The Weekly Connect 12/08/2025

Journal of Research on Education Effectiveness: Can Personalized Attendance Information Mitigate Student Absenteeism? Evidence from Six Randomized Field Trials
As chronic absenteeism has impacted schools across the country, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, educators are seeking ways to increase attendance through low-cost methods. In the present study, the researchers examined the effects of different modes of communication (e.g., text message, mail, backpack delivery) on children’s attendance at six urban and suburban schools across the United States. The personalized messages to families reduced absences by 1.9%, which amounts to 0.19 fewer days missed by each student. By calculating the cost of the personalized messages and financial impact on attendance, the researchers estimate that the intervention yields $3-5 in additional benefits for each text message sent. While there was an impact on attendance, the small effect size may be due to each school implementing its own initiatives without additional staffing support. The research highlights the value of schools creating personalized interventions based on student and family needs to reduce chronic absenteeism. 

The New York Times: A Smartphone Before Age 12 Could Carry Health Risks, Study Says
New research from the journal Pediatrics found that children who had a smartphone by age 12 had higher rates of depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep compared to those the same age without smartphones. Researchers analyzed 10,500 children through the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, the United States’ largest long-term research study on children’s brain development. Of those who participated in the study, children received their first smartphones at the median age of 11. Children who received their first smartphone between the ages of 12 and 13 had greater odds of reporting a diagnosed mental health disorder and lack of sleep compared to those who did not receive a phone in the same time period. While the research does not explain the causal relationship between owning a smartphone and poor mental health outcomes, previous research suggests that adolescents with smartphones often spend less time socializing in person, exercising, and sleeping, which may undermine well-being. 

National Public Radio: 50 Years After the Birth of Special Education, Some Fear For Its Future Under Trump
Fifty years after the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was signed to guarantee public education for children with disabilities, many families, educators, and advocates are concerned about the future of special education. The Trump administration has made several changes to the Department of Education to shift education priorities and decision-making to the states. The administration has fired or attempted to fire many federal staff who enforce federal disability law. Additionally, the priorities and work of the Office of Civil Rights (OCR), which investigates allegations of disability discrimination, have shifted. The Education Department asserts that these changes will enable states to take on responsibilities according to their communities’ needs and that funding for students with disabilities “will continue indefinitely.”  
See also: Teacher Shortages Hinder Special Education Progress. What Are the Solutions?

AP News: Long-Awaited $3.6B in Heating Assistance Released to States and Tribes
$3.6 billion in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is now available to households across the United States. The program, which helps low-income families pay for heating and cooling for their homes, was put on pause due to the federal government shutdown. States were supposed to receive funding at the beginning of November. Millions of households benefit from the program, and 68% of recipients also receive SNAP food benefits. The cessation of funds was especially detrimental to families whose houses use oil or propane, as they are not typically included in state moratoriums for utility shutoffs during the winter. State agencies have now received award letters that they can distribute to households, which will be impactful to families during a time of rising energy costs in the winter. 

The Hechinger Report: As the Supply of Applicants Declines, College Admissions Gets Kinder and Gentler
While the college admissions process continues to be anxiety-inducing for students and families, the steps to apply and get into college have gotten easier. By creating one-click applications, offering direct admissions programs, and waiving application fees, admissions officers are working to simplify the college application process to encourage more high school seniors to apply and enroll. In general, colleges are easier to be admitted into; now, colleges accept six in ten students compared to five in ten students a decade ago. Students’ perceptions of the difficulty of getting into college can also impact applications, as 45% of high schoolers believe that it is harder to get into college now than it was for their parents’ generation. Colleges are working to implement these strategies in anticipation that higher education enrollment is projected to drop over the next 15 years by 13%. Direct admissions programs, which are offered in public universities in 16 states, help increase enrollment, especially for first-generation students, but are most effective when paired with financial aid and other resources. 

The 74: ‘A Dying Art’: With Butchers Disappearing, Schools Look to Step In
A high school in Lewiston, Montana, works to connect students with agriculture and prepare them for careers as butchers. At the new public charter school, students are taught the “dying art” of cutting meat, farm business management, and soil health. The school offers five pathways: welding, natural resource and conservation, meat processing, animal science, and agricultural mechanics. Only three percent of food in Montana is produced in-state, and the number of butchers and meatpackers has been shrinking in recent decades. The program ensures that students have a hands-on learning experience and can enter the workforce to support food production. One teacher shared a larger goal of the program, “2050 is right around the corner, and there’s going to be two billion more people on the face of the planet, and how are we going to feed them all? I think it all starts with education and understanding.”