Matt Barnum of Chalkbeat

Nation’s report card: Massive drop in math scores, slide in reading linked to COVID disruption

Idaho math scores dropped but remained ahead of the national average. Idaho performed near national averages in reading.

The state of learning loss: 7 takeaways from the latest data

Research shows that test scores predict — not perfectly, but with some accuracy — whether students will finish high school, succeed in college, and earn a good living.

Supreme Court says religious schools can’t be singled out for exclusion from public dollars

The ruling does not require states to offer funding to religious schools if they don’t already fund private schools.

Has the federal government underestimated the progress of high school students for decades?

From our national partners at Chalkbeat: Maybe the data isn’t telling the full story.

U.S. schools are flush with cash, but struggling to spend it on schedule

Their efforts are running up against a national labor shortage and supply chain issues, which are making it difficult to do things like hire tutors or renovate dilapidated buildings.

High school grades are up, but test scores aren’t. Why?

The national trends suggest that teachers are adopting more lenient grading policies or that students’ improved skills aren’t being well measured by standardized tests.

Four reasons why schools are facing crippling shortages

There’s no one answer, according to a range of experts watching these shortages nationwide, but a constellation of potential explanations.

4 ways Biden’s American Families Plan would matter for schools and children

President Joe Biden proposed a massive package of policies Wednesday designed to reduce child poverty rates and make preschool and higher education more accessible.

Biden administration tells states no in requests to cancel testing

But the U.S. Department of Education approved Colorado’s request to effectively cut testing in half — offering a path for other states that want to reduce the burden of exams this year.