Enrollment

Illustration of 2 hands cutting paper dolls with scissors, representing staffing layoffs.
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Budget & Finance School Administrators Are on the Chopping Block as ESSER Winds Down, Enrollment Drops
The expiration of COVID relief funds and enrollment declines are prompting districts to cut administration—even as experts advise caution.
Caitlynn Peetz & Mark Lieberman, August 7, 2023
6 min read
Miranda Pichardo, 6, reads with her mother, Karina, on Oct. 19, 2016, in Spring, Texas. Miranda's parents are fighting for Miranda, who has Down Syndrome, to be included more in "regular" classes where her parents feel she can develop much faster compared to the special education classroom. Students in special education have doubled in the last four decades, according to federal data.
Miranda Pichardo, 6, reads with her mother, Karina, on Oct. 19, 2016, in Spring, Texas. Miranda's parents are fighting for Miranda, who has Down Syndrome, to be included more in "regular" classes where her parents feel she can develop much faster compared to the special education classroom. Students in special education have doubled in the last four decades, according to federal data.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP
Special Education The Number of Students in Special Education Has Doubled in the Past 45 Years
The number of students in special education in the U.S. has doubled, from 3.6 million in 1976-77 to almost 7.3 million in 2021-22.
Eesha Pendharkar, July 31, 2023
4 min read
A Muslim girl and a Black boy are sitting beside each other in a tech classroom as they work with their own tablet computers.
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English-Language Learners Feds to Schools: Immigrant Students Entitled to Free Public Education, Regardless of Status
The U.S Departments of Justice and Education outline the obligations schools have to immigrant students.
Ileana Najarro, June 22, 2023
3 min read
A parent and child looking at 2 different schools
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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.
Libby Stanford, June 15, 2023
7 min read
James Pan, the parent of an eighth-grader, speaks about a lawsuit he and other parents filed against the Fairfax County School Board over its plans to change the admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, an elite public schools regularly ranked as one of the nation's best on Nov. 5, 2020 in Fairfax, Va.
James Pan, the parent of an 8th grader in Fairfax, Va., speaks Nov. 5, 2020, about a lawsuit he and other parents filed against the Fairfax County district over its plans to change the admissions process at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.
Matthew Barakat/AP
Law & Courts How a Court Ruling on a School’s Admission Policy Could Impact Others
Legal experts say a coming U.S. Supreme Court decision on race in college admissions could be relevant for the magnet school's policy.
Mark Walsh, May 25, 2023
8 min read
A group of fourth grade students complete lessons in Spanish in the Global Immersion Academy program at Mountain View Elementary School, on Sept. 18, 2022, in Morganton, N.C. With the inaugural class of the Global Immersion Academy (GIA) at at the school entering fourth grade this year, Burke County Public Schools is seeing more signs of success for its dual language program.
A group of fourth grade students complete lessons in Spanish in the Global Immersion Academy program at Mountain View Elementary School, on Sept. 18, 2022, in Morganton, N.C. With the inaugural class of the Global Immersion Academy (GIA) at at the school entering fourth grade this year, Burke County Public Schools is seeing more signs of success for its dual language program.
Jason Koon/The News-Herald via AP
English-Language Learners The Equity Question of Dual Language Programs
While interest in dual language programs is growing, questions remain over how to ensure English learners get first pick at seats.
Ileana Najarro, May 19, 2023
7 min read
Dr. Richard Tomko, Superintendent of Belleville Public Schools in Belleville, N.J., visits science teacher Paul Aiello’s Medical Academy Field Experience class on Tuesday, January 10, 2023. The Medical Academy’s class uses Anatamoge tables, an anatomy visualization system that allows students to garner a deeper, comprehensive understanding of the human body and medical tools to prepare them for careers in the medical field.
Richard Tomko, superintendent of Belleville Public Schools in Belleville, N.J., has expanded academic programs while restoring trust in the school system.
Sam Mallon/Education Week
Early Childhood Q&A An Investment in Early-Childhood Education Is Paying Off Big
Richard Tomko believes that expanding the early education pipeline buffers schools against enrollment loss and academic struggles.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 6, 2023
2 min read
Early Childhood Which States Offer Universal Pre-K? It's More Complicated Than You Might Think
Universal pre-K is growing in popularity. Here are the states that have already established universal preschool programs or policies.
Libby Stanford, January 25, 2023
2 min read
A multi-ethnic group of preschool students is sitting with their legs crossed on the floor in their classroom. The mixed-race female teacher is sitting on the floor facing the children. The happy kids are smiling and following the teacher's instructions. They have their arms raised in the air.
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Early Childhood As Head Start Quality Push Continues, Advocates Raise Red Flag on Equity
Inadequate federal funding forces Head Start providers to choose between quality and quantity, a new report contends.
Evie Blad, December 1, 2022
2 min read
Image of an empty classroom.
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School Choice & Charters Charter School Enrollment Holds Steady After Big Early Pandemic Growth
The numbers show that most students who left their district schools in the first year of the pandemic did not return.
Lauraine Langreo, November 30, 2022
2 min read
empty chair at a home desk with an opened laptop
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Classroom Technology Remote Learning Linked to Declines in Achievement, Enrollment
Districts that stuck longer to fully remote learning have seen larger enrollment and learning losses, a study finds.
Mark Lieberman, November 28, 2022
5 min read
Conceptual illustration of a falling BEWARE DROP sign
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School & District Management Opinion School Closures Are Coming. What Not to Do
Student-achievement growth should trump low enrollment and failing buildings in making closure decisions, write two researchers.
Douglas N. Harris & Valentina Martinez-Pabon, November 28, 2022
3 min read
conceptual illustration of erased desks on a chalkboard
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School & District Management Opinion Public School Enrollment Is Down by More Than a Million. Why?
For many leaders, learning recovery should also mean adapting to enrollment changes, cautions researcher Thomas S. Dee.
Thomas S. Dee, November 2, 2022
5 min read
Conceptual image of a school door with projected shadows of students.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week (Images: iStock/Getty)
Equity & Diversity From Our Research Center Suburban Schools Saw Huge Drops in White Enrollment During the Pandemic
Suburban public schools lost 5 percent of their white students in a single year, a new EdWeek Research Center analysis found.
Benjamin Herold & Xinchun Chen, August 29, 2022
5 min read