565 Schools, Over 1M Students in NY Impacted by Illuminate Data Breach, NYSED Says; 2nd Colorado District Notifies Parents

The New York State Education Department says 565 schools in the state — including over 1 million current and former students — were among those whose private student data was compromised during a January cyberattack on Illuminate Education’s systems, and officials have opened an investigation, NYSED told THE Journal.

List of Schools in New York Impacted by the Illuminate Education Data Breach

The New York State Department of Education sent the following list of schools "known to have been affected by the Illuminate Education data breach" in response to a Freedom of Information request by THE Journal. NYSED said "not all students at every school had their data compromised," but also noted that at some schools, both current and former students' data was compromised.

Sal Khan: Test-Optional College Admissions Adds Ambiguity and is Bad for Students

With the final SAT School Day of the 2021-2022 school year taking place today at high schools across the country, THE Journal asked Sal Khan whether SAT exams will remain relevant now that some colleges and universities have made them optional, whether testing makes college admissions more or less equitable, and what additional changes he predicts — and hopes to see — that will make college education even more accessible for young Americans.

5 Ways K–12 Educators Can Empower Girls to Consider STEM

Women hold just 28 percent of jobs in STEM fields in the U.S., and the disparity starts long before women get to college. Here are 5 ways that K–12 educators can encourage girls to pursue STEM education and explore STEM career fields before they get to college.

A Road Map to Helping Young Students with Dyslexia Succeed

At least 40 states have passed legislation mandating how teachers deal with dyslexia in the classroom, yet misconceptions about dyslexia linger even among educators. NWEA research scientist Tiffany Peltier offers a road map for educators to help students with word-level reading difficulties in the early grades, as well as how to help students identified with dyslexia as they progress through school.

Report: Students Used 74 Different Ed Tech Tools in Fall 2021 Semester, Educators Used 86

LearnPlatform today released a mid-year ed tech usage report showing that K–12 students in U.S. school districts used 74 different digital learning tools during the first half of the current school year, and educators used 86.

Civil Rights Investigation: Los Angeles Unified Failed to Meet Needs of Students with Disabilities During Pandemic

The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights has resolved an investigation of the Los Angeles Unified School District with an agreement requiring it to provide educational services and compensatory services for the 66,000 students with disabilities for whom the district “failed to provide services” for as required by law, according to a news release.

NWEA: Certain Groups Lose More Ground When School is Out, Illustrating Importance of Summer Programs

An NWEA study of current research examining K–8 student progress during a typical school year and over the summer reveals that historically underserved groups suffer most when school is out for summer break, emphasizing the importance of summer learning programs in overcoming inequitable achievement gaps, the nonprofit said in a news release.

Closing the U.S. Homework Gap Using Unlicensed Spectrum

Almost 17 million students had no access to the internet in their homes at the start of the pandemic, while many more were impeded by unreliable internet connectivity and slow speeds. This divide wasn’t only restricted to rural locations; it was mirrored in towns and cities too.

Six Steps School Leaders Should Take to Reduce Teacher Turnover

In the wake of the pandemic, with more than half of teachers considering leaving the profession sooner than later, a school administrator from Tennessee shares key steps help reduce teacher turnover.

How To Build a Computer Science Curriculum with Existing Staff

When Indiana began requiring all public K-12 schools to teach computer science curriculum, a smaller district created a program that meets the mandate and gets teachers and students excited with the equipment and staff they already had, adding instructional guides and educator support from Codelicious.

Navigating Schools' Liability Shifts Following the Oxford High School Shooting

A Michigan school district is being held legally accountable for the tragic shooting that took place at its Oxford High School last year, marking an undeniable shift in liability when it comes to school shootings — signaling a shift that school districts can be held responsible for acts of violence on campuses, regardless of whether they had the right technology and protocols in place to help staff identify warning signs and take appropriate preventative action.

Ransomware Hit 56% of K-12 Organizations Worldwide in 2021, Sophos Survey Finds

Cybersecurity firm Sophos today released its annual State of Ransomware report showing ransomware attacks nearly doubled in 2021 from the year before, and 56% of K–12 IT professionals responding, representing 320 districts, said they were a victim of ransomware last year.

Survey of Principals Lists Their 'Most Effective Strategies' to Boost Teacher Morale

A survey of 557 K–12 principals across the United States revealed the “most effective strategies” administrators are using to boost teacher morale — putting this week’s National Teacher Appreciation Week theme into focus.

What Educators Need to Know About Assistive Tech Tools: Q&A with Texthelp CEO

Texthelp CEO Martin McKay dives into the growing need for assistive technology, explaining what such features schools should look for when choosing learning platforms, and how accessibility tech tools help all learners — not just the one student in five with a language-based disability.

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