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 This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: social-emotional learning, student well-being, and school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.
Equity & Diversity
New Maine Law Will Encourage High-Poverty Schools to Serve Summer Meals
The law will require many districts to provide federally funded meals during their summer programs. It includes an opt-out provision.
School Climate & Safety
Lawmakers Question Federal Guidance, Call Discipline a Local Issue
The Obama administration's recent school discipline guidance is laudable, but decisions about how to deal with student behavior are best left to local officials, wrote four House Republicans.
Education
Two Dozen-Plus School Shootings Seen Since Newtown, Say Gun-Control Groups
There have been at least 28 shootings at K-12 schools and at least 16 shootings at colleges and universities in the 14 months since the Dec. 14, 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., two-gun control advocacy groups said this week.
School Climate & Safety
Is Massachusetts School Discipline Law an Unfunded Mandate?
Districts in Massachusetts must implement programs that would help suspended or expelled students continue to learn.
School Climate & Safety
Could a Cybercivility Task Force Tackle Tacky Selfies?
While a Maryland district plans to form a Cybercivility Task Force to address inappropriate online postings, the role of schools in addressing such behavior is largely uncharted territory.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Positive School Climate Better at Deterring Student Drug Use
A study suggests that school drug-testing policies have no significant impact on deterring students from trying or using drugs, while a positive school climate does.
Education
Drop in Soda Drinking Doesn't Lead to Drop in Youth Caffeine Consumption
Children and teens have varied their caffeine sources, turning to energy drinks and coffee as they cut back on caffeinated sodas, a study finds.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Study Finds Many Parents Misjudge Overweight and Obese Children's Weight
A review of existing research showed that roughly half of parents with overweight or obese children believe their children are at a healthy weight.
School Climate & Safety
Chicago Schools Attribute Drop in Suspensions to New Discipline Policies
There have been 14,587 out-of-school suspensions in the district between the beginning of the school year and January, a 36 percent drop from the same time period in 2010-11.
Education
The Absolute Best School Climate Blogging (This Week)
This week, we read about the lifelong struggle of recovery, the grief that follows teen suicide, the joy of forgiveness, and the web of challenges for children in Detroit.
Teaching
Value of Single-Sex Classes Questioned as Florida Considers Adding More
A review of studies of single-sex classrooms found many claims of their value could be attributed to other factors, such as parental income and education levels.
School & District Management
Researchers Explore Academic Effects of Factors Like Sports, Sex, and Internet Use
A new research review examines the academic impacts of a wide range of teenage behaviors, from television-watching to early sexual activity to playing sports, and finds that the effects are often mediated by a student's particular social milieu.
School Climate & Safety
Campaign Seeks to End Corporal Punishment in Schools
A new online campaign is calling on congress to pass a bill that would end the use of corporal punishment in schools.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Model Suicide-Prevention Policy Released to Guide District Efforts
The Trevor Project, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the American School Counselor Association, and the National Association of School Psychologists collaborated on the document, which includes sample student handbook language.