Federal Policy

News, analysis, and opinion about federal education laws, regulations, and proposals—and their impact
Reducing, removing or overcoming financial barriers, financial concept : US dollar bag on a maze puzzle.
William Potter/iStock
Education Funding School Mental Health Projects Canceled by Trump Might Still Survive
The end of funding could still be days away, but a new court order offers some hope for grantees.
Matthew Stone, December 24, 2025
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6 min read
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Jan. 20, 2025.
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington on Jan. 20, 2025. Trump's executive actions prompted legal challenges virtually from the moment he took office, and education-related policies were not immune.
Matt Rourke/AP
Law & Courts Trump's Education Policies Spurred 72 Lawsuits in 2025. How Many Is He Winning?
The legal challenges show which policies have had a big impact and how 2026 could go.
Matthew Stone, December 22, 2025
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5 min read
President Ford at work in the Oval Office on Jan. 27, 1976.
President Gerald Ford, pictured in the Oval Office on Jan. 27, 1976, signed into law the predecessor to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1975.
Courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum
Special Education 50 Years of IDEA: 4 Things to Know About the Landmark Special Education Law
The nation's primary special education law details schools' obligations to students with disabilities.
Evie Blad, December 19, 2025
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5 min read
President Donald Trump speaks during an address to the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House on Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House on Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. Some experts on K-12 education are concerned that Trump wants to unleash the use of AI with very little regulation.
Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP
Artificial Intelligence K-12 World Reacts to Trump’s Executive Order to Block State AI Regulations
The president says the patchwork of regulations across the states impedes AI companies’ growth.
Lauraine Langreo, December 18, 2025
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2 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Policy & Politics Opinion Larry Ferlazzo’s 10 Education Predictions for 2026
Gazing into his crystal ball, Larry Ferlazzo divines what's ahead for education next year.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 18, 2025
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3 min read
Children disembark from a school bus in a largely Hispanic neighborhood that has been the subject of patrols and detentions by Border Patrol agents, during a federal immigration crackdown in Kenner, La., on Dec. 10, 2025.
Children disembark from a school bus in a largely Hispanic neighborhood that has been the subject of patrols and detentions by Border Patrol agents, during a federal immigration crackdown in Kenner, La., on Dec. 10, 2025. This year, the EdWeek Research Center included questions related to immigration in national surveys.
Gerald Herbert/AP
School & District Management From Our Research Center What Surveys Revealed This Year About Educators and Immigration
Immigration enforcement fueled fear, debate, and new pressures in schools.
Ileana Najarro, December 17, 2025
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4 min read
An illustration of a speech bubble on a blue background. The American Flag takes up the entire inside of the speech bubble.
iStock/Getty
English Learners The 10 English Learner Stories That Defined 2025
See which topics in English-learner education resonated the most with EdWeek readers this year.
Ileana Najarro, December 16, 2025
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5 min read
Parents attend a basic facts bee at Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich., on Feb. 28, 2024.
Parents attend a "basic facts" bee at Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich., on Feb. 28, 2024. The school has been a recipient of a federal Full-Services Community Schools grant that has allowed it to add an on-site health clinic, a parent-resource room, a therapy dog, and other services parents would otherwise have to seek elsewhere.
Samuel Trotter for Education Week
Education Funding Federal Funds for Community Schools Fall Victim to a New Round of Trump Cuts
The latest round of grant cuts hits a program that helps schools provide more social services on site.
Mark Lieberman, December 15, 2025
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6 min read
Learning helps to achieve goals and success, motivation or ambition to learn new skills, business education concept, smart businessman climbing on a stack of books to see the future.
Fahmi Ruddin Hidayat/iStock/Getty
Federal The Ed. Dept.'s Research Clout Is Waning. Could a Bipartisan Bill Reinvigorate It?
Advanced education research has bipartisan support even as the federal role in it is on the wane.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 12, 2025
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5 min read
2 silhouetted figures dismantle the Department of Education Seal and carry away the parts.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Education Funding Education Week's 2025 Word of the Year Is ...
Trump's efforts to reshape the federal role in education caused uncertainty for schools.
Evie Blad & Mark Lieberman, December 12, 2025
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6 min read
Country school; Iowa.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Congress Revived a Fund for Rural Schools. Their Struggles Aren't Over
Federal funds will again flow to districts with national forest land—but broader funding uncertainties remain.
Mark Lieberman, December 12, 2025
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6 min read
Image of hands taking care of a student with a money symbol in the background.
Getty and Education Week
Education Funding Amid Cancellations and Legal Fights, Trump Admin. Awards New Mental Health Grants
The grants came from a competition the Ed. Dept. redesigned to erase Biden administration priorities.
Matthew Stone, December 11, 2025
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3 min read
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Minneapolis Public Schools for discrimination in its efforts to shield teachers of color from layoffs and reassignments.
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Minneapolis Public Schools for discrimination in its efforts to shield teachers of color from layoffs and reassignments.
Carlos Gonzalez/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
Equity & Diversity Trump Admin. Accuses Minneapolis Schools of Racism in Protecting Minority Teachers
The Justice Department has filed its latest suit alleging racism for efforts to boost teacher diversity.
Anthony Lonetree, Star Tribune, December 11, 2025
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2 min read
Policy & Politics Reports Partisan Polarization & K-12 Education: Results of a National Survey
This report takes stock of the dimensions and impacts of polarization in education based on a survey of teachers and K-12 administrators.
December 8, 2025
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