last penny could be tricky.
School & District Management
Teacher Layoffs Are Mounting. How Districts Can Soften the Blow
Layoffs are coming in districts large and small. Here's how district leaders can handle them.
Reading & Literacy
The 'Science of Reading' in 2024: 5 State Initiatives to Watch
These actions join a mounting tide of reading legislation across the country.
School Climate & Safety
6th Grader Killed and 5 Others Injured in Iowa School Shooting
The shooting was reported early Thursday, before classes began.
Law & Courts
Appeals Court Blocks District Policy That Requires Students to 'Respect' Gender Identity
The federal appeals court panel holds that the policy is likely unconstitutionally vague under the First Amendment.
Reading & Literacy
An Iowa District Used AI to Figure Out Which Books to Ban
An Iowa school district used AI to decide which books to ban to comply with a state law that bans materials with depictions of sex.
Reading & Literacy
Video
This After-School Program Is Improving Students’ Reading, One Black History Book at a Time
An after-school program seeks to teach its students about Black history and improve their reading scores at the same time.
School Choice & Charters
Private School Choice Programs Are Having a Moment. But It's Not All Smooth Sailing
Several states have passed private school choice programs with universal eligibility. But some have seen road bumps as they implement them.
School Choice & Charters
6 More States Will Soon Let Almost All Students Attend Private School With Public Money
So far this year, 14 states passed laws and lawmakers in 42 states introduced bills to expand private school choice.
Equity & Diversity
Pronouns for Trans, Nonbinary Students: The States With Laws That Restrict Them in Schools
Under the laws, teachers aren’t required to use trans or nonbinary students’ requested pronouns.
States
Beyond 'Don't Say Gay': Other States Seek to Limit LGBTQ Youth, Teaching
Legislators want to ban lessons on LGBTQ communities and require teachers to tell parents when students want their pronouns changed.
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State K-12 Spending Is Inequitable and Inadequate. See Where Yours Ranks
There's a $17,000 per student difference between the highest- and lowest-spending states. High-poverty schools suffer especially.
Reading & Literacy
Creator of 1619 Project Launching After-School Literacy Program
The 1619 Freedom School, led by journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, will make its curriculum a free online resource in 2022.
States
From Our Research Center
Map: A-F Grades, Rankings for States on School Quality
Here’s a map showing grades for all the states on this year’s Quality Counts summative report card, on which the nation gets a C overall.