Health

Learn more about how the physical well-being of students and staff impact schools
A pair of Miami Arts Studio students hug as others walk between classes, on World Mental Health Day, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at the public 6th-12th grade magnet school, in Miami.
Students hug during World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10, 2023, at a public magnet school in Miami. A coalition of school health professionals are asking Congress to invest in school-based health resources.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement The Hidden Force Behind Student Success: School-Based Health Workers Make Their Case
Organizations representing school-based health workers want legislative support from Congress.
Lauraine Langreo, May 21, 2026
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5 min read
Teens are getting less sleep than ever, but schools can help counteract it by establishing a "culture of sleep," experts say. A Mansfield Senior High School student rests during his health class on sleep, in Mansfield, Ohio, Dec. 6, 2024.
A Mansfield Senior High School student rests during his health class on sleep, in Mansfield, Ohio, Dec. 6, 2024.
Phil Long/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Teen Sleep Problems Are Hurting Academics and Wellness
A new study says teens are sleeping at a record low rate, affecting cognitive ability and health.
Jennifer Vilcarino, May 19, 2026
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5 min read
Mon., May 11, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Image of a student using their phone in bed at night.
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Classroom Technology This School District Wants Students to Turn Off Their Phones and Sleep
Parents and students are learning about the importance of device-free bedrooms.
Alyson Klein, May 5, 2026
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6 min read
Student Well-Being & Movement Video Female Athletes' Physical and Mental Struggle to Recover From Torn ACLs
For many female athletes who tear their anterior cruciate ligaments, the arduous hours spent recovering through physical therapy are only part of the battle.
Kaylee Domzalski & Yi-Jo Shen, April 28, 2026
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1 min read
Plano East varsity soccer player Aliya Jacob's knee brace, left, is visible as she attacks Rock Hill's Adalina Flores during a soccer game, Jan. 30, 2026, in Murphy, Texas.
Plano East varsity soccer player Aliya Jacob's knee brace, left, is visible as she attacks Rock Hill's Adalina Flores during a soccer game, on Jan. 30, 2026, in Murphy, Texas. Experts explain why female student-athletes are more prone to injuring their ACLs and the consequences.
Julio Cortez/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement For Young Female Athletes, the Damage From ACL Tears Goes Well Beyond the Physical
Teenage girls are more prone to ACL tears, and the injuries can upend their mental health and academic achievement.
Jennifer Vilcarino, April 28, 2026
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7 min read
A Mansfield Senior High School student rests during his health class on sleep, in Mansfield, Ohio, Dec. 6, 2024.
A high school student rests during a health class about sleep habits in Mansfield, Ohio, on Dec. 6, 2024. Researchers found that the number of teens getting insufficient sleep, defined as seven hours or less a night, rose from 69% in 2007 to 78% in 2023.
Phil Long/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Teens Are Sleeping Less. Why Schools Should Be Worried
Lack of sleep is directly tied to lower academic performance.
Arianna Prothero, March 17, 2026
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4 min read
The Fifth Ward Elementary School and residential neighborhoods sit near the Denka Performance Elastomer Plant, back, in Reserve, La., Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Less than a half mile away from the elementary school, the plant makes synthetic rubber, emitting chloroprene, listed as a carcinogen in California, and a likely one by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Fifth Ward Elementary School and nearby residential neighborhoods in Reserve, La., pictured here on Sept. 23, 2022, sit near a synthetic rubber plant that has emitted chloroprene, which California lists as a carcinogen. New research finds thousands of schools are located within a quarter mile of such environmental hazard sites.
Gerald Herbert/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Millions of Students Attend Schools Near Toxic Sites, a New Study Shows
The study explores schools' proximity to hazardous sites and students' exposure to pollutants.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, February 25, 2026
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4 min read
Anna Hicks prepares a measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine at the Andrews County Health Department on April 8, 2025, in Andrews, Texas. Measles is highly infectious and even some vaccinated teachers have reportedly been infected.
Anna Hicks prepares a measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine at the Andrews County Health Department on April 8, 2025, in Andrews, Texas. Measles is highly contagious and even some vaccinated teachers have reportedly caught the infection.
Annie Rice/AP
Teaching Profession Measles Cases Are Rising. How Educators Can Protect Themselves
As some common childhood illnesses make a comeback in schools, here's what educators need to know.
Sarah D. Sparks, February 13, 2026
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3 min read
A panel on risky behaviors and district challenges kicks off at the National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn. on Feb. 12, 2026. At the podium is Ashley Dawson, senior project coordinator of children's programs at AASA. At the table, from left: Michael Vuckovich, superintendent of the Windber Area school district; Korie Duryea, the district's special education director; and Jessica Shuster, the director of education.
School officials from Windber, Pa., discussed their fight against student vaping and gambling in a Feb. 12, 2026, panel at the National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tenn. At the table are, from left, Superintendent Michael Vuckovich; Korie Duryea, the district's special education director; and Jessica Shuster, the director of education. Ashley Dawson, senior project coordinator of children's programs at AASA, The School Superintendents Association and conference host, is at the podium.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement How a District Used Data to Fight Students' Gambling and Vaping
School officials figured out when kids faced the most pressure and worked from there.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, February 12, 2026
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3 min read
Runners workout at sunrise on a 27-degree F. morning, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Portland, Maine.
Runners work out at sunrise on 27-degree F. morning on Jan. 9, 2026, in Portland, Maine. Nearly 50% of American adults make New Year's resolutions, and about half of resolution makers aim to improve physical health.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
Teaching Profession The Odds Are Against Teachers' Fitness Resolutions. But Here's the Good News
Teachers struggle to honor fitness resolutions but rack up major movement during school days.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 16, 2026
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4 min read
Tired female teacher sitting alone at the desk in empty classroom, relaxing after class. Woman feeling stress, burnout and exhaustion in educational environment, working in elementary school.
Education Week and E+
Teaching Profession 'I Try to Really Push Through': Teachers Battle Sleep Deprivation
Many teachers say they get less than the recommended amount of sleep a night.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 14, 2026
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5 min read
Flu shot vaccines are seen in a refrigerator at International Community Health Services on Sept. 10, 2025, in Seattle.
Flu shot vaccines are seen in a refrigerator at International Community Health Services on Sept. 10, 2025, in Seattle. A decline in flu vaccinations this year could be one factor helping the spread of influenza.
Lindsey Wasson/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Flu Is Hitting Schools Hard as Community Cases Surge
Some schools have closed buildings as flu cases have surged.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, January 9, 2026
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3 min read
Vaccines are prepared for students during a pop-up immunization clinic at the Newcomer Academy in Louisville, Ky., on Aug. 8, 2024.
Vaccines are prepared for students during a pop-up immunization clinic at the Newcomer Academy in Louisville, Ky., on Aug. 8, 2024. Schools could face new questions about which vaccines are required as the federal government scales back its list of vaccines recommended for all children.
Mary Conlon/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement What Will Scaled-Back Childhood Vaccine Recommendations Mean for Schools?
Schools could encounter new questions about which vaccines are required.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, January 8, 2026
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4 min read