You are receiving this email newsletter because you are a subscriber of Education Slice (formerly Principal News) or you signed up for our email newsletter on our site.

A new report recommends more than two dozen legislative and policy changes to address weaknesses in California's charter school laws. The report focuses on improving the two main safeguards that California law puts in place to hold charter schools accountable, audits and charter authorizers. It also homes in on non-classroom based charters, where more than 20% of instructional time happens off-campus. The report makes recommendations to increase oversight requirements for authorizers, require charter schools to undergo the same audit process as school districts, and establish more transparency for third-party entities. It also suggests changes to the funding determination process for non-classroom based charters. The report's recommendations are seen as a starting point for potential changes in charter school laws and regulations.

 

Sandie Gunion Tribute

School Leadership’s Guide to Building an Online Learning Program

No two students learn the same way, and alternative options for education have never been more necessary than they are right now. According to a recent study, 81% of parents believe online learning helps their children better prepare for the future and 94% believe it positively impacts their children’s ability to understand courses.*

This guide will help school and district leaders like you learn more about the fundamentals of online learning and its benefits. Topics include:

• Debunking common myths about online education
• An outline of the first steps to create and implement a new program
• Strategies for creating open communication with parents, students, and staff
• How to select the best industry partner to help develop your new program

*FlexPoint 2021 Parent Survey

Download the Guide

 

Los Angeles Unified School District students will soon have their own individualized artificial intelligence tool named "Ed." The tool includes features such as reminding students of upcoming tests, informing them of the cafeteria menu, providing updates on school buses, and waking them up in the morning. Ed will also be able to accommodate students verbally and on screen in 100 languages. Ed is currently operating at 93% accuracy and has strong filters to ensure it is free from offensive language. During the pilot period, Ed will be available to 55,000 students across 101 schools starting March 20. Once the pilot period is over, the program will expand to the whole district. The district has acknowledged cyber security concerns, and has received support from local, state, and national agencies. 

 

EdSource

An analysis by the Digital Promise nonprofit indicates that several themes are emerging across the states that have released guidance on using artificial intelligence (AI) in K-12 settings. As of late February, California, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia, have all released guidance to help school district leaders navigate AI in K-12. Common themes include AI literacy instruction, equity and inclusion concerns, protecting student data privacy, and securing personal information. A separate review of state AI policies, by Arizona State University’s Center on Reinventing Public Education, found conversations shifting away from last year’s focus on plagiarism and bans, and moving toward urging teachers to use AI to enhance student learning, and their own effectiveness in the classroom. The varying guidance documents from states also echo a theme initially pushed out in May 2023 by the U.S. Department of Education, which emphasized a human centered approach when using such technology. The report stressed that schools adopt a “humans in the loop” strategy, meaning educators should be the key decision-makers for the use of AI in their instruction, rather than allowing AI tools to completely replace teachers. It’s expected that the department will release more resources for K-12 school leaders on AI use at the end of this year.

 

K12 Dive

Less than half (47%) of public schools in the United States rate themselves as doing a “very good” or “excellent” job preparing students for college, according to a nationally representative survey released by the National Center for Education Statistics Tuesday. Schools in high-poverty neighborhoods were less likely than more affluent schools to say they did an “excellent” or “very good” job at college preparation. Schools with higher populations of students of color, those in high poverty neighborhoods, those in rural areas, and those with fewer than 1,000 students reported offering fewer AP courses on average. Nearly 90% of high schools align their graduation requirements to admissions requirements at public colleges or universities, and just 62% include college and career milestones in their graduation requirements. A higher percentage of high schools said they did a “good” or better job preparing students for the workforce (86%) than for college (77%).

 

K12 Dive

Inglewood Unified, which has been in state receivership since 2012, has announced the closure of five schools, including Morningside High, by the end of the 2024-25 school year. The district is facing declining enrollment and financial deficits, with its student population dropping from 18,000 in 2002 to less than 7,000 today. The closures are part of an effort to combat these challenges.

 

Daily Breeze

The Castaic Union School District is projected to experience a 58% increase in enrollment over the next seven years, according to a demographics report. This represents over 1,110 more students than previously estimated. The district is closely examining its budget projections in response to this anticipated growth. The report also highlights that the actual numbers may vary depending on the development of approximately 3,325 housing units within the district's boundaries. In addition, the governing board has approved emergency IT expenses related to a cybersecurity incident that occurred in February.

 

Signalscv.com

Mike Kuhlman, superintendent of William S. Hart Union High School District, will be leaving his position on June 30. Kuhlman, who has been with the district for 27 years, made the difficult decision to step down. He will be taking on the role of superintendent at El Dorado Union High School District in Northern California.

 

Signalscv.com

Riverside police are planning to seek a battery charge against a middle school student who injured another student in a fight on campus. The incident, which was captured on video, shows one girl dragging the other by the hair and hitting her in the head. The attacker has already been disciplined by the Alvord Unified School District. Superintendent Allan J. Mucerino emphasized the importance of student safety and well-being and stated that the district and the police department will work together to provide a safe learning environment.

 

Press Enterprise

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has now signed a law banning diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in public schools, making Alabama one of the few states to enact such measures. The law prohibits public schools from having diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and teaching "divisive concepts" about race and identity. It also requires public higher education institutions to designate bathrooms for males or females, opposing transgender rights advocates. Texas and Utah have already passed similar legislation, while other states have introduced such bills.

 

U.S. News