Welcome back. Here are a few of the stories shaping K-12 this week:
State leaders share four ways to build alignment on education decisions
Districts report modest progress reducing chronic absenteeism
New data raises safety concerns around student AI use in schools
Keep reading for the full rundown.
1️⃣ Leaders Share Four Ways to Build Alignment on K-12 Decisions
State education leaders at SXSW EDU said long-term school policies are more likely to survive political shifts when leaders build broad coalitions and keep students at the center of decisions. Panelists highlighted four strategies for finding common ground: focus on student outcomes, invite opposing viewpoints into discussions, start with areas of agreement, and commit to the slow work of relationship-building.
2️⃣ Districts See Modest Gains Against Chronic Absenteeism
Some districts are beginning to reverse pandemic-era attendance declines through targeted communication and data-driven interventions. Rhode Island’s statewide “Attendance Matters” campaign reduced chronic absenteeism to 22.1% this year, while Dunkirk, New York cut rates from nearly 40% to 20% using parent messaging and school-based attendance teams.
3️⃣ Student AI Use on School Devices Raises Safety Concerns
Monitoring across more than 1,300 districts found that roughly one in five student AI interactions involved cheating, bullying, or other policy violations. Safety company Securly also flagged a smaller share as potentially dangerous, including students asking AI tools about self-harm or drafting messages about suicidal thoughts, suggesting districts may need clearer guardrails as AI use grows.
4️⃣ Teens Support AI for Schoolwork, Parents Strongly Disagree
More than half of teens say using AI for school assignments should be encouraged, while 52% of parents believe the practice is unethical, according to new Common Sense Media surveys. The divide comes as more schools begin teaching responsible AI use, with 78% of high school educators reporting they now address AI literacy in class.
5️⃣ Virtual Tutoring Shows Significant Gains in Early Literacy
Studies from Stanford and Johns Hopkins found that high-dosage virtual tutoring helped early elementary students make measurable reading gains. In one study, first graders receiving frequent 30-minute tutoring sessions gained up to five additional months of learning progress, suggesting virtual tutoring could offer districts a scalable way to accelerate literacy recovery.
📤 Found Pulse K-12 helpful? Share it with a colleague so they can keep a pulse on education too.