The Weekly Connect 7/6/2026

Education Next: How a Gifted Program Impacts Disadvantaged Students

A new study published by Education Next examined the impact of gifted programs on students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Using a dataset from a large urban district in Florida, the researchers compared low-income students in the gifted program to low-income students with similar IQs who were close but did not meet the cutoff to be in the gifted class. Low-income boys in the gifted program were 60% more likely to enroll in college compared to their peers who were not enrolled. Girls were six percent more likely to enroll in college compared to their peers, though the difference was not statistically significant. Students in third grade with the lowest enjoyment of learning experienced the greatest benefits from the gifted program. Researchers theorize that these results are likely due to low-income students improving their non-cognitive skills as well as the long-term benefits of taking more difficult classes and receiving better grades. The results indicate the importance of comprehensive screenings to ensure all students have the opportunity to be considered for gifted programs.

K-12 Dive: Trump Immigration Policies Fueled Absenteeism Uptick, Research Says

The Annenberg Institute at Brown University recently released a working paper that looks at the impacts of immigration enforcement on student attendance. Using data from a school district in the Northeast, the researchers found that students born outside of the U.S. were less likely to show up for school following President Trump’s inauguration in 2025. Additionally, these students were less likely to go to school if immigration enforcement agents were in the community, with older students being more affected. Another analysis at the Annenberg Institute looked at how schools in Michigan and Georgia promoted student attendance. Georgia principals utilized attendance-related systems, such as attendance teams and early warning systems, while Michigan principals focused more on leveraging mental health supports and social-emotional learning. Differences in how schools respond to student absenteeism often corresponded to state policy contexts, suggesting varied ways that schools can leverage existing state infrastructure and resources to support all students coming to school.

National Public Radio: Supreme Court Upholds Bans on Transgender Athletes Participating in Women and Girls’ Sports

The Supreme Court ruled that states can ban athletes from competing on gendered teams in publicly funded programs that do not reflect their assigned sex at birth. The ruling invokes Title IX, the civil rights law that bans sex-based discrimination in education programs that receive federal funding. Title IX enforces the right to sex-segregated athletic teams, therefore, now limiting players to teams that reflect their sex at birth. In recent years, 27 states have barred transgender women and girls from participating in girls’ sports. Supporters of the ban assert that this ruling ensures that athletes whose sex at birth was male do not have an unfair advantage playing on women’s teams. However, others believe that the ban on transgender players violates their rights based on sex through federal law and the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law. The ruling does not clarify whether athletes participating in all-gender teams in elementary school, club sports, or recreational leagues must also follow these guidelines.

Newsweek: SNAP Update: Hundreds of Thousands of Kids Lose Benefits, Analyses Shows

Last year, the budget reconciliation package, H.R. 1, cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s spending by 20%, marking the largest decrease in funding in the program’s history. This year, in 12 states with available data, 776,000 children no longer have assistance benefits. Children make up 46% of the total decline in SNAP enrollment, which is likely due to states making changes to the application process as well as having difficulty covering the funding for SNAP benefits. Experts shared the likely long-term consequences due to the loss of SNAP benefits, including an increase in diet-related illnesses, a higher likelihood of poverty, and worse cognitive development. The loss of SNAP can also impact children’s ability to qualify for WIC benefits and free or reduced-priced meals. Further changes in enrollment are likely to take effect next year, as some provisions have not been enforced, and states will face additional financial requirements in 2027.

The Hechinger Report: Blending Algebra and Geometry: An Approach to High School Math Slowly Gains Favor

The Chapman Unified School District in Kansas is part of a growing movement of schools that have shifted from a traditional math curriculum into an “integrated math program.” Typically in the United States, students will take Algebra I, geometry, and then Algebra II. Instead, the integrated math program takes concepts from each of the classes, in addition to trigonometry, to be taught over multiple years. The courses help students be more prepared for college-level math and allow them to take classes in other types of math, including data science and statistics. The change happened partly in response to the Kansas state high school math test, which included concepts that students had learned earlier and forgotten by the time it was administered. In the first year of program implementation, test scores increased by 30%, and in 2025, they have more than doubled. Around 16% of districts across the country offer integrated math programs, with more making the change to further their schools’ technical education programs.

Chalkbeat: Teenagers Took Over Philadelphia City Government For a Day. Here’s How It Went.

High school students in the Greater Philadelphia YMCA’s Youth and Government program participated in a civic immersion experience at City Hall. The experience, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office and City Council, allows students to elect a mayor, assume roles in the mayor’s cabinet, and vote on proposed legislation. Students learn about civic awareness and build their public speaking and critical thinking skills. In one of the sessions, students debated legislation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which resulted in a proposed $72 million bill to support public transit, city beautification efforts, and more. The program was started in response to research that found that youth, especially students of color, did not feel qualified to participate in politics. A graduating senior shared that the experience helped her work with peers respectfully and collaboratively even when they disagreed on policy: “Being able to have… a civil, productive conversation, so that you can both benefit, is one of the biggest and most important things I’ve learned from this.”