Pre-K & Early Childhood


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    AJ_Watt via Getty Images
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    Trump’s withholding of Head Start funds violated the law, watchdog says

    HHS disputes the GAO's conclusion, and a Head Start advocacy group says recent disbursements are comparable to last year.

    By July 23, 2025
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    Mario Villafuerte via Getty Images
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    20 states sue over immigration restrictions for Head Start, other programs

    The lawsuit alleges the Trump administration policy change would lead to the "collapse of some of the nation’s most vital public programs."

    By July 21, 2025
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    Stock Photo via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from K-12 Dive

    K-12 Dive has gathered some a selection of our best coverage from 2025 so far as a one-stop resource on the trends to watch in the months ahead.

    By K-12 Dive staff
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Week In Review: Education Department cuts move forward and principals convene in Seattle

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from changes to federal oversight to a set of delayed Energy Department rules.

    By July 21, 2025
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    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive
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    CASE-CEC '25

    Special educators are in short supply at all levels. A cohesive fix is needed, experts say.

    From early education to postsecondary, schools face common recruitment and retention challenges — and solutions, CASE-CEC panelists say.

    By July 18, 2025
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Week in Review: School choice, reading gains and looming policy changes

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” to a pair of transgender athletics cases headed to the Supreme Court.

    By July 14, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” to notable achievement gains in young students, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By July 11, 2025
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    FG Trade Latin via Getty Images
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    Youngest students see big reading gains post-COVID on DIBELS assessment

    Kindergartners showed a 21-percentage-point increase in early reading performance between 2020-21 and 2024-25.

    By July 9, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From California’s lawsuit against the Justice Department to new research on children’s well-being, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By June 13, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From Linda McMahon’s FY 2026 budget hearing to the cost of chronic absenteeism, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By May 23, 2025
  • A young student is seated at a table holding an empty pitcher and looking up at a person who is standing. Only the arms and upper body of the person standing is shown. Other young students are seated at the table.
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    Head Start from 1965 to today

    We take a look back at the highs and lows of the federal preschool program’s 60 years of serving young children from low-income families.

    By May 16, 2025
  • Deep Dive

    Head Start turns 60: Alumni reflect on lifelong impact of early learning

    Three former students share how the preschool program benefited them, and how they’ve stayed connected to Head Start via careers in education.

    By May 16, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From proposed K-12 budget cuts to a push for new high school graduation requirements, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By May 9, 2025
  • An adult and young student are sitting at a table. They are building a structure out of colorful magnet tiles.
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    Pre-K teachers want to stay in jobs despite lower pay, longer hours

    About 18% of pre-K teachers surveyed said they intended to leave their jobs by the end of the 2023-24 school year, compared with 22% of K-12 teachers.

    By May 7, 2025
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    Pekic via Getty Images
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    IDEA services for infants, toddlers brace for budget impacts

    The Part C early intervention program is stable for now, but advocates and researchers are worried about potential cuts to Medicaid and appropriations.

    By April 28, 2025
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    Head Start zeroed out in Trump’s preliminary budget plan

    While some conservatives have called the early education program ineffective, supporters point to academic, social and economic benefits.

    By April 17, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From schools’ latest financial risks to the shuttering of some regional Offices of Head Start, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By April 11, 2025
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    mapo via Getty Images
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    Tell us about your school district’s rising leaders

    We want to hear about the leaders driving innovation in your schools for our fifth annual spotlight on assistant principals and district administrators.

    By April 7, 2025
  • An adult is sitting on a floor with two toddlers who are sitting on the floor. The adult is guiding one of the child's hands while the other child plays with blocks on the floor.
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    Head Start imperiled by HHS cutbacks, advocates say

    The agency's overhaul has sparked concerns about access, affordability and safety for the program serving preschoolers from low-income families.

    By April 4, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From Trump’s latest executive order impacting K-12 to a rise in student homelessness, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By Feb. 7, 2025
  • Young child looks out of window from a yellow school bus, which has the words Head Start printed on the side.
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    Mario Villafuerte via Getty Images
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    Some Head Start programs face ‘unnecessary delays’ in access to federal grants

    The slowdown is impacting 20,000 children and families as programs have to shutter or scramble for funds.

    By Feb. 6, 2025
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    monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
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    The K-12 outlook for 2025: Shifting policy, tech landscapes bring new challenges

    We’ve gathered our trends to watch over the coming year in one place to help you stay ahead of the game.

    By Jan. 31, 2025
  • An adult sits on a carpeted floor in a classroom. They are surrounded by  young children who are looking at a large picture book in the adult's lap.
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    Permission granted by San Gabriel Unified School District
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    California district-college partnerships tackle teacher shortage for transitional kindergarten

    A state law requiring all districts to provide the bridge year means that more educators are needed to staff these classrooms.

    By Jan. 2, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From new math performance data to the 20th anniversary of a federal law’s last reauthorization, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By Dec. 6, 2024
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    Dive Awards

    The K-12 Dive Awards for 2024

    These leaders are achieving excellence through commitments to school culture and community, innovation, and wraparound services for students.

    By Nov. 27, 2024
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From demand for a cybersecurity pilot to the latest stats on school book bans, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By Nov. 15, 2024