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Study finds growth mindset teaching boosts academic interest and success in older high school students.
Federal government releases $1.3 billion for after-school programs, with restrictions tied to executive orders.
Miami fifth graders report benefits after completing a 21-day digital detox challenge.
Research & Practice
K-12 Dive: After 3-Consecutive-Year High, School Shootings Drop 23% in 2024-25
In the 2024-25 school year, school shootings decreased by 22.5% compared to the previous school year. This decline represents the lowest number of school shootings in the past three school years, though the number is twice the number of shootings pre-pandemic. Similar to previous years, school shootings were most likely to occur when students were dismissed from school, in the parking lot, and because of escalated disputes. School safety experts are concerned that the elimination of a $1 billion student mental health grant, which includes supports that were established after the 2022 elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, will impact the frequency of school shootings in the upcoming school year. The National School Safety and Security Services president, Kenneth Trump, credits school and safety officials for their proactive interventions in mitigating violence and increasing social-emotional supports. He asserts that more work needs to be done to ensure all schools have adequate emergency plans and school safety teams.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence: Growth Mindset in Action: Teaching Practices That Fuel Student Interest and Academic Success
A new study examined whether growth mindset teaching practices in the classroom predicted future student academic interest and achievement. Growth mindset in teaching refers to educators who share with their students that they believe they can succeed and the importance of effort. In a nationally representative sample from Korea, seventh through 12th graders completed surveys on their perception of teaching practices and academic interest, as well as their test scores to measure academic achievement. The research indicates that students have higher academic interest and achievement when their teachers use more growth mindset strategies. This relationship was true for students in the second half of high school, but not for ninth or tenth graders, which may be due to difficulties encountered during the transition to high school. Students who previously faced academic challenges were more impacted by their teachers’ growth mindsets. The results emphasize the importance of teachers employing growth mindset methods in the classroom, which could lead to improved student performance and interest.
Policy
The New York Times: White House to Release $1.3 Billion in Frozen Funds for After-School Programs
After more than $6 billion in federal grants for education programs were withheld on July 1, the Trump administration shared that it will release $1.3 billion. The money will be given only to programs that operate outside of school hours, and officials will ensure that the funding is not used for programming that violates President Trump’s executive orders. Twenty percent of students in after-school programs are supported by federal money, including participants of the Boys & Girls Club and Y.M.C.A programs. The funding will benefit 1.4 million students, many of whom are low-income. The release of funds was likely due to bipartisan pressure, including a public letter signed by Republican senators and a lawsuit by Democratic leaders. Additionally, over 200 superintendents traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with lawmakers about funding. About $5.5 billion of school funding is still on hold.
Chalkbeat: NY Approves ‘Portrait of a Graduate’ as Regents Exams Are on the Way Out
New York’s Board of Regents approved a new framework for students to earn a diploma starting in the 2027-2028 school year, called the Portrait of a Graduate. It outlines six qualities that high school graduates should embody: a creative innovator, a critical thinker, an effective communicator, a global citizen, “reflective and future focused,” and academically prepared. Students can meet the requirements through activities such as participating in debates and research. The new initiative replaces the Regents exam, which has existed as a requirement to graduate since the mid-1800s. Only a few states still require exit exams, which have been shown to have little impact on academic achievement and motivation and lead to higher dropout rates. The state will release more specific guidance on how students will be assessed next school year.
Around the Nation
K-12 Dive: 3rd Graders Flagged for Retention Make Small But Meaningful Gains, Study Finds
In Michigan, students who are”flagged for retention,” but not held back a grade, have higher reading scores in the following school year. The state implemented Public Act 306 in 2016, which requires third-grade students to be retained if they score more than one grade level behind on the state’s English Language Arts test. However, schools can use good cause exemptions for students who may need more support, including English Language Learners, students with an individualized education plan, or who have been in public school for less than two years. Most educators dislike the retention policy because of its impact on student well-being and high financial costs. This has led superintendents to use good cause exemptions frequently for students. The study says the increase in reading scores is likely due to teachers providing extra academic support to students who are flagged, and parents may be more inclined to find additional resources for their children outside of school.
WLRN: Miami Fifth-Graders Unplug for a 21-Day Digital Detox
In a fifth-grade classroom in Miami, Florida, students learned about how technology works, its history, and its impacts on mental health and well-being. The classroom was divided into two groups: the engineers who focused on the functionality of technology, and the social scientists who studied how it impacted social behaviors. The social scientists decided to create a 21-day digital detox challenge and recruited 19 students to participate. The students wanted to measure how technology impacts their sleep, focus, and social connectedness, which they documented through daily vlogs. All students reported increased social connectedness, with parents and teachers also noticing impacts. The fifth graders agreed that the experiment was beneficial and helped them understand how technology affects their brains. They hope to reduce their media consumption in the future, especially with the need to use their devices more in middle school. One student shared, “It’s amazing how three weeks can change your whole life.”
The New York Times: The Tiny Home Construction Contest Is a Big Deal In This Texas Town
Run by SkillsUSA Championships, 6,700 students participated in an annual competition centered around 115 trade contests. For the mock tiny home construction competition, participants build an eight-by-ten-foot tiny home inside the Atlanta Convention Center. Finalists then competed at the Georgia World Congress Center to design a three-story tiny home with a Juliet balcony, a window with an awning, and a brick wall, equipped with plumbing and electrical wiring. The rookie team from Belton High School in Texas attempted to defend the title, as their school has won three times, making the school have the most number of wins in the competition’s 23-year history. Belton’s team of four included a plumber, mason, electrician, and carpenter. The team was helped by Michael Carrillo, who has coached young people in home-building for the past nine years. After an intense competition, only five teams completed their tiny house. The Belton team finished in second place.
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