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New study finds link between neighborhood conditions and children’s chronic health outcomes.
Governors are prioritizing student well-being in 2025 addresses amid federal funding challenges.
Miami schools lead the nation in integrating AI into classrooms and teacher training.
Research & Practice
Pediatric Research: The Association Between Four Neighborhood Disadvantage Indices and Child Chronic Health Classifications
Researchers measured the connection between child chronic health conditions and neighborhood disadvantage, finding a strong link between the two. Previous research suggests a causal relationship between neighborhood advantages and health, including opportunities for increased physical activity and socialization. The study’s sample included over 115,000 children living with and without complex chronic diseases in the Louisville Metropolitan area. Researchers used four surveys to quantify contextual factors that could impact child health: child opportunity, neighborhood disadvantage, area deprivation, and social vulnerability. Results show that children who live in lower opportunity areas have a higher risk of being diagnosed with complex chronic diseases compared to children living in advantaged areas. The research gives an increased understanding of how environmental factors can impact and be affected by health and wellbeing.
Humanities and Social Sciences Communications: Peer Support as a Buffer: Reducing Math Anxiety Through Psychological Resilience in Left-Behind Rural Students
A new study measures the relationship between math anxiety and support for Chinese students living in rural areas. Surveying 572 junior high students, researchers measured students’ level of peer support, math anxiety, and psychological resilience. The study also focused on children who are considered “left-behind” in China, meaning their parents moved to urban centers for work while they stayed in rural areas, typically raised by extended family. Results indicate that, in general, students who have increased peer support have lower math anxiety, which is mediated by psychological resilience. However, for “left-behind” children, they have increased math anxiety and decreased psychological resilience, even when peer support is available. The study indicates the importance of building strong peer-support programs in schools and communities, as well as developing strategies to reduce math anxiety for rural students.
Policy
he Washington Post: Supreme Court Deadlocks, Blocking Creation of First Religious School
The Supreme Court voted 4-4 on the nation’s first public religious charter school, keeping the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s ruling in place that the new school would violate state law and the U.S. Constitution. St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School was designed to support students living in rural areas and with disabilities who may otherwise not have the opportunity to attend a religious school. Currently, charter schools are unable to include any religious teachings because they are funded by the government. The decision resulted in an unusual tie; Justice Coney Barrett did not vote, likely because of her affiliation with Notre Dame Law School, which supported the case. The school would have been open to students of all religious backgrounds and followed anti-discrimination policies. Those in opposition to religious charter schools are concerned about religion being used to discriminate against minorities. Supporters of the charter school model in general expressed fear that including religious schools would hurt the overall charter school cause.
Brookings: Governors Address Youth Mental Health and Well-being Amid Federal Funding Cuts
Brookings released a report analyzing 49 governors’ 2025 “state of the state” addresses for mentions of student support. Using qualitative methodology, researchers found that the four most common topics were mental health, school safety, cell phone bans, and school meals. Members of both the Democratic and Republican parties covered each topic; a higher percentage of Democrats talked about mental health and school meals, and more Republicans mentioned school safety and cell phone bans. While the “state of the state” addresses are not fully indicative of what the governors’ policies will look like in the next year, they suggest what topics states are likely to prioritize. Student wellbeing remains at the forefront of policy and legislation, especially in response to the pandemic and high rates of mental health crises. The report outlines what trends are likely to happen across party and state lines.
Chalkbeat: Universal Dyslexia Screening is Now the Law of the Land in Colorado
All Colorado schools will require dyslexia screenings in the 2027-28 school year. 15-20% of the country has dyslexia, which impacts the ability to decode and spell words. Early intervention for students with dyslexia is important, as students who receive the right academic support can catch up with their peers. Colorado state leaders have worked to improve the reading curriculum, increase teacher and principal training, and create higher reading standards. Currently, about a dozen Colorado school districts screen all students for dyslexia. With this new legislation passed, more than 160 school districts will follow suit. Lawmakers attempted to pass the bill twice before, in 2008 and 2019. In 2012, the READ Act was enacted into law, which required reading assessments and plans for K-3 students, though it did not directly support students with dyslexia. The bipartisan effort was supported by more than 60 lawmakers, many of whom have personal connections to dyslexia.
Around the Nation
Chalkbeat: NYC Schools Fail to Protect Students with Disabilities from Lengthy Suspensions
Research indicates that students with disabilities receive more school suspensions compared to their nondisabled peers. Chalkbeat analyzed New York City special education records, appeals from families whose children received lengthy punishments, and interviews with school members. The report found that students are serving longer suspensions than is legally allowed. These rulings also disproportionately impact Black students. For long-term suspensions, federal law requires schools to consider if the behavior was related to a student’s disabilities or due to a gap in their special education services. Many families believe that the decisions are implemented arbitrarily, do not adequately account for the students’ special education status, and are made without their best interests in mind. School officials claim that long-term suspensions create a safer environment for peers and disincentivize students from making the same choices in the future.
The New York Times: How Miami Schools are Leading 100,000 Students into the AI Future
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is utilizing AI tools across the school district, making it the largest usage of chatbots for any school system throughout the country. The school developed AI training workshops for its teachers, including lessons on creating prompts and how responses can be biased. Students can take different classes on AI, including AI Fundamentals. The movement is part of a larger effort to have Florida classrooms incorporate AI. The increase of AI instruction in schools is applauded by the Trump administration and technology companies, who believe that AI usage will greatly benefit the economy when students enter the workforce. Critics are concerned about students losing important critical-thinking skills, and a recent report indicates that generative AI does little to improve teaching or learning. As AI usage will become even more prevalent in all aspects of life, the school hopes to ensure students have the tools and knowledge to use AI safely.
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