July 11, 2023

Have You Seen the Latest Article in the

AESA Perspectives Journal?

It's a fascinating article about ESAs leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). Here's the link in case you missed it!

If your school district ordered a set of Chromebook computers and was told to wait in line, or if your purchasing agent noticed a ream of copy paper costing upwards of $43, then you have experienced first-hand the inflation and supply chain disruption affecting global trade.

Read more on the AEPA Cooperative Purchasing Blog

By Ted Witt, CA, AEPA Board member

Learn Without Limits Initiative

At last week's American Library Association Conference, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced her 'Learn Without Limits' initiative. You can read her full speech, and highlights include her call to allow E-Rate funding to support Wi-Fi support on school buses, and to support Wi-Fi hotspots so that libraries, school libraries, and schools can check them out to patrons or students in need. The Chairwoman has been a career-long supporter of working to ensure that everyone, everywhere has access to high-speed internet service, and this includes her tireless advocacy around E-Rate and the Emergency Connectivity Fund. The proposed changes to the E-Rate program will require a full vote of the Commission, which still has a vacant fifth Commissioner seat. The Senate needs to confirm a Commissioner to the seat to make any of these changes likely to happen. 

State of the Teacher Survey Results

The RAND Corporation analyzed survey results, which show that teachers reported better well-being in January 2023 than in 2021 and 2022, and rates of job-related stress decreased. Read the article here.

Private School Choice Programs Are Having a Moment: It’s Not All Smooth Sailing

EdWeek outlines the varying degrees of traction private school choice programs have been gaining across the country, noting that while these programs have widely expanded, political and state contexts matter greatly in the implementation and expansion of voucher programs.

USED Issues Fact Sheet on Services for English Learners

On June 20, the USED issued a fact sheet on English Learners’ (ELs) access to specialized or advanced educational programs and services. The fact sheet shows ELs have lower enrollment in AP, IB, and dual enrollment classes than their non-EL peers. The fact sheet also includes examples of practices that could raise Title VI discrimination concerns that prevent ELs from accessing such classes and explains the legal requirements that schools must follow to ensure that eligibility requirements and procedures for specialized or advanced educational programs do not screen out students who are ELs because of their limited English proficiency.

A Work in Progress: The Need to Sustain Covid Aid and Help Schools Recover

This new Chiefs for Change report highlights multiple ways in which COVID-related federal funding supported learning recovery across the country, including through tutoring, holistic support for student well-being, and the development of a high-quality curriculum. The report also spotlights Boulder Valley for a school turnaround.

NAEP Shows Declines for 13-Year-Old Students

On June 21, the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for 13-year-olds were released, which showed a 4-point decline in reading and a 9-point decline in mathematics compared to scores from the 2019–2020 school year. The decline in mathematics scores was the most significant drop since the federal government began administering the assessment in 1973. Students in the 10th percentile experienced the largest decline.