Massachusetts

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Massachusetts
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul reads "Snowflakes Fall" to daycare children at the Department of Labor on Dec. 20, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. Hochul on Jan. 3, 2024, said she will push for schools to reemphasize phonics in literacy education programs, a potential overhaul that comes as many states revamp curriculums amid low reading scores.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul reads "Snowflakes Fall" to day-care children at the Department of Labor on Dec. 20, 2023, in Albany, N.Y. Hochul on Jan. 3, 2024, said she will push for schools to reemphasize phonics in literacy programs. New York is one of several states introducing new reading plans or proposals in 2024.
Will Waldron/The Albany Times Union via AP
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.
Sarah Schwartz, January 25, 2024
6 min read
People protest outside of the Supreme Court in Washington on June 29, 2023. The Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race cannot be a factor and forcing institutions of higher education to look for new ways to achieve diverse student bodies.
People demonstrate outside the U.S. Supreme Court on June 29, the day the court struck down affirmative action in college admissions. A new federal appeals court ruling says that race-neutral criteria for Boston's selective high schools is consistent with the high court's ruling.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Law & Courts Court Backs Race-Neutral Criteria in Selective K-12 Schools
In a case involving Boston's "exam schools," the 1st Circuit said even admissions plans with a goal of boosting racial diversity pass muster.
Mark Walsh, December 20, 2023
4 min read
Image of a leader reflecting on past and future.
akindo/DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management Sometimes Principals Need to Make Big Changes. Here’s How to Get Them to Stick
School leaders need their community to take a leap of faith with them. But how do they build trust and conviction?
Olina Banerji, December 5, 2023
8 min read
School buses parked in Helena, Mont., ahead of the beginning of the school year on Aug. 20, 2021.
Some districts are pulling back on decisions to outsource bus services in an effort to save money and improve service.
Iris Samuels/AP
School & District Management Late Arrivals, Steep Costs: Why Some Districts Ditch Third-Party Bus Companies
Districts are facing a host of transportation challenges. Some have addressed them by deciding to bring buses back in house.
Mark Lieberman, November 30, 2023
6 min read
English Language Learning Program coordinator Dina Saunders, collects worksheets while helping in Katie Pringnitz's 6th grade Language Arts classroom on Aug. 24, 2016 at Mount Pleasant Middle School in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. The Mount Pleasant school district has Spanish, Vietnamese, Lao, Chinese, English and Indigenous languages from Central America and Vietnam speaking students.
English-language learning program Coordinator Dina Saunders collects worksheets while helping in Katie Pringnitz's 6th grade language arts classroom on Aug. 24, 2016 at Mount Pleasant Middle School in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.
John Lovretta/The Hawk Eye via AP
English-Language Learners How Schools Should Support Newcomers to the U.S.: A Case Study
The number of students enrolling into high school from other countries in Massachusetts has tripled in the last 15 years.
Ileana Najarro, November 29, 2023
5 min read
Social worker talking to teenage girl in office
iStock
Student Well-Being Principals Share 3 Tips for Centering Mental Health in Schools
Building supportive communities within and outside the school is key, say principals.
Olina Banerji, November 22, 2023
4 min read
EL teacher Katina Tibbetts teaches her 5th grade level Wit and Wisdom course at East Veterans Memorial Elementary in Gloucester, Mass., on Sept. 20, 2023.
EL teacher Katina Tibbetts leads her 5th graders in a lesson at East Veterans Memorial Elementary in Gloucester, Mass., on Sept. 20, 2023.
Libby O'Neill for Education Week
Teaching 4 Ways Districts Make 'Acceleration' Work
Providing support for students to tackle grade-level work requires time and planning, administrators say.
Sarah Schwartz, November 20, 2023
4 min read
Student Well-Being In Their Own Words LGBTQ+ Student Perspective: At School, ‘My Safety Didn’t Feel Like the Priority’
For Landon Callahan, mental health challenges and substance use became easier to manage once he came out as a transgender man.
Lauraine Langreo, October 16, 2023
5 min read
Student Well-Being In Their Own Words LGBTQ+ Student Perspective: ‘My School’s GSA Saved My Life’
Esmée Silverman came to the realization that they were transgender in high school, but thought about suicide constantly during their freshman year.
Lauraine Langreo, October 16, 2023
3 min read
Photo of excavator by new high school.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
School & District Management Schools Can Use These Little-Known, Unlimited Funds to Make Their Buildings Greener
Districts can reclaim a substantial portion of the cost of green building improvements through a little-known federal provision.
Mark Lieberman, October 10, 2023
5 min read
Crossing guard Pamela Lane waves at a school bus passing her intersection as she crosses students going to Bluford Elementary School on Sept. 5, 2023, in Philadelphia.
Crossing guard Pamela Lane waves at a school bus passing her intersection near Bluford Elementary School on Sept. 5, 2023, in Philadelphia.
Alejandro A. Alvarez/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP
School & District Management What's Stopping Later School Start Times That Support Teen Sleep? Bus Schedules, for One
See practical strategies for districts looking to move start times to accommodate teen sleep schedules.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 28, 2023
5 min read
EL teacher Katina Tibbetts looks at her computer during a 5th grade level Wit and Wisdom lesson at East Veterans Memorial Elementary in Gloucester, Mass., on Sept. 20, 2023.
Katina Tibbetts, a teacher who specializes in instruction for English learners, works with 5th-grade students during a lesson at East Veterans Memorial Elementary in Gloucester, Mass., on Sept. 20, 2023.
Libby O'Neill for Education Week
Teaching Learning 'Acceleration' Is Hard to Do. These Districts Are Tackling the Challenge
Despite the buzz, acceleration hasn’t proved to be as popular as other learning-recovery strategies.
Sarah Schwartz, September 25, 2023
9 min read
Young boy and female adult studying at library.
iStock/Getty
English-Language Learners How to Evaluate the Effectiveness of an English Learner Program
Experts offer advice on best practices for evaluating districts' English learner programs.
Ileana Najarro, September 11, 2023
5 min read
Students at the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood eat lunch on Sept. 4, 2013.
Students at the Maurice J. Tobin K-8 School in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood eat lunch on Sept. 4, 2013.
Steven Senne/AP
States Massachusetts Joins Short List of States Providing Free School Meals to All
States are stepping in where federal COVID-relief aid dropped off.
Caitlyn Meisner, August 16, 2023
4 min read