Protecting food security and fighting lunch shaming
Tim Goral

Janet Poppendieck, author of Free for All: Fixing School Food in America, says more must be done to end stigmatizing students who receive free lunches in school because it’s not a problem that will change anytime soon. Read more>>

Sponsored by VocabularySpellingCity.com

A new study found that English language learners students using VocabularySpellingCity had a 46.5 percent increase in reading comprehension, compared to students using traditional word practice. Introducing words with engaging activities was effective in retaining vocabulary to close the literacy gap between native speakers and English learners. Read more>>

Reflecting on why school bullying will continue
Statesman Journal

The current approach is having anti-bullying rules, telling staff to supervise and students to report, and investigating and punishing the “bully.” But schools are not making rules for sites or apps. Staff are not present in youth digital communities. Young people often do not report because they fear their access will be taken away. So principals face significant challenges in investigating. Read more>>

Sponsored by Penguin Random House

“Damn near genius...The Fault in Our Stars is a love story, one of the most genuine and moving ones in recent American fiction, but it’s also an existential tragedy of tremendous intelligence and courage and sadness,” says Lev Grossman of TIME Magazine. Request an exam copy. Read more>>

Kids struggling with addiction need school, too, but there are few options
NPR

Research shows that students in recovery schools, designed to meet both academic and therapeutic needs, have better sobriety levels—and usually better grades, than students with addiction who remain in regular class settings. Read more>>

Sponsored by Rosetta Stone Education

In the Integrating Technology into the World Language Classroom e-book, three different school districts share stories about how they successfully integrated technology into their world language classrooms. Read more>>

The school accountability dodge
U.S. News & World Report

The bargain at the heart of school choice—greater autonomy in exchange for greater accountability—is increasingly at risk. We need agreement on the mechanics of accountability, including the standards, the tests, the performance targets and the interventions. Test-based accountability is far from ideal, but accountability still beats no accountability. Read more>>

Prioritizing social and emotional learning can increase graduation rates
The Hechinger Report

Great things happen for students, schools and communities when students know they will be challenged and supported. Today, U.S. schools are moving in this direction to address the social and emotional dimensions of learning as part of their academic mission. Read more>>
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