February 2025

Whitney Brothers® elevatED™ CollectionReceives Design Journal BEST of 2024 Award

February 28, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

Keene, NH – Acclaimed furniture brand Whitney Brothers® today announced its new elevatED™ Collection of furniture for young learners received ... Read more

AI in Education

AI in K-12 instruction: Insights from instructional coaches

February 28, 2025 by Dr. Steve Baule, Dillon Martinez, Dr. Shauna Mayer, & Dr. Ray Martinez

Instructional coaches recognize AI and its potential to enhance learning, improve efficiency, and maintain human-centered learning.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes an integral part of modern education, instructional coaches play a pivotal role in guiding teachers on its implementation, bridging the gap between emerging…

District Management

Top female district leaders share do’s and don’ts of climbing the professional ladder in 2025

February 28, 2025 by Megan Scavuzzo, Presence

Female district leaders share valuable experience and insights into what it takes to achieve professional goals in 2025.

Professional growth is often at the top of New Year’s Resolution lists. As educators and education leaders plan for the year ahead, we asked some of the nation’s…

Gale and Utah State Library Partner to Provide Residents Free Access to New Digital Resources

February 27, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

Salt Lake City, UTAH & FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – Utah State Library has partnered with Gale, part of Cengage Group, ... Read more

District Management

Transformational leadership: Safe harbors, or turbulent seas?

February 27, 2025 by Dr. Phil Lambert, University of Sydney

Leaving the sanctuary of a safe harbor is necessary to undertake genuine transformational change in education.

Depending on the starting point, the challenges encountered in making required policy and practice changes can be considerable. Leadership in and for this context is not for the…

Digital Learning Tools

A critical shift in digital instruction in 2025

February 27, 2025 by Heather Clayton Staker, The Christensen Institute

The software-directed digital instruction model is a game-changer--it allows students to learn at the right level.

Most K-12 schools in the US will continue to use learning management systems (LMSs) to deliver learning materials, including documents, videos, and quizzes.

Innovation Insights

Libraries Offer Free Tutoring as Schools Cut Back Services

February 26, 2025 by Kevin Hogan

As schools navigate budget constraints and tutoring programs are reduced, families are seeking reliable academic support for their students. With ... Read more

Newsline

FullBloom Acquires CharacterStrong, Leading Provider of School-Based Mental Health Solutions for Students

February 26, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

PHILADELPHIA – FullBloom, the nation’s leading child development platform, providing academic, behavioral, and mental health interventions and supports to K-12 ... Read more

Classroom Management

5 ways PBIS boosts morale and increases learning opportunities

February 26, 2025 by The South Park Middle School PBIS Team

Collaboration, creativity, and data-informed practices all contribute to a successful PBIS program for students in this middle school.

There are a lot of preconceived notions centering around the middle school experience, but here’s a truth for you: Positively engaged students perform better, while uplifting those around…

Digital Innovation

CoSN outlines trends, challenges in K-12 innovation

February 26, 2025 by Laura Ascione

It's time for leaders to reflect, collaborate, and take steps in K-12 innovation to create learning environments where all students thrive.

A new annual report from CoSN outlines the challenges, mega-trends, and tools set to impact education innovation in 2025--and for the first time, the report also highlights key…

Newsline

Illinois’ Valley View School District 365 Selects Adaptive Online Reading Program to Improve Student Literacy in Grades 6-8

February 25, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

Charlotte, NC —Illinois’ Valley View School District 365 (VVSD) has selected the adaptive online reading program DreamBox Reading Plus by ... Read more

K-12 Cybersecurity

How schools can fight growing ransomware attacks

February 25, 2025 by Ian Milligan-Pate, Zscaler

Cyber criminals and ransomware are growing threats to schools and to students’ privacy, making data security and cybersecurity critical.

The education sector is facing a growing and multiplying menace: a surge in cyberattacks by ransomware groups that are leveraging generative artificial intelligence and other sophisticated tools.

STEM & STEAM Trends

Rural areas are poised for unique STEM education, but need more resources

February 25, 2025 by Hannah Fuller, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Inequitable access to broadband in rural areas creates challenges for digital literacy in work and life, including STEM education.

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers a road map for increasing access to STEM education opportunities and workforce development for students in rural…

Newsline

BloomBoard Partners with Barry University to Fill Florida’s Persistent Teacher Vacancies

February 24, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

MIAMI – According to the Florida Education Association, nearly 10,000 of the state’s public school teaching positions were vacant at ... Read more

Digital Learning

AI is changing the role of teaching assistants

February 24, 2025 by Steven M. Baule, Ed.D., Ph.D.

AI tools won’t replace the support teaching assistants provide, but they can enhance a TA's ability to serve diverse student needs effectively

Whether helping students grasp complex concepts, supporting those who need extra guidance, or managing classroom behaviors, TAs are an essential support for student success.

Literacy

Closing the K-2 learning gap through systematic writing instruction

February 24, 2025 by Dr. Cheryl Lundy Swift, Learning Without Tears

Systematic writing instruction helps educators close K-12 literacy gaps and gives students the foundation they need for future success.

With educators under enormous pressure to make sure students meet grade level standards in reading and math, writing often takes a back seat in the curriculum, as many…

Newsline

Students Explore STEM with Engineers

February 21, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

Middletown, PA – Phoenix Contact engineers head back into the classroom this week to teach sixth-grade science class at Middletown ... Read more

Innovation Insights

EY and Microsoft equip the next generation with AI skills

February 21, 2025 by Kevin Hogan

As the market starts to chase the many efficiencies Gen AI promises, here are three trends to watch for education's future with AI.

The EY organization and Microsoft announced this month the launch of the AI Skills Passport (AISP), which assists students aged 16 and older in ... Read more

Teaching Trends

Explicit instruction: Students need more of it

February 21, 2025 by Jeremy Kaplan, Chalkbeat

Explicit instruction is a deliberate progression of modeling, guided practice, and independent practice of a skill or a concept.

As a progressive educator in New York City for 30 years, I thought I had all the answers. The best teaching had to do with inquiry, with “higher-level…

Student Well-Being

3 critical areas necessary to boost student motivation

February 21, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

Focusing on belonging and community can help increase student motivation and boost engagement--critical for student achievement.

Increasing student motivation by fostering resilience and belonging has become more urgent as academic performance and dropout rates have declined, according to a new report from the nonprofit…

Newsline

Catapult Learning Survey of K-12 School Counselors Reveals Critical Shortfalls in Addressing Youth Mental Health Crisis

February 20, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Catapult Learning, a leading provider of evidence-based academic, behavioral, and mental health interventions for K-12 schools, today unveiled ... Read more

Innovation in Education

Navigating Special Education with Open Communication

February 20, 2025 by Laura Ascione

Expert IEP founder Antoinette Banks outlines how special education has been chronically underfunded for decades—and how the potential dismantling of the Department of Education adds new complications.

Building & Campus Security

Putting school safety measures at the forefront of district budgets

February 20, 2025 by Dr. Roderick Sams, CENTEGIX

Combining robust school safety plans and proven safety solutions can bolster teacher confidence, satisfaction, and retention.

School safety is a priority for educators, district administrators, parents, and students, making safety technology solutions essential for protecting school environments and the people within them during significant…

Curriculum & Assessment

Family support is key to closing learning gaps

February 20, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

A new survey shows that educators believe a primary reason for lingering academic and learning gaps is lack of parent or family support.

A lack of parent or family prioritization of academics is the primary reason for learning gaps, according to 46 percent of respondents participating in a recent Study.com survey.

Digital Learning

GenAI and cultural competency: New priorities in teacher preparation

February 19, 2025 by Kelly Vaughn, Ph.D., School of Education at Notre Dame de Namur University

Cultural competency and AI literacy in teacher training programs can fundamentally transform how educators are prepared for the future.

Generative AI has the potential to transform teaching practices, improve efficiency, and even promote equity--but if used without care, it can also reinforce harmful biases.

DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access)

Only 27 percent of states plan to sustain K-12 digital access as federal programs end

February 19, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

SETDA's digital access report outlines strategies to prevent millions of students from losing internet access and further falling behind.

Only 27 percent of states have plans to sustain K-12 digital access as key federal programs expire, according to a new report from SETDA, the principal association representing…

College and Career Readiness

Empowering students to earn college credit from high school classrooms

February 18, 2025 by Allison Collier, Collierville High School

Students need clarity on their postsecondary pathways

When I discovered Modern States, a philanthropic organization offering free online courses that give any student the chance to learn college-level content, I knew it could be transformative…

STEM & STEAM Trends

12 lesser-known K-12 STEM education resources

February 18, 2025 by Laura Ascione

STEM education is shaping the workforce and is equipping students with the tools to question, innovate, and lead in a rapidly-changing world.

As society becomes increasingly driven by and focused on innovation, the demand for critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity has grown significantly. Introducing STEM education at an early age…

Curriculum & Assessment

Embracing a growth mindset when reviewing student data

February 17, 2025 by Dr. Yuvraj Verma, Bessemer City Middle School and William Howard Taft University & Rachel Campbell, Bessemer City Middle School

Gains in confidence, skills, and mindset set the stage for future success for all students--and for a strong growth mindset.

In the words of Carol Dweck, “Becoming is better than being.” As novice sixth grade math and English teachers, we’ve learned to approach our mid-year benchmark assessments not…

School Data Management

10 tips for using analytics and adaptive tech in schools

February 17, 2025 by Stephanie King, CoSN

Adaptive technologies adjust to the student based on their interactions with the technology and what they need.

CoSN’s Driving K-12 Innovation initiative recently announced that Analytics & Adaptive Technologies as a Top Tech Enabler (tool) for 2025 and it’s appeared on the list five of the…

Newsline

Carousel Digital Signage Integrates with CrisisGo to Empower Safer School Communities

February 14, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – Carousel Digital Signage announces a new technology partnership with CrisisGo that enables K-12 schools and businesses to deliver ... Read more

STEM & STEAM Trends

Reaching peak engagement in K-12 science education

February 14, 2025 by Laura Ascione

Hands-on engagement and exploration in science classes builds students' curiosity, unlocks new possibilities, and sparks innovative solutions

More than half of science teachers believe the most important value of science education is how it contributes to students’ curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity, according to a…

AI in Education

A virtual reality, AI-boosted system helps students with autism improve social skills

February 14, 2025 by Mike Krings, KU News Service

An immersive, authentic experience blends extended reality and real-world elements of AI to help students with autism build social skills.

For more than a decade, University of Kansas researchers have been developing a virtual reality system to help students with disabilities, especially those with autism spectrum disorder, to…

Newsline

Counslr Launches in New Mexico and Illinois; Expands Footprint in New York to Increase Access to Mental Health Support

February 13, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

NEW YORK, NY – Counslr, a leading B2B mental health and wellness platform, announced today that it has expanded its ... Read more

Innovative Teaching

In Wyoming, enhancing AI-human collaboration in IEP development

February 13, 2025 by Ling Zhang, Ph.D., University of Wyoming

A new AI tool can reduce excessive workloads for special education and enhance IEP quality for students with disabilities.

The University of Wyoming is utilizing its new CoIEP initiative--a multi-agent system powered by large language models (LLMs)--to significantly enhance artificial intelligence and human collaboration in addressing challenges…

Student Well-Being

Expanded learning can improve student well-being

February 13, 2025 by Chris Murphy, Elevo

Out-of-school time programs increase student engagement and help them prepare to succeed in school and thrive in life.

Out-of-school time (OST) programs have received a lot of attention over the past few years as districts across the country continue to address the lingering effects of pandemic-related…

Savvas Learning Company’s Full Suite of K-12 Math Programs Approved by the South Carolina State Board of Education for Statewide Adoption

February 12, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

PARAMUS, N.J./PRNewswire/ — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, is excited to announce that the South Carolina ... Read more

Digital Learning Tools

Growing communicative, knowledge-building composers: A focus on process

February 12, 2025 by Brett Stamm, University of Southern Mississippi

Digital skills are are skills students will use for life, and they’re already part of many state and national standards.

Teaching writing today is much like being a conductor of an orchestra. Just like a conductor brings together different instruments and dynamics to create a cinematic score or…

Edtech Trends

Edtech teaching strategies that drive sustainability

February 12, 2025 by Sam Bowman, Contributing Writer

Integrating edtech learning strategies into classrooms brings sustainability and enhanced learning experiences to the forefront.

Educational technology, or edtech, has reshaped how educators teach, offering opportunities to create more sustainable and impactful learning environments.

Newsline

Honoring a Space Pioneer: 30 Years Since Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr.’s Historic Spacewalk

February 11, 2025 by ESchool News Staff

Dallas, TX – National Math and Science Initiative proudly celebrates the 30th anniversary of former CEO Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr.’s ... Read more

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