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New data highlights schools exceeding expected literacy performance despite high poverty rates.
Federal mental health grants for schools were canceled and later revived with revised priorities and requirements.
Cuts to SNAP increase demand for school and community food pantries serving students and families.
Research and Practice
Frontiers in Psychology: How Does Mindful Awareness Impact Academic Performance in Junior High School Students? A Chain Mediation Effect Based On Academic Self-Efficacy and Academic Buoyancy
Previous research has established a relationship between mindful awareness and academic performance due to academic buoyancy (i.e., response to academic adversity) and academic self-efficacy (i.e., belief in the ability to complete academic tasks) in university students. The current study examined whether this relationship was true for junior high school students. Over 3,000 adolescents from China completed surveys to measure their mindfulness and academic performance, buoyancy, and self-efficacy. Results indicate a significant positive correlation between mindfulness awareness and academic performance. The relationship is moderated by both academic self-efficacy and buoyancy, with academic self-efficacy having a larger impact on the association. These findings suggest that educators can create opportunities for mindfulness sessions in school, which may lead students to have increased academic performance.
The 74: These Schools Are Beating the Odds in Teaching Kids to Read
New data released by The 74 identifies schools that are “beating the odds,” with increased literacy scores compared to predicted rates. The data covers 3 million students in 42,000 schools, with each school represented on interactive state- and district-level graphs. Third-grade proficiency scores are used to measure literacy rates because research suggests they are an indication of a student’s future academic achievements. Additionally, poverty level is measured by the rate of students who qualify for Free or Reduced Lunch. Schools that are in the top five percent of their state in outpacing their expected reading proficiency are considered “exceptional schools.” While high poverty rates are linked to lower literacy scores, the strength of that relationship differs between states. These data point to schools that are successful in increasing students’ literacy skills in high-poverty areas, despite the downward trend in national student literacy rates.
Policy
K-12 Dive: ‘A Case of Life or Death’: Behind the Trump Administration’s Revoked Mental Health Grants
In April, the Education Department canceled $1 billion in mental health grants through the School-Based Mental Health and Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant programs. The grant was created after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, and the funding aimed to increase school-based mental health providers to support students’ individual needs. The McKinleyville Union School District in California received the grant to recruit diverse mental health professionals for its 800 students after a student died by suicide in 2019. The funding was cancelled due to the new administration’s change of priorities. The district sued the Trump administration because the cancellation occurred before a performance review was conducted. While the grants were revived in September, the original awards given to schools were not restored. The new program’s priorities include recruitment and training for school psychologists, rather than school counselors or school social workers. The new requirements also indicate that services cannot be tied to “particular ideologies or stereotypes.” Previous grantees will need to submit updated applications that align with the new requirements.
See also: Education Department Ordered to Reinstate Mental Health Grants
Indiana Capital Chronicle: 3,000 Children Repeating Third Grade Under New Indiana Literacy Requirement
Due to legislation approved in 2024, 3,000 students are repeating third grade due to not meeting the state’s reading standards. Senate Bill 1 aimed to improve Indiana’s child literacy rates by requiring third-grade students who did not meet IREAD standards on their third attempt to be held back a year. While 87.3% of students had proficient reading skills in the 2024-2025 school year, 10,600 children did not meet the new standard. The majority of them were given “good cause exemptions” and did not have to repeat third grade, which included special education students and English language learners who had received certain services for fewer than two years. The number of students who passed the test improved by five percentage points since the previous school year, but the number of students retained is seven times the amount from the last school year. Educators in the state believe that the new retention requirement ensures that students focus on mastery of literacy skills to support their future learning.
Around the Nation
Chalkbeat: How SNAP Uncertainty Affects School Food Pantries
School and city food pantries have been working to serve more students and families who need food assistance amid cuts to SNAP. In Indiana, around 600,000 people benefit from SNAP, with over 40% of them children. Indianapolis’ Perry Township Academic Center once served ten families a week, and now 150 people are seeking services. For the second time in the program’s history, food pantry volunteers had to turn away families in need. Menus are written in multiple languages, and the pantry provides families with produce, dairy, meat, and packaged goods. Families are welcomed even if they do not meet the household income requirement for services. Another organization, Teachers’ Treasure, assists schools in supplying resources to their food pantries; in one private school, nearly 75% of students seek nonperishable goods and hygiene products.
ABC News: From a Few to Over 350, Children and Parents Ride Together to School as a ‘Bike Bus’
In Montclair, New Jersey, over 350 families bike to school every Friday as part of their 5-mile “bike bus” route. The tradition was started by five parents who wanted to find ways to bike safely with their children to school. Now, families report that the initiative encourages their children to engage in healthy habits and strengthens the school community. The initiative happens year-round; in the rain and snow, students will wear winter gear and reflective vests. The route ensures that children bike on low-traffic streets and understand the best safety practices for biking on roads. Families frequently advocate for safe-bike safety legislation so more communities can participate in the “bike bus.” Parents and educators report that students are more enthusiastic about attending school on Fridays so they can participate. One parent shared about his son, “He’s more excited to get out of bed for the bike bus than for the regular bus. So actually, I have an easier time getting him ready for school.”
