AdLit News Headlines

Proponents say no-phone rules reduce student distractions and bullying. Critics say the bans could hinder student self-direction and critical thinking.

The Education Department grant will fund coaching, workshops and $22,000 in scholarships for D.C. middle-schoolers.

When Virginia’s Prince William County school district switched to standards-based grading nearly a decade ago, middle school social studies teacher Erin Merrill wanted an easier way to keep track of her students’ mastery of the specific standards tested on the year-end state standardized assessment.

Merrill also wanted to empower her students to take ownership of their learning. Her solution: giving students a data notebook to track their progress.

Five takeaways from a psychology professor who has worked on studies of teenagers in the legal system.

Defense Department schools are moving students with learning disabilities into general education classrooms for some subjects, a spokeswoman for the Department of Defense Education Activity – Pacific confirmed Friday.

Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games novels have become YA canon. The book series, and the subsequent movies starring Jennifer Lawrence, challenged our views of female protagonists, class structure, and political involvement — and did so through accessible, engaging stories that, while aimed at young readers, captivated nearly all of the literary world. We wanted to put voice to just how prominent Collins has been in the YA genre. Thus, we gathered other young adult authors, who also happen to be enormous fans of her work, to weigh in on both what these books have achieved in the last decade and what they mean to them as both writers and readers.

Kids and teenagers used to dislike reading quite a bit because it was regarded as a mandatory subject in school; they started to see reading as a chore rather than a pastime. However, young adult fiction has recently improved in children’s relatability, which has raised their interest in reading.

Jeanne DuPrau’s “Project F,” Patricia Forde’s “The Girl Who Fell to Earth” and Donna Barba Higuera’s “Alebrijes” answer the question, Could this be the beginning of the end?

Making Caring Common identifies several drivers of young adults’ emotional challenges, including a lack of meaning and purpose.

Mattie and the Machine, a debut novel by Lynn Ng Quezon, has been selected to receive the 2023 Grateful American Book Prize, according to co-founder David Bruce Smith.

A 2021 report funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the U.S. Department of Education estimated that the federal government spends about $50 per student per year on studies related to science and math, but only five cents on civics.

That’s a problem, Kawashima-Ginsberg says, because not only does civics education teach students how the government is supposed to function, it also teaches students how to disagree with one another in a productive way.

One girl survives a summer camp massacre, another searches for her missing sister before it’s too late, and a third goes on a mysterious treasure hunt in these reads that will keep readers guessing until the end.

Thousands of young adults are not working or going to college. Learn how high schools like NYC’s MESA Charter can bolster support well after graduation.

Hassel & Hassel: Engaging many educators, not just the elite, delivers excellent teaching to the most students and yields the greatest impact.

Choosing a college close to home instead of out of state can save tens of thousands of dollars and, ultimately years of regret.

Since 1990, November has been designated National Native American Heritage Month in the U.S. Share these titles featuring Indigenous characters with young children, tweens, and teens this month and all year.

With affirmative action outlawed, and use of SATs in decline, selective colleges are paying ever more attention to essays. ChatGPT poses a challenge.

Across the country, public schools, like colleges and universities, are facing backlash as they try to respond to the Hamas attacks and war in Gaza.

Today’s post is the latest installment in a series on simple moves teachers can make that offer the potential for large classroom impacts.

Scholastic says it will stop offering the controversial collection of race- and gender-related titles at middle school book fairs starting in January.

Deep thinking and active collaboration aren’t mutually exclusive. These strategies extend silent reading by centering student engagement.

Nationwide, hundreds of thousands of students face challenges learning math due to disabilities like dyscalculia, a neurodevelopmental learning disorder caused by differences in parts of the brain that are involved with numbers and calculations. There are often obstacles to getting help.

Middle school. For teens, tweens, and their parents, the two words can evoke heavy doses of anxiety, fear, even horror. But some books — like the new graphic novel, Curlfriends: New In Town, by author and artist Sharee Miller — remind us of the many possibilities and excitements interwoven within those challenging years.

Students need explicit instruction on the benefits of skimming material and when this method is insufficient.

The documentary co-directed by Laura Morton and Oscar-winner Vanessa Roth explores rising anxiety among American youth & will stream free Oct. 24-26.

Citing mental health, behavior, and engagement as the impetus, many schools are more strictly limiting students’ cellphone use.

Schools run by the Defense Department educate 66,000 children of civilian employees and service members. The network of schools run by the Defense Department has been performing well for years and continued to do so during the pandemic. These schools are typically on military bases, and they educate about 66,000 children of service members and Defense Department civilian employees.

Last year, this school system outperformed all 50 states on reading and math scores for both eighth graders and fourth graders. Before the pandemic, the military schools did well but were not ranked No. 1. The schools also have smaller learning gaps between white and both Black and Hispanic students than other schools have.

Tough regulation is needed to combat abusive practices.

For many former foster care students — young adults with few resources to navigate independence — housing instability is a major impediment to completing a college degree. Nationally, reports indicate that 20 to 40% of youth aging out of foster care lack stable housing. Housing-insecure students take fewer classes, earn fewer credits and are more likely to leave college before graduating, research shows.

Rather than sorting ninth graders with high test scores into Algebra 1 and giving those with lower test scores remedial instruction, a SC high school enrolled everyone into Algebra 1 classes. The experiment showed that detracking math classes could be a key component in narrowing achievement gaps between student groups.  

How children feel about themselves depends heavily on whether they have champions in their lives. These champions can leverage a child’s strengths, improve their self-perception, and motivate them toward positive change. I know this because my own champions helped me change my internal dialogue, little by little. 

Reports of racial and identity-based bullying are increasing in Massachusetts — and will continue to rise unless we take proactive steps. Enacting school-based policies that specifically address identity-based bullying is a critical first step.

Research casts doubt on longtime academic practice of segregating students with limited English proficiency.

World Literature Today will welcome Gene Luen Yang, the author of “American Born Chinese,” to receive the 2023 NSK Neustadt Lit Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature.

New research suggests daily mindfulness training at home helped reduce kids’ stress levels and negative emotions.

Listen to this edition of Conversations, where Kelly Yang talks with host Dan Skinner about the the fifth book in the Front Desk series, “Top Story.” 

Autumn is the perfect time to indulge in all things creepy and spine-tingling. Yet the season of ghosts and ghouls still has tons to offer those who prefer their fall reading to be on the sweeter side. These charming graphic novels for middle grade readers feature everything you’d expect from spooky season—haunted hayrides, magic, monster-hunting, and more—yet the stories are cozy, like a mug of hot cider. No matter the time of year, curl up with these titles and enjoy the gentle autumnal vibes.

AGILE is a World Bank assisted initiative of the Federal Government aimed at improving secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls aged between 10 – 20. The AGILE Project is currently implemented in seven Nigerian states: Borno, Ekiti, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, and Plateau; with an additional 11 states recently joining the project.

This past summer’s uproar over “Try That in a Small Town,” a song by country music star Jason Aldean, is over—but with the school year underway, the controversy over the song remains an instructive example of the repercussions of America’s dangerously fractured education system.

The PBS investigative strand ‘Frontline’ announced a pilot season of short docs crafted for young adults. Premiering on Sunday (October 15).

Students explore this immersive Times feature, engage in cross-generational conversations about the issues raised, and experiment with expert advice on healthy phone and social media habits.

The analysis of federal data—conducted by the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University and Attendance Works—provides a new perspective on how unprecedented pandemic-era surges in absences have affected all students, even those with strong attendance.

Contemporary writers still offer adventure, fantasy and mystery, but today’s middle-grade readers also pick up graphic literature, plots with sci-fi or horror, and medieval tales of nonbinary heroes.

We train secondary teachers to be science or history or English teachers, and they have a deep knowledge of their content, but we don’t really teach them how to teach reading. There’s an increasing need for secondary teachers to be able to support adolescent readers. My long-term goal is to create a framework for reading classes that will help teachers help their students develop the skills and confidence they need to become readers.

The former Spice Girl is the author of Rosie Frost & The Falcon Queen, an adventure novel that reimagines the legacy of Anne Boleyn.

Schools are scrambling to rebound from the recent plunge in test scores — but they’re scrambling in the wrong direction. Educators have fixated on phonics to treat covid-19 learning loss. In doing so, they are shortchanging something of equal importance: the role knowledge plays in helping children become good readers.

On this list, there are stories of teens who feel misunderstood, teens standing up for themselves, and teens who are figuring out their place in the world. Whether the book is set in a modern-day small town, Regency-era London, or the fantasy world of the fae, these books all involve teenagers discovering who they are and what’s important to them.

New research from Gallup and Amazon found mentorship positively impacted young adults in their career outcomes, but professionals from low-income backgrounds were less likely to have those figures in their lives. The report offers three recommendations for potential role models.

All around the U.S. this fall, students and educators have been struggling with extreme heat. Schools have responded on many levels, from taking “indoor recess” to changing hours to even sending kids home. And for marching bands, this new climate is no longer just a question of comfort.

Researchers at Duke University have developed an AI-driven app that can accurately detect a range of behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

In higher grades, multilingual students need to develop a grasp of academic English. Here’s how to help them acquire the skills they need.

Fostering a sense of connection and belonging is key to helping Black male students achieve academic success.

Some experts question the effects on students who already missed out on significant learning during the pandemic. For parents, there is also the added complication, and cost, of arranging child care for that extra weekday.

How exactly are young people supposed to feel about their ability to change a complex and changing world? When I speak with young people about how to bring about positive change, the answer is actually pretty simple. Do something. Anything. 

Educator’s View: Not all kids will become engineers or scientists. But collaborating & cultivating an inventive mindset are life skills everyone needs.

In New Hampshire, laws restricting K-12 instruction on ‘divisive concepts’ yet requiring students be taught about the Holocaust are colliding in the classroom.

From restorative grading to paid internships, an equity-centered approach to education creates rich learning opportunities for all students.

Fostering connections between subjects encourages students to think deeply about big problems and questions at the core of their work.

The new president of Dartmouth College, a cognitive scientist, explains what it will take to help the country’s suffering young people.

The topic is front and center in New York City, where a new state law requires class sizes to be reduced and some opponents, including former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg, are criticizing it.