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National

Education policy, funding, and data across the country.

National · Policy & Funding

K-12 and education groups sue over withheld $1.9B in federal research funds, IES cuts

Two lawsuits challenge the withholding of nearly $1.9B in congressionally appropriated education research funds and the dismantling of the Institute of Education Sciences, raising constitutional questions about executive spending power.

10h ago
$1.9 billionCongressionally appropriated education research funds for fiscal years 2025 and 2026 that a lawsuit alleges are being unlawfully withheld by the Education Department and OMB.
National · Policy & Funding

AGs win injunction stopping mental health grant cuts, then sue again over second attempt

New York Attorney General Letitia James led 16 states in a lawsuit over $1 billion in school mental health grants canceled by the Education Department, secured a permanent injunction, then filed a new challenge after the department tried a different route.

12h ago
$19 millionAmount New York stands to lose in previously approved funding, including more than $7.6 million for the State University of New York system.
National · The Data

Class of 2026 sets FAFSA completion record of 59.1%, rebounding from troubled 2024 cycle

The national rate surpassed the prior record by nearly five percentage points, driven by an on-time cycle opening, streamlined processes, and universal FAFSA policies in nine states. State-level gaps remain wide.

12h ago
$3.58 billionEstimated Pell Grants left unclaimed annually, per NCAN analysis of FAFSA filing data and Census income models.
National · Policy & Funding

Senate bipartisan push targets administration's transfer of special ed programs to HHS

Democrats and at least two Republicans are advancing legislation to block Interagency Agreements that would shift IDEA programs and civil rights enforcement out of the Education Department, citing statutory limits on unilateral transfers.

12h ago
75 percentEstimated loss of civil rights staff attorneys at DOJ's Civil Rights Division since January 2025, per Senate Democrats' letter
National · Policy & Funding

House GOP bills would permanently move K-12, higher ed, and student loan programs out of Education Department

A 10-bill package from House Republicans would codify the Trump administration's transfer of Education Department programs to Labor, HHS, and Treasury, stripping the education secretary of residual authority that existing executive agreements preserve.

13h ago
148Education Department programs and functions shifted to six other Cabinet agencies under the Trump administration's interagency agreements, according to Education Week tracking.
National · Innovation

Districts begin classroom AI deployment as causal evidence remains thin

A small share of U.S. school districts are moving from AI policy-writing to vendor contracts and pilots in 2025-26. The strongest causal research still comes from outside U.S. K-12 classrooms, with mixed findings on whether learning gains persist.

3d ago
5.8 percentShare of U.S. school districts showing visible day-to-day AI implementation as of 2026
National · Alternative Schooling

States take divergent paths on microschool regulation as sector grows

Only 11 states have publicly shared microschool regulations. Some are building dedicated statutory pathways tied to ESA programs, while others fold microschools into homeschooling or private school rules.

3d ago
11 statesStates with publicly shared microschool or learning pod regulations as of 2024
National · The Data

Chronic absenteeism fell again in 2024 but remains far above pre-pandemic levels

New state-by-state analysis shows a third straight year of decline, but roughly 95 percent of students still attend districts where absenteeism exceeds 2019 levels, and the pace of improvement is slowing.

3d ago
94.7 percentShare of US students in districts whose 2024 chronic absenteeism rate exceeded its 2019 level.

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