Read all the research, news, and policy in our arts education RECAP for October 2021.
Research
COVID-19 Vaccine Works in Kids Ages 5 to 11, Pfizer Says “For elementary school-aged kids, Pfizer tested a much lower dose — a third of the amount that’s in each shot given now. Yet after their second dose, children ages 5 to 11 developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels just as strong as teenagers and young adults, Dr. Bill Gruber, a Pfizer senior vice president, told The Associated Press.” PBS
L.A. Unified Enrollment Drops by More Than 27,000 Students, Steepest Decline in Years “Enrollment in the Los Angeles Unified School District has dropped by more than 27,000 students since last year, a decline of close to 6% — a much steeper slide than in any recent year.” Yahoo News
Attendance Boundary Changes Can Alleviate School Segregation “Districts have the power to make even small changes that can reduce inequality between schools, according to Urban Institute research.” K-12 Dive
Equity
Colleges Sign on for a 15-step Program to “Erase Equity Gaps” in Completion “At public colleges across the country, white students are two and a half times more likely to graduate than Black students and 60 percent more likely than Latino students, according to federal data on the six-year completion rate for first-time, full-time students. The Moon Shot program is specifically designed to close gaps for Black, Latino, Native American, first generation and other historically underserved students by 2030.” The Hechinger Report
California schools prepare for thousands of Afghan refugee students “California school districts with Afghan student populations are offering wraparound services for refugee families, including dedicated staff to enroll students in school, language classes for parents and students, and translators to help explain schoolwork or make medical appointments. Districts also refer refugee families to community resources that provide food, housing and medical care, among other services.” EdSource
Changes for Educating Quarantined California Students Proposed by Governor, Legislature “Responding to districts’ complaints, the Newsom administration and legislative leaders are proposing revising requirements for educating and funding quarantined students through independent study this year. The changes will help but probably not fully satisfy school districts beleaguered by Covid outbreaks.” EdSource
Measure Passes Expanding CalFresh Food Benefits for Thousands of California Students “Research demonstrates a shockingly high prevalence of food insecurity and hunger on California’s college campuses. Nearly one in three California college students face food and housing insecurity, according to a survey by the California Student Aid Commission.” Davis Vanguard
Calls-to-Action
Virtual Forum on Education Policy October 20-21 Education Commission
Advocacy
Start Here, Start Now: A Guide to Antibias and Antiracist Work in Your School Community “Start Here, Start Now addresses many of the questions and challenges educators have about getting started with antibias and antiracist work, using a framework for tackling perceived barriers from a proactive stance. Liz answers the questions with personal stories, sample lessons, anchor charts, resources, conversation starters, extensive teacher and activist accounts, and more.” Heinemann
State Superintendent Sets Goal to Get All California Third Graders Reading by 2026 “Research shows that students who aren’t reading at grade level by the third grade will struggle to catch up throughout their education career. During the 2018-19 school year, only 51% of California students in grades three through 11 tested at grade level or above in English language arts on the state’s Smarter Balanced tests; only 48.5% of third graders tested at grade level or above in English language arts.” EdSource
Policy
California Pushes 1st US Vaccine Mandate for Schoolchildren “California law requires all children enrolled in public and private schools to have 10 immunizations, with exceptions for medical reasons. For the coronavirus vaccine, California will grant exemptions for medical reasons, plus religious and personal beliefs.” AP News
Los Angeles Mandates COVID-19 Vaccines for Students 12 and Older “The Los Angeles Unified School District, the second-largest school district in the country, approved a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students 12 and older on Thursday— one of the most aggressive measures taken by any school district to protect children. Now, COVID vaccines will be mandatory for all eligible students by Thanksgiving if they want to attend in-person classes. The district has more than 600,000 students at more than 1,000 schools.” CBS
At Least 9 States Have Adopted Legislation Around Suicide Prevention as Districts Invest in SEL “Youth suicide rates have trended upward in recent years, with a 57% increase among 10-to-24-year-olds between 2007 and 2018. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health-related emergency department visits increased for children 18 and younger during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.” K-12 Dive
Thanks for reading our arts education RECAP for September 2021. View all our past RECAPS here.
