Rules for Engagement
The Rules for Engagement blog explored the nonacademic issues that bear on students’ learning. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: social-emotional learning, student well-being, and school climate.
Student Well-Being & Movement
School Lunches Lower in Fat, Sugar, and Iron Than Packed Lunches, Study Finds
To reach their conclusions, researchers from Virginia Tech University's Family Nutrition Program observed meals in three rural Virginia elementary schools over a five-day period, tabulating ingredients on a checklist.
Education
The Absolute Best School Climate Blogging (This Week): Little League Edition
This week, we read about the academic effects of the pressure to be sexy, a broader view of college and career readiness, how poverty affects schools, and more.
School Climate & Safety
Cliques Thrive in Schools That Give Students More Choices, Study Says
Large schools that offer students more options in areas like course selection are more likely to see homogenous cliques, a study concludes.
School Climate & Safety
Boston School Police Will Not Carry Pepper Spray, Superintendent Says
School police in Boston will not move forward with plans to begin carrying pepper spray after acting Superintendent John McDonough said he feared such a move might "drive a wedge" between students and officers.
Student Well-Being & Movement
USDA Wants to Know How Schools Handle Unpaid Meal Balances
Should schools feed students even if they have a growing negative balance in their meal accounts? Should there be a national policy on handling this sensitive issue?
States
Leader of NRA's Newtown Response Elected Governor of Arkansas
Asa Hutchinson led the National School Shield task force, which recommended allowing school leaders to train and arm some employees if they deem it necessary.
School Climate & Safety
Pa. Attorney General Investigates Site With 'Inappropriate Photos' of Students
A student reported the site after a school presentation about the dangers of sharing information online.
School Climate & Safety
District's Social Media Monitoring Led to Expulsions of Mostly Black Students
A former FBI agent scoured students' social media posts as part of a greater school security effort, a report by AL.com says.
School Climate & Safety
Should Boston School Police Carry Pepper Spray?
Boston school police want to carry pepper spray, an issue that has raised concerns in some other districts.
Education
The Absolute Best School Climate Blogging (This Week): Taylor Swift Edition
Taylor Swift will donate the proceeds from her "Welcome to New York" single to the city's schools. Will "Welcome to Philadelphia" be next? Plus links on mentoring, drug use, school violence, and more.
Student Well-Being & Movement
School Will Allow Girl to Return After Barring Her Out of Fear of Ebola Exposure
The school had originally required the girl to stay home after her family traveled to Nigeria. The reconsideration follows a lawsuit by the student's father.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Family Sues After School Bars Student Because of Feared Ebola Exposure
Do schools have the legal authority to require students to stay home because of feared Ebola exposure?
School Climate & Safety
Seattle-Area School Shooting Not First to Affect a Tribal Community
In 2005, a 16-year-old student killed five students and two adults in a tribal community in Minnesota.
School Climate & Safety
Shooting at Seattle-Area High School: Gunman and Two Students Dead
Two students have died and three others remain hospitalized with injuries following a shooting at a Washington state high school last week. The student gunman is also dead.