The survey highlights the responses of nearly 800 teachers and district administrators, which include the need for comprehensive professional learning, enhanced support in incorporating new programs and initiatives as well as the effects of sociopolitical trends on education policies and spending.

Sweeping changes

Ahead of the 2023-24 school year, educators reported implementing new policies surrounding wellness, enrollment and behavioral programs (69%), which may have been influenced by the pandemic. Now, survey respondents say they’re currently implementing new curriculum programs, mainly in the Science of Reading, math and English language arts (ELA), with nearly one-third of educators reporting changes to their Science of Reading programs.

Necessary for these changes, however, is effective professional learning for educators responsible for seeing these policies through. When asked what was needed to better support teachers—beyond time and money—56% said that “better professional learning” is needed, followed by “ensuring that teachers and students can design/influence the implementation plan” and “more clearly [communicating] the vision of a new program.”

Those who reported being involved in school improvement/transformation work cited facing several challenges in the process that district leaders ought to address:

• Too many demands or changes: 55%
• Limited time to learn and collaborate: 52%
• Poor professional learning support: 38%
• Limited project management support: 37%
• Institutional inertia: 34%
• Limited onsite support: 31%
• Staff reluctance: 28%
• Weak/unfocused process for updating plans: 25%
• Limited pedagogical knowledge: 18%

More from DA: As teacher shortages persist, districts look for creative solutions

Additionally, respondents were asked to identify what types of data they want school leaders to leverage more to assess whether or not students are successful. Here’s what they said:

• Behavioral data: 60%
• Student progress data: 55%
• Classroom observations: 53%
• Anecdotal data from teachers: 48%
• Attendance data: 43%
• One-on-one conversations with students: 41%
• Student voice surveys: 37%
• District benchmark results: 29%

Lastly, survey respondents were asked to identify what social or political trends currently have the greatest influences on the policies and financial spending in their districts.

In terms of school spending, educators said the need to build new schools, provide security, recruit new teachers, and expand support and services for counseling and tutoring were the greatest influences on school spending. As far as school policy goes, leaders identified the following as the greatest influences: political activism, gender identity-related concerns, book bans and student behavioral issues.

“This report is not just a collection of data; it’s a reflection of Tripod Education’s commitment to enhancing educational practices, student engagement and school climate,” Tripod Education’s Vice President Byron Adams said in a statement. “We invite school and district leaders across the nation to explore the detailed findings and recommendations of this report to identify where educators are seeking change and support.”

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That’s according to a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank dedicated to improving public policy in California. The researchers note that the state has witnessed enrollment declines at nearly three-quarters of California school districts over the past five years, “bringing added fiscal pressures and difficult downsizing decisions,” the report reads. It’s a trend that will likely continue for several years.

Enrollment in coastal areas like Los Angeles has already fallen 15% in the past decade and is expected to reach 19% between 2022-23 and 2032-33, which would make it the region with the largest decline by far. Overall, enrollment declines are projected in all but two California regions—Sierra and Northern Valley—in the next decade.

“Across California, enrollment declines are expected to be widespread—41 counties are projected to decline, compared to 38 counties that saw declines over the prior decades,” the report reads. “Declines are also expected to be steeper, at more than 10 percent on average across declining counties.”

Primary contributors to declining enrollment

School districts nationwide have attributed declining public school enrollment to a variety of factors like homeschooling and a growing preference for private schooling. And that’s likely the case for California.

According to the report, the state’s post-pandemic enrollment shifts largely reflect several demographic trends, including birth rates and migration. However, COVID forced many parents to rethink their options for their child’s education, mainly whether or not to place them in transitional kindergarten, private or homeschooling.

For instance, the researchers found that enrollment fell much greater in kindergarten in 2020-21 than in any other grade.

More from DA: As teacher shortages persist, districts look for creative solutions

The report also notes a slight bump in private school enrollment, but it only explains a “small share” of pandemic enrollment shifts. Homeschooling, however, peaked during the pandemic, marking the highest enrollment figures observed in the last 20 years.

“This trend serves as compelling evidence that a number of families opted to depart from both traditional and private educational institutions, favoring homeschooling as an alternative amidst the pandemic,” the researchers wrote. “This phenomenon may reflect families seeking to avoid the experience of distance learning and/or mitigate exposure to COVID-19 during the pandemic.”

District-level response to declining enrollment

By 2019, more than half of school districts in California had declining enrollment. By 2022-23, that number has risen to 73%. Yet, interestingly enough, many leaders are refusing to close schools amidst this “spell” of declining enrollment.

Between 2009 and 2019, only one-third of schools with enrollment losses of 10% or higher reduced the number of schools they operated. Some 10% actually added more schools, while the majority of other districts didn’t change a thing.

However, in instances where district leaders chose to shut down schools, they largely affected students of lower income, English learners and schools with lower test scores.

“Accelerating declines could bring added pressure to close schools,” the report reads. “With these closures come concerns that some students will bear the costs of downsizing more than others. Indeed, the counties and regions with higher shares of low-income, English learner, Black and Latino students are projected to see even larger declines.”

3 takeaways for district and state leaders

California’s case of dwindling student enrollment is not an isolated incident. Many districts across the nation are battling the same issue. In response, the researchers offer three policy implications for education leaders to consider as districts continue witnessing enrollment challenges over the next several years:

1. Offer more assistance and information to K12 districts on how to effectively and efficiently downsize.
2. Consider the equity implications in your decision on whether to close schools so that you don’t inadvertently impact high-need students and neighborhoods.
3. Avoid insulating districts from declining enrollment via additional funding.

The post A look inside California’s continuous trend of declining enrollment appeared first on District Administration.

Like most school systems in the U.S., the Aldine Independent School District in Texas has started looking for alternative solutions to bolster its teaching workforce. For instance, they’ve started working with Teach USA, a program that connects international teachers with U.S. schools.

According to San Antonio Express-News, Aldine ISD has hired 76 teachers from more than a dozen countries through this program. Scott Dubberke, the district’s human resources director, said it’s helped them to fill positions for special education and bilingual elementary school classes with an even greater effect.

It’s “not just filling vacancies, but it also supports our kids,” he told San Antonio Express-News. “Our kids are not only learning but they’re learning from the culture of where these people are coming from.”

In North Dakota, the state’s Department of Public Instruction has awarded $3 million for a program that helps paraprofessionals become teachers. There are some 230 participants in the program across 60 school districts, The Dickinson Press reports.

The program provides participants with up to $20,000 that they can use to put toward earning a teaching degree through one of 10 online programs available through universities across North Dakota.

Gov. Doug Burgum also created a Teacher Retention and Recruitment Task Force, which met for the first time last month and aims to identify and address areas of improvement regarding teacher vacancies across the state.

“We’re deeply grateful to these members and all the candidates for their passion and willingness to dedicate their time to this critically important effort to address our state’s teacher shortage,” Burgum said in a statement. “Working together, we can identify best practices and policies for retaining and recruiting teachers and ensure they have the resources and support they need to deliver a world-class education to students across North Dakota.”

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In Montana, schools have been quick to adopt four-day work weeks in the hopes of recruiting and retaining teachers, a strategy that’s been growing in momentum in districts nationwide.

As the Montana Free Press reports, at least 222 schools had already adopted this model by the end of the 2022-23 school year. Montana ranks last in the country when it comes to average starting salaries for teachers, according to an annual report released last year from the National Education Association. A four-day school week is just one of the ways Montana education leaders aim to keep teachers in the profession despite the unattractiveness of teaching salaries.

Montana’s Roberts Public School has been operating using this model since 2015, soon after the arrival of its Superintendent Alex Ator. He told the Montana Free Press he believes it’s helped them stay afloat amid this persistent shortage of qualified teachers.

“When I first got to Roberts, I received a handful [of applicants] for a typical position, and my colleagues received a few dozen,” he told the Montana Free Press. “Now, I still receive a couple and some of my colleagues don’t receive any.”

However, some areas have yet to see major improvements concerning their teacher vacancies. Nebraska, for one, had more than 900 teaching positions go vacant or unfilled with a qualified educator for the 2023-24 school year, a new survey from the Nebraska Department of Education suggests. These numbers surpass the previous year’s 760 vacancies.

“There’s a coordinated effort going on between school districts, the Department of Education, higher education, even others in the workforce development area like our state chamber, who are certainly concerned about this particular topic,” NDE Commissioner Brian Maher said during a recent press conference.

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As 2023 comes to a close, we thought it’d be a good idea to take a trip down memory lane and reflect on some of the most pressing topics and challenges district leaders, superintendents and technology leaders faced along the way—but with a twist.

We asked ChatGPT to recap K12 education in 2023. To no surprise, it gave us a rather impressive response. Here’s what it had to say:

The following transcript is a verbatim answer from ChatGPT in response to the prompt: “In 400-600 words, give us a recap of K12 education in 2023. Prioritize topics and challenges that are important to district leaders, superintendents and technology professionals.”

1. Technological integration:

One of the foremost trends in K12 education is the accelerated integration of technology into classrooms. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst, propelling schools to adopt digital tools for remote and hybrid learning. District leaders are grappling with the challenge of maintaining this momentum while addressing equity issues related to access to devices and high-speed internet. Superintendents are focusing on creating comprehensive technology plans that ensure both in-person and remote learning environments are well-supported.

2. Personalized learning:

In response to diverse student needs, there is a growing emphasis on personalized learning approaches. This tailoring of education to individual students’ strengths, interests and pace requires sophisticated data analytics and adaptive learning platforms. District leaders are investing in professional development to ensure teachers can effectively implement personalized learning strategies, while technology professionals are working to secure data privacy and security in these systems.

3. Competency-based education:

Schools are shifting towards competency-based education models that focus on mastery of skills rather than traditional grade levels. Superintendents are working to revise curriculum frameworks to accommodate competency-based approaches, necessitating close collaboration with teachers and educational technology professionals to develop assessment tools that accurately measure student mastery.

4. Social-emotional learning:

Recognizing the importance of holistic student development, K12 education in 2023 places a strong emphasis on social-emotional learning. District leaders are championing programs that foster emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. Technology professionals are developing digital tools and platforms that facilitate SEL activities, ensuring a balanced integration of technology into the emotional and social fabric of education.

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5. Cybersecurity challenges:

With the increasing reliance on digital platforms, cybersecurity has become a paramount concern for district leaders and technology professionals alike. The protection of student data, secure online assessments and safeguarding against cyber-threats are top priorities. Collaborative efforts between districts, technology experts and government agencies are underway to establish robust cybersecurity protocols.

6. Professional development and teacher training:

Given the rapid pace of technological change, professional development for teachers is a constant concern. District leaders are investing in ongoing training programs to ensure educators stay abreast of the latest instructional technologies. This collaboration extends to technology professionals who are actively involved in designing and delivering training modules that bridge the gap between pedagogy and technology.

7. Equity and inclusion:

Promoting equity and inclusion is a persistent challenge in K12 education. District leaders are focusing on closing the digital divide by implementing initiatives that ensure all students have access to high-quality education regardless of their socioeconomic background. Superintendents are working to create inclusive learning environments that celebrate diversity and cater to the unique needs of each student.

In conclusion, the K12 education landscape in 2023 is characterized by a dynamic interplay of technology, pedagogy and social consciousness. District leaders, superintendents and technology professionals are collaboratively steering education toward a future that is adaptive, inclusive and technologically proficient. While challenges persist, the collective commitment to innovation and student success remains at the forefront of educational initiatives.

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According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a research arm of the U.S. Department of Education, private school enrollment overall went up 1.7% in the 2021-22 school year, despite a 3% decrease in the number of private school campuses and a lack of international students due to COVID. In contrast, public schools saw enrollment declines ranging from 3 to 6% in grades K-7. Grades 9-12 saw just a 1% increase.

“The results of this survey, coupled with the enrollment data we have collected from public schools, highlight differences in enrollment patterns across school sectors during a period of unprecedented disruption in U.S. education, NCES Commissioner Peggy G. Carr said in a statement.

Some 4.7 million K12 students are enrolled in private schools across the country as of 2022, according to the data. Nearly the same amount were enrolled during the 2019-20 school year, also the start of the pandemic.

Bolstering opportunity

This research comes at a time when public schools are pressured by a looming fiscal cliff as a result of the extermination of pandemic relief funds to maintain steady enrollment numbers.

Recent research from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute also reflects these findings. According to its latest report, the number of students not enrolled in a district-run school increased by nearly 3% between 2010 and 2020 in the nation’s largest 125 school districts. The researchers attributed this growth to the rising popularity of charter schools.

They also noted a steady presence in the number of students attending private schools.

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Also in recent months, states such as Florida, Iowa and Arkansas have given lawmakers the green light to significantly expand school vouchers this year, Politico reports. These initiatives give families thousands of dollars to ensure their children earn an education from the institution they deem suitable for their kids.

A record 20 states have enacted school choice policies in some form or fashion as of October 2023. In some areas, they’re seeing a significant shift in enrollment numbers in response.

In Florida, for instance, researchers have recorded about a 42% increase in the number of students enrolled in the state’s two primary voucher programs, according to data released by Step Up For Students, one of the leading organizations offering these scholarships.

In Arizona, some 68,000 students are leveraging scholarships worth $7,300 each, Politico reports, resulting in program costs averaging $665 million, $40 million higher than original estimate forecasts.

“I’ve been studying school choice for 25 years,” Patrick Wolf, an education policy professor at the University of Arkansas, told Politico. “This is the big breakout year.”

The post The differences between private and public school enrollment post-pandemic appeared first on District Administration.

It’s modest at best, according to researchers at the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education reform think tank, who sought to understand the “competitive effects” brought forth by the growing school choice movement among the nation’s 125 largest school districts.

According to the data, the number of students in grades 1-8 who weren’t enrolled in a district-run school grew nearly 3% between 2010 and 2020, totaling about 18% in these districts. The researchers attribute this growth to the rising popularity of charter schools.

In the top 125 largest school districts, charter schools more than doubled their market share from 3% to 6.5%, the report suggests. Among the rest who didn’t attend a district school as of spring 2020, nearly half still attended a private school and nearly one in five were homeschooled.

A look at the competition

Schools in the largest K12 districts in the country see very little competition for students, the researchers found. For example, only 42 districts reported 10-20% of students in grades 1-8 not enrolled in a district-run school. Only 12 districts are located in areas where 40% or more students aren’t attending a district-run school.

Districts like the Corona-Norco Unified School District in California and Georgia’s Clayton County School District are considered the “least competitive school districts” as roughly 95% of their students attend a district-run school. On the other hand, the San Antonia Independent School District in Texas and Washington, D.C.’s District of Columbia Public Schools reported 52 and 51 percent non-district enrollment respectively and are considered some of the country’s “most competitive school districts.”

Additionally, among these 125 districts, 105 faced increased competition for students between 2010 and 2020, although the levels are “modest.”

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According to the report, 77 districts saw anywhere from a zero to 10 percent increase in non-district enrollment among students, a 10-20 percent increase in 27 districts and 20-30 percent in just one district. School districts like the Indianapolis Public School District in Indiana and the Newark City School District in New Jersey saw the largest shifts in district-run school enrollment at 19%.

So what does this mean for K12 public school enrollment? Does this analysis of the nation’s largest school districts paint a grim picture suggesting the “death of public schools?” Not exactly. Here are three takeaways from the researchers based on this data:

1. The decline of public schools is greatly exaggerated: Most students still attend a school administered by their local school district. As the research suggests, the shifts in non-district enrollment are modest at best. These districts have little incentive to change their policies to counter school choice.
2. Most districts would benefit from more affordable non-district alternatives, especially for marginalized groups: The gap between white and non-white students’ access to non-district schooling has narrowed but has yet to disappear in most large districts. “And despite the evidence that traditionally disadvantaged groups are particularly likely to benefit from non-district alternatives, the approach many places take to K12 education policy is still reminiscent of that old and morally dubious adage: ‘Choice for me, but not for thee,'” the report reads.
3. Progress is possible: The pandemic cast a shadow on public education, putting educators in a tougher spot than ever as they advocate for public education. But advocates of equal opportunity and equitable schooling point to the decade just before the pandemic and argue it was a time when actual progress was made in terms of expanding families’ choice and competition. “Let’s get back to that,” the researchers wrote.

The post Who are districts competing with for students? Here’s what the research says appeared first on District Administration.

While social media shouldn’t be your first stop for insight into how you can solve your district’s problems, a popular subreddit, r/Teachers, is dedicated to open and honest discussion about “all things teaching,” including how to fix the substitute teachers shortage.

In one Reddit post earlier this year titled, “Why is nothing being done to fix the substitute shortage?,” you’ll find a wide assortment of responses from those who chose to give their two cents on the issue.

“Low pay. No benefits. No guarantees. No respect,” one commenter wrote. “Don’t forget—no pay during breaks, holidays or inclement weather days, thus no real stability,” another replied. “Schools are pleading for subs but doing nothing to make the job attractive.”

These comments mirror the findings from a recent analysis conducted by the National Council on Teacher Quality, which compared substitute teacher salaries to wages offered in the retail industry in 148 of the largest school districts in the U.S. What they found was that in 40% of districts, the starting hourly pay for subs is less than what one would make in retail, suggesting that potential applicants have better options.

On average, substitute teachers made around $18.40 per hour during the 2022-23 school year, the analysis suggests. But is it enough?

“We’re pulling stay-at-home moms,” Heather Clark, the school board chair for Epping, New Hampshire, told CBS News. “Would you babysit 30 people for 100 bucks for eight hours? Yeah, no, not in a million years. But you know, it is what it is. I don’t think we’re ever gonna get to pay them what they’re worth.”

One substitute teacher told CBS News that you can rely on substitute teaching for sustainability, though it shouldn’t be your primary source of revenue.

“Many of us actually do this as a full-time job,” Doris Zughoul, a substitute teacher in Chicago, told CBS News. “So it always bothers us when other people call us ‘just subs’. They don’t look at us as professionals who have licenses and educational degrees and all of that, which most of us do.”

Districts making change

In other areas across the U.S., administrators are meeting educators’ needs in an effort to maintain a healthy substitute teaching staff.

The Manitowoc Public School District in Wisconsin has raised its daily pay rate for substitute teachers with a college degree from $180 to $250 per day, according to the Herald Times Reporter. Applicants don’t need a degree in education, either. Anyone with an associate’s or bachelor’s degree is eligible to apply.

“The schedule is very flexible, and people can choose as few or as many hours as they want,” the district’s Human Resources Director Mike Nault said in a news release. “Our pay is very competitive and it is a rewarding experience. You get to help students in your community as they work through the lesson plans their teachers left behind for you.”

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In Nebraska’s Lincoln Public Schools, administrators are alleviating teacher shortages entirely by opening spots up to local college students. Substitute teaching positions are open to anyone with 60 or more credit hours in specific areas of study like core education and education specializations, the Daily Nebraskan reports. Students enrolled in other programs can also become paraeducator substitutes.

For those who are looking to become teachers, this gives them an opportunity to gain real-world experience before graduating.

“Students can experience what [grade] level they like,” Jenny Fundus, supervisor for special programs and substitutes for LPS, told the Daily Nebraskan. “It is a great opportunity for them to get their feet wet and know what they are getting into as an educator.”

Food for thought

Data from the National Council on Teacher Quality suggests that 80% of districts provide substitute teachers wages below the living wage. As a result, administrators are scrambling to find qualified educators as potential applicants take their credentials elsewhere.

However, several districts are working on some innovative strategies to mitigate this risk and increase their pool of applicants. Here are some model districts compiled by the NCTQ that you can look to for their strategies for combatting substitute teacher shortages:

• San Francisco Unified School District (CA): The district offers cash bonuses for subs who work more than 60 days in a semester.
• Henrico County Public Schools (VA)/Knox County Schools (TN): They provide higher pay rates for subs who choose to teach on Fridays.
• Jefferson Couty Public Schools (KY)/North East Independent School District (TX): Subs are given extra pay for filling in special education teacher vacancies.
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (NC): Additional pay is awarded for subs in Title I schools.

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That morning, Bedell, who is now superintendent of Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland, had been cut off by another driver on his commute and was given the middle finger when he honked his horn. After issuing a reprimand, it took him a moment to realize that he was probably taking his frustration out on the student and may also have succumbed to implicit bias.

It turned out the student was then experiencing homelessness, and to this day, the exchange illuminates the distress that educators are sometimes causing students, albeit inadvertently, Bedell explains.

“The kid put his hand on my shoulder, he was crying and he said, ‘Mr. Bedell, you don’t even know me. I don’t get in trouble, I come to school every day, and you’re riding me over my pants … I’m trying to do my best and you’re getting ready to put me right back out on the streets I’m trying to escape,'” recalls Bedell, who was recently named Superintendent of the Year by the National Alliance of Black School Educators.

“It floored me,” he adds. “It floored me.”

Connecting on a human level was the main reason Bedell took an extensive listening tour when he arrived in Anne Arundel County in July 2022 after spending six years as superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools in Missouri. He learned that parents and families wanted the district to transition to the science of reading and revamp the math curriculum and he heard concerns about staffing shortages.

He offers this advice to other incoming superintendents who would go on their own listening tours. “No. 1, be vulnerable—let people know who you really are,” he asserts. “People see superintendents as these robots and I’ve always felt like when I go out and I may crack a joke, I’ve seen teachers say ‘Oh he’s human. Oh, he has a personality.'”

That vulnerability—along with a recounting of his life story—provides credibility to engage in more difficult conversations about systemic problems in public K12 education. “I let people know I’m not perfect, I’ve made mistakes,” he explains. “I let parents know I’m here to make sure your kids are going to be able to prosper and they’re going to learn in a barrier-free environment, and there are some things we have done as adults to harm children that we can no longer allow to happen.”

For Bedell, that harm has been caused by implicit bias, which is why he will lay out the data when he meets with parents and plot out how the district is innovating in a more equitable and transparent direction. “We have assumptions and we have these expectations and we don’t know these kids and we harm them,” says Bedell, who also experienced homelessness as a child.

“I don’t want to be a superintendent who puts any further harm on these kids because of decisions we’ve made that create inequitable opportunities, that create barriers and that ultimately stifle any hope these kids may have that they can get through school and live a better life than what they’ve been handed.”

Keeping it real, people—on social media

Superintendent Kristin Brown, who recently took the helm at Lake Dallas ISD in Texas, began using social media in the previous district she led, Lyford CISD, to remain in touch with families on a human level—particularly during the uncertainties of COVID. “It really eliminated a lot of opportunity for rumors and misinformation to be spread,” Brown notes.

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The connections she made motivated community members to alert her when they spotted false information being posted about her or the district on social media. She bolsters those relationships by regularly surveying her staff and the community, and ensuring all messages are translated into families’ preferred languages.

She encourages other superintendents to be brave and not be afraid to open themselves up in their in-person and online communications with their communities. “You have to be willing to hear the negative,” she explains. “People will take advantage on social media to share their unhappiness with your views or decisions. Take it in stride, and understand the positive outcomes of commutating with stakeholders far outweigh the negative response.”

Brown uses Facebook in particular to share “go team”-type posts about students’ achievements, such as broadcasting a pep rally on Facebook Live. “If it’s just information about the great things are kids doing, which happens on a daily basis, you can just post, you don’t have to share your own thoughts,” she concludes.

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Newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that 10% of middle and high school students reported using tobacco in 2023, a statistic the researchers find startling.

“Given the negative health consequences of tobacco use and the unique harms associated with adolescent nicotine exposure, prevention of tobacco use by youths is imperative,” the report reads.

Unsurprisingly, e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among these student populations. Among those who report currently using e-cigarettes, 25.2% say they use them daily. However, we’re seeing a slight decline in the number of high schoolers who vape. From 2022-23, that number has declined from 14.1% to 10%. As for our middle schoolers, though, more and more are taking up tobacco-related drugs.

According to the research, the number of middle schoolers using any tobacco product jumped from 4.5% to 6.6% in that same time frame.

“The decline in e-cigarette use among high school students shows great progress, but our work is far from over,” Director of CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health Deirdre Lawrence Kittner said in a statement. “Findings from this report underscore the threat that commercial tobacco product use poses to the health of our nation’s youth. It is imperative that we prevent youth from starting to use tobacco and help those who use tobacco to quit.”

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About students’ tobacco use

School leaders are more likely to catch their female students using any sort of tobacco products (11.2%) compared to their male counterparts (8.9%), the data suggests. While e-cigarettes are most popular among middle and high school students, educators should also be on the lookout for:

• Cigarettes (1.6%)
• Cigars (1.6%)
• Nicotine pouches (1.5%)
• Smokeless tobacco (1.2%)
• Oral nicotine pouches (1.2%)
• Hookahs (1.1%)
• Heated tobacco products (1%)
• Pipe tobacco products (0.5%)

The post What the research tells us about the vaping crisis in schools appeared first on District Administration.

According to new data collected from thousands of school districts across the U.S. by The Washington Post, homeschooling enrollment spiked dramatically during the height of the pandemic, and they’ve hardly shifted since.

Over the past six school years, the number of homeschooled students in states with comparable enrollment data has risen 51%, which far exceeds the 7% growth in public school enrollment. Furthermore, among the nearly 400 districts included in The Post‘s analysis, there was at least one homeschooled child for every 10 public schools during the 2021-22 school year.

“That’s roughly quadruple the number of districts that had rates that high in 2017-2018, signifying a sea change in how many communities educate their children and an urgent challenge for a public education system that faced dwindling enrollment even before the pandemic,” the authors wrote.

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Homeschool enrollment varies significantly by state, the researchers added. For instance, six states in particular saw significant spikes in families opting for homeschooling alternatives.

According to The Post, these states saw at least 75% increases in total homeschool student enrollment since the 2017-18 school year:

1. D.C.: 108%
2. New York: 103%
3. South Dakota: 94%
4. Rhode Island: 91%
5. California: 78%
6. Tennessee: 77%

“The growth demonstrates home schooling’s arrival as a mainstay of the American educational system, with its impact—on society, on public schools and, above all, on hundreds of thousands of children now learning outside a conventional academic setting—only beginning to be felt,” the analysis reads.

Additional findings

• The analysis found no correlation between district quality determined by test scores and growth in homeschooling alternatives.
• Its popularity crosses several measurable lines of politics, geography and demographics.
• Public school enrollment dipped 4% in states with comparable enrollment data, “a decline partly attributable to homeschooling.”

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