The Weekly Connect 01/20/2026

Journal of Youth and Adolescence: Disconnect To Reconnect: How Variations between Types of Smartphone Bans Influence Students’ Well-being and Social Connectedness in Dutch Secondary Education
Forty percent of countries are currently implementing a form of a smartphone ban, either in the classroom (a partial ban) or the whole school (a full ban). The current study is the first to examine how more lenient versus stricter phone bans are linked to improving children’s well-being and social connectedness. The research measured these outcomes in a sample of 1,398 Dutch adolescents from 24 schools by exploring participants’ problematic social media usage, screentime, well-being, social connectedness, and experience with bullying and cyberbullying. In schools with a full ban, students reported lower levels of student-teacher connectedness, and girls reported lower levels of school belonging. There was no difference in student well-being and involvement with bullying and cyberbullying in schools with a partial or full ban. The research highlights that schools with stricter rules may unintentionally harm children’s relationships in schools compared to students experiencing phone bans in the classroom. 

Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology: The Longitudinal Network of Social and Emotional Development in Middle Childhood
Children in middle childhood, between the ages of six and twelve, experience rapid social and emotional development, which can impact their interpersonal skills and well-being. Researchers in Australia conducted a longitudinal study on children aged six to ten. They measured participants’ strengths and difficulties, which include measures of peer problems, hyperactivity, and emotional symptoms. Results indicate that specific behaviors at a younger age are linked to different developmental outcomes as children age. For example, children who had frequent fights at six years old were more likely to lose their temper, lie, and be unwilling to share at eight years old. Additionally, children who were less “popular” at age eight were more likely to be bullied at age ten. The findings provide insights into critical points of intervention for children, such as reducing fights at six years old and improving children’s relationships at eight years old.

The Washington Post: Trump Administration Gives Iowa Education Waiver; More States May Follow
The Trump administration granted Iowa an education waiver to have more control over how it spends taxpayer dollars on related programs. The state will be able to combine more than $9 million of funding from four sources that train teachers, support English language learners, and fund after-school programs. These changes will reduce the number of restrictions on the state’s spending, and leaders say they will use the money to improve math and literacy efforts and teacher recruitment and retention. State officials calculated that these changes would save Iowa $8 million in staff time. Critics of the waiver are concerned that the lack of oversight from the federal government could result in certain student populations being overlooked, such as students with disabilities or those from lower-income communities. At least a dozen other states have also requested waivers from the government to use federal funds in ways that differ from current requirements.

K-12 Dive: New Dietary Guidelines: More Protein, Fewer Ultra-Processed Foods
The newly released 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans shifted federal guidance on nutrition, which will impact school meals across the country. The new guidance focuses on nutrient-dense proteins and vegetables, with the goal of eating whole and minimally processed foods. There is also a limit on added sugars (up to ten grams per meal) and a recommendation to drink full-fat dairy, which contradicts previous guidelines that encourage skim and low-fat dairy options. The United States Commissioner of Food and Drugs shared that the majority of children and teens’ caloric intake comes from ultra-processed foods, which has become “an epidemic.” School nutrition program operators assert that they will need more resources from Congress to carry out the new nutritional guidelines. Currently, 71% of schools offer scratch-prepared meals daily or weekly in their cafeterias, but 93% of staff shared that they will need more staff, training, and equipment to decrease reliance on ultra-processed foods.

NPR: In the U.S., Hunger is Often Hidden. But it Can Still Leave Scars on Body and Mind 
In the United States, signs of hunger can be less visible and take on various forms. For example, children who are too tired to participate in sports or are agitated in class may be experiencing food insecurity. Research shows that just a few days of hunger can affect children’s brains and alter their cognitive, social, and emotional development, which can put children at higher risk of injury, poor health, and shorter lifespans. In 2023, 13% of American households were classified as “food insecure” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In September 2025, the Trump administration canceled the annual survey due to concerns over cost, fear-mongering, and redundancy, so no new data has been reported on families who are in need of food assistance. The recent changes to the SNAP program have further impacted the millions of households that rely on the government program for food. 
See also: 14M Children Lived in Households with Food Insecurity in 2024

The Wall Street Journal: The Hottest High Schools in Massachusetts Are Trade Schools
Massachusetts has one of the oldest vocational high-school systems in the country. Since the 2011-2012 school year, enrollment has grown by 25%. Massachusetts has gained national attention for its work, in part by requiring districts to have advisory committees that work closely with specific industries to inform program curriculum with the field’s current needs. Across the state, 5,000-10,000 students sit on waiting lists. Because the programs are so popular, all trade schools in the state are now required to have a lottery system for ninth-graders entering in fall 2026. At Nashoba Valley Tech in Westford, Massachusetts, students rotate through programs during the first semester, then are placed in a shop based on their interests and availability. While most students at the school go directly into the workforce, other schools have high rates of students who choose to go to college, some while continuing to pursue their trade. 

The Washington Post: Cursive Writing is Making a Comeback Among Young Students
In 2010, the Common Core removed cursive as part of the required school curriculum, leading many schools to no longer teach it. However, historians and educators have worked to bring back cursive, due to its cognitive benefits and practical value. A multilingual teacher at Holmes Middle School in Alexandria, Virginia, hosts a club to teach cursive to sixth- through eighth-graders. Sherisse Kenerson began teaching the club four years ago when her students could not read what she had written on the whiteboard. She teaches her students that writing in cursive is personal and up to their own style. Students have reported that the cursive club has helped them write assignments faster, improve their spelling, and led them to read historical documents, like the Declaration of Independence. Kenerson believes that her students are in the club because “it makes them feel mature… it empowers them, because they know that not everyone can write it.”