Pulse #23: What’s the Real Risk: Tylenol or Low Literacy?

Education Week’s annual Big Ideas report highlights the challenges and opportunities defining K-12 right now. Here’s what you need to know:

Only 29% of 8th graders are proficient in science and student interest is dropping, yet research shows students learn best through inquiry and real-world connections. Experts say districts need high-quality instructional materials and curriculum-based professional learning to move classrooms beyond memorization and strengthen science education.

More states are moving away from one-shot spring tests toward systems that measure progress multiple times a year. Models in places like Montana, Alaska, and Nebraska aim to give teachers timely feedback and families a clearer picture of learning, though success depends on alignment to standards and minimizing added testing time.

Districts in Texas used AI to redesign master schedules, balancing class sizes and teacher workloads while saving millions without laying off staff. Smarter scheduling freed resources for student programs, cut inefficiencies, and helped schools match teaching time to student needs. Leaders say AI is not replacing people, it is helping schools make better and faster decisions about how to use their limited resources.

The Education Department is reopening $270M in school mental health grants that were canceled last spring for not aligning with Trump administration priorities. The funding focuses on addressing the shortage of school psychologists, though advocates warn limiting support to one role leaves gaps in meeting students’ needs.

Robert Pondiscio warns that two-thirds of Americans read only at a Basic level, leaving them unable to weigh evidence or judge competing claims on issues like autism, climate change, or immigration. He argues this “literacy dependence” fuels partisanship and misinformation because citizens must defer to others rather than reason for themselves.

A California school designer asked middle schoolers why they go to school and was struck when one replied, “So future generations look up to us.” Workshops like these show that when students join the planning, they ask for what really matters: safety, inclusion, flexible spaces, and even classes to help friends communicate.

High schoolers from Chicago proved at a major AI ethics conference that students can hold their own with researchers when they’re trained in critical data literacy. Programs like Data is Power link AI ethics to real-world, culturally relevant issues, helping students question assumptions, weigh evidence, and connect math and humanities. Critical data literacy equips students for both the workplace and citizenship in an AI-shaped world.

[Parents as Learning Coaches in Virtual Schools] About 1.7% of U.S. students now attend full-time virtual schools, often for the flexibility. Parents take on a big role as “learning coaches,” signing contracts, checking attendance, and keeping kids on track. Some families say it’s less stressful than homeschooling or traditional schools, but it can be tough if parents can’t give enough time.

[Pre-K Expansion Brings Big Questions] Pre-K enrollment grew 7% last year, with more states moving toward universal programs. Experts say districts need to focus on developmentally appropriate, play-based learning and ensure teachers are trained in early childhood practices. Adding pre-K also requires changes to facilities, staffing, and family engagement, not just another grade to add on.

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