The 74
Still Need FAFSA? Educators Plan More Events to Help Students
Talk to some high school and college students about this year’s Free Application for Financial Student Aid, or FAFSA, and they share their concerns as well as their optimism. Few voice anger about the glitches that have made this financial aid season so stressful. Why? Because they understand that FAFSA is the key to $150 […]
Pillen Approves Nebraska’s ‘School Choice’ Law As Opponents Weigh Next Steps
LINCOLN — Gov. Jim Pillen on Wednesday approved a Nebraska lawmaker’s replacement “school choice” measure as opponents now weigh how they will fight the new law. “I’m very excited for a bunch of low-income kids who couldn’t access an education that best fits their needs, and now they’ll be able to,” Linehan told the Nebraska […]
Maryland BOE Picks Carey Wright as Permanent Public Schools Superintendent
She’s staying put. The interim title will be removed from Carey Wright’s name after the Maryland Board of Education’s unanimous vote Wednesday to make her the permanent state superintendent of public schools. Wright began as interim superintendent Oct. 23, replacing Mohammed Choudhury, who resigned days prior to become senior adviser for the state school board […]
Access: How a St. Louis Nonprofit Guides Kids from Middle School to College
The jump from eighth grade to high school is one of the hardest transitions in childhood. Joseph Olascoaga had to make it while living thousands of miles from his parents. His mother and father, who immigrated illegally to St. Louis before he was born, returned to Mexico when he was still in middle school. It […]
State Report Gives High Marks to Washington’s Charter School Sector
Washington’s charter school students are scoring similar or better than their traditional public school peers, according to a new report released by the State Board of Education. The report, which analyzes data from the 2022-2023 school year, also found Black and Hispanic students, English learners and children from low-income households are consistently performing better in […]
North Dakota Students Urged to Complete FAFSA Applications This Week
North Dakota state agencies are urging high school students to turn in their FAFSA applications amid a roughly 30% drop in statewide applications to the federal financial assistance program compared to 2023. The North Dakota University System, Bank of North Dakota, North Dakota Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, Department of Public Instruction and Governor’s […]
Ohio Near Bottom in Preschool Spending Compared to Other States
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine used his recent State of the State speech to proclaim the importance of child care and education, but a national report released last week ranks Ohio near the bottom of the country in preschool spending. The National Institute for Early Education Research’s annual “state of preschool” report showed nationwide disparities in […]
Cardona Tells Arkansas Teachers Student Debt Relief Meant to ‘Prevent Defaults’
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona told a group of Arkansas educators Tuesday that the goal of the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program “is to prevent defaults.” “Which is better, letting someone pay what they can afford or throwing our hands up and doing nothing?” Cardona asked during a roundtable discussion with nine teachers and […]
LAUSD Opens Housing Complex to Combat Rising Student Homelessness
As homeless student numbers rise in LA Unified schools, a 26-unit housing complex for unhoused families was opened last month. It took five years for the project to be completed — a timeline that did not go unmentioned by representatives of the organizations involved. “Once we know better, we need to do better,” said LAUSD […]
In a Disastrous Year, States That Mandate FAFSA Completion Fared a Bit Better
Updated, April 25 While applications for federal student aid dropped by double digits across all 50 states this year, those with universal FAFSA completion policies seemed to fare slightly better, with the majority performing in the top half of the country. Of the 10 states with the highest completion rates, three — Louisiana, Illinois and […]
What the End of ‘College for All’ Means for the Future of America’s High Schools
This essay was originally published as part of the Center on Reinventing Public Education’s 2023 “State of the American Student” report. As part of the effort, CRPE asked 14 experts from various sectors to offer up examples of innovations, solutions or possible paths forward as education leaders navigate the current crisis. (See all the perspectives) […]
Watch: How Colorado Is Promoting a Climate-Literate Workforce Through Education
Updated April 25 One of the unique demands of the workforce of the future will be in industries dealing with the impact of climate change. This imperative is squarely on the radar of leaders and educators in Colorado, who are now championing state policies that support youth career development in “green” occupations. The 74 recently […]
Gaps Widening Between Indiana’s Highest- and Lowest-Performing Students
The exact date varies across grades and subjects, but Indiana’s student achievement scores peaked about a decade ago and have been falling since. The decline started well before COVID-19 and has not affected students evenly. Perhaps not surprisingly, Indiana’s lowest-performing youngsters have suffered the largest losses. This wasn’t always the case. In the early 2000s, […]
Alaska House Proposes Amendment to Allow Public Money for Private Schools
After a court ruling that overturned a key part of Alaska’s education correspondence programs, members of the state Legislature have proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow public money to go to private and religious schools. House Joint Resolution 28 is scheduled for hearings Wednesday and Friday next week in the House Judiciary Committee. If […]
Rural Students’ Access to Wi-Fi is in Jeopardy as Pandemic-Era Resources Recede
Students in rural America still lack access to high-speed internet at home despite governmental efforts during the pandemic to fill the void. This lack of access negatively affects their academic achievement and overall well-being. The situation has been getting worse as the urgency of the pandemic has receded. Those findings are based on a new […]
40 Years After ‘A Nation At Risk,’ Fixing Our Classrooms Through School Funding
The 74 is partnering with Stanford University’s Hoover Institution to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the ‘A Nation At Risk’ report. Hoover’s A Nation At Risk +40 research initiative spotlights insights and analysis from experts, educators and policymakers as to what evidence shows about the broader impact of 40 years of education reform and how […]
State Approval of Louisiana Home-School Curricula Could Be Erased
State Rep. Beryl Amedée proudly acknowledges she home-schooled her three sons, spending 21 years total as their teacher before going on to advocate for other like-minded parents who eschew traditional educational settings. The Republican from Terrebonne Parish wants to make access to home-schooling easier for other families, but some lawmakers fear her approach will remove […]
NH Bill Requiring Schools Adopt Modern Reading Instruction Heads to Governor
New Hampshire public school teachers and officials would be required to update how they teach reading under a bill heading to Gov. Chris Sununu’s desk. House Bill 1015, which passed the Senate by voice vote Thursday, would formally implement the “five essential components of reading” into curricula across the state. That teaching process, developed in […]
Study: Lengthy School Closures Were Especially Hard on High-Achieving Students
A version of this essay originally appeared in the Thomas B. Fordham Institute’s Advance newsletter. To gauge the magnitude of global learning loss during the pandemic, a team at the World Bank examined data from the Program for International Student Assessment, which tests 15-year-olds in math, reading and science, from 2018-22. Among the report’s many […]
4 Things Districts Should Do Right Now — Before the Fiscal Cliff
Schools are about a year out from a budgetary cliff. The combination of declining student enrollment and the expiration of federal relief funds will make the spring 2025 budget season particularly painful in many districts across the country. So what can leaders do now to batten down the hatches while this perfect storm is still […]
The 74
4K+
Posts
22M+
Views
News, original reporting and insight about U.S. education and the 74 million children whose lives depend on it.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.