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Here are some of the things we’ve been reading about this week:
Teens with strong parent-child relationships tend to use social media less and report better mental health.
Last year, a record 119,300 New York City students were homeless.
High rates of student absenteeism are being driven by a handful of factors including poor mental health, higher minimum wages that make working more attractive to students, and high absenteeism rates among teachers.
To read more, click on the following links.
Research & Practice
High engagement, high return: The secret to student success
ScienceDaily: A study conducted by the University of South Australia, in collaboration with Flinders University and Melbourne Graduate School of Education, reveals that less than a third of teachers are engaging students in complex learning activities. Researchers found that about 70% of student tasks involve superficial learning, such as simple question and answer sessions, taking notes, or passive listening. The study emphasizes the importance of promoting deep learning that encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and conceptual understanding. To achieve this, teachers need more support to plan interactive and constructive lessons. Small adjustments to existing lesson plans can significantly increase student engagement and overall results. The study suggests that teachers should be encouraged to undergo professional development to shift their practices towards deeper learning and better student outcomes.
A canonical trajectory of executive function maturation from adolescence to adulthood
Nature: A new study from Nature Communications provides evidence that executive function, a set of cognitive skills essential for tasks like planning, focusing, and resisting distractions, typically matures by the age of 18. The study analyzed executive function in over 10,000 participants across four datasets, offering a large-scale overview of cognitive development in teenagers. This research is significant for psychiatrists, neuroscientists, educators, parents, and the legal system in defining the boundaries of adolescence. The findings suggest that executive function reliably improves with age and matures by 18. The study used advanced data analysis and demonstrated a common trajectory of executive function maturation in both sexes, with rapid development in late childhood to mid-adolescence, followed by smaller changes through mid-adolescence, stabilizing at adult-level performance by late adolescence. This research provides a roadmap for tracking therapeutic and drug interventions and improving early diagnosis of mental illnesses emerging during adolescence.
5 Things Parents Should Know About Social Media’s Impact on Teens’ Mental Health
The 74: A Gallup survey reveals that slightly over half of U.S. teenagers spend at least four hours daily on social media, with an average of nearly five hours. Girls tend to spend more time on social media than boys. The study identifies a direct link between parent involvement, intervention in teen screen time, and their mental health. Teens with strong parent-child relationships tend to use social media less and report better mental health. Video-centered platforms like TikTok and YouTube may pose a greater threat to teens’ mental health than text and photo-based apps. Spending over five hours daily on social media is associated with negative body image views, particularly on YouTube and TikTok. The survey suggests reducing the quantity of time spent on social media may be more beneficial than curating content. It also highlights the need for teaching healthy social media practices at home and in school. See Also: Girls’ Self-Confidence Has Plummeted, a New Survey Shows
Policy
Schools’ mission shifted during the pandemic with healthcare, shelter and adult ed
The Hechinger Report: Many U.S. public schools are increasingly providing non-educational services to address students’ broader needs, such as healthcare, housing assistance, childcare, and food aid. A Department of Education survey in October 2023 revealed that 60% of more than 1,300 public schools were partnering with community organizations to offer these services, up from 45% in the previous year. The shift toward providing these services began during the COVID-19 pandemic as schools opened their doors to support families with food, internet access, and even vaccinations. Additionally, over $200 billion in federal pandemic recovery funds have encouraged schools to spend on nonprofit community services. While there is debate about whether schools should expand their missions to include such services, it’s unclear whether these practices will continue once federal funds expire in March 2026, though some may persist through state and philanthropic funding.
A Record 119,300 New York City Students Were Homeless Last Year
The New York Times: The number of homeless public school students in New York City has reached a record high of 119,320, with over 30,000 new students in temporary housing enrolling since last summer. Migrant children crossing the southern border have contributed significantly to this increase. While their enrollment could benefit schools with declining numbers, concerns have been raised about the system’s ability to support them adequately. Homeless students are vulnerable, have high dropout rates, and often miss school. The issue has affected more schools as overall enrollment in the city shrinks, with about 1 in 9 students now homeless.
In some areas, like one section of the Bronx, more than 22% of students are homeless. Housing shortages and financial pressures have strained support services for homeless students. Funding for schools with homeless students has been increased, but educators and advocates believe more coordinated efforts are needed, particularly to address language barriers and potential mental health crises among migrant children. Mayor Eric Adams recently announced a 60-day limit on shelter stays, raising concerns about the impact on homeless students’ education.
Advocates demanded $1.25 billion to make NYC schools more accessible. They got $800 million.
Chalkbeat: New York City has unveiled an $800 million plan to improve accessibility in public schools for people with physical disabilities over the next five years. Advocates had called for $1.25 billion to make at least half of the buildings fully accessible. Currently, fewer than 1 in 3 public schools in the city is fully accessible to those with mobility impairments. The proposed funding is a slight increase from the current five-year plan of $750 million, but advocates argue that it falls short of keeping up with inflation and rising construction costs. While there has been some progress in improving accessibility in recent years, advocates say the new plan will not ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act for another generation, and many schools will remain inaccessible for years to come.
Around the Nation
How to support school communities in the wake of a mass tragedy
K-12 Dive: During a virtual K-12 School Safety Summit, Lisa Wobbe-Veit, a trauma and recovery consultant, and Michelle Kefford, the principal of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., discussed their collaborative model for managing the aftermath of a mass school tragedy. Combining Wobbe-Veit’s expertise in mental health and Kefford’s school leadership skills led to the creation of a successful approach to school community healing. The approach has three fundamental concepts: facilitating communication, providing psychological first-aid, and using a situational and holistic approach. Constant, consistent, and uniform communication is essential, with messages being sensitive and carefully worded. Psychological first-aid, an evidence-informed approach, is used to address short-term and long-term needs, focusing on listening, protecting, connecting, modeling, and teaching. The model also encourages flexibility and sensitivity, recognizing that each tragedy and every healing process is unique.
Six Hidden (and Not-So-Hidden) Factors Driving America’s Student Absenteeism Crisis
The 74: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, record-setting absenteeism in U.S. schools has become a concerning issue. In the 2021-22 school year, over 25% of public school students missed at least 10% of school days, a significant increase compared to pre-pandemic levels. Factors contributing to this chronic absenteeism include worsening mental health among students. There has also been increased demand for mental health services and rising suicide rates.
Teacher absenteeism, driven by COVID-related safety concerns, has also surged, making it harder for schools to provide consistent instruction. Remote assignments and the option to work from home have made school attendance seem less essential for many students, while higher minimum wages have incentivized some to prioritize work over school. And improved record-keeping has revealed the extent of the chronic absenteeism issue. Addressing this problem will require more stringent policies, better communication with parents, and transparency regarding attendance data.
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