K-12 Dive

An article from POP QUIZ From a district saving money by “vibe coding” to new Education Department priorities, what did you learn from our recent stories? Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. How well did you keep up with this week’s developments in K-12 education? To find out, take our five-question quiz below. Then, share your score by tagging us on social media with #K12DivePopQuiz.

NEW YORK — The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is accepting applications for its Master of Arts in American History, a graduate program designed for educators seeking to deepen their content knowledge while continuing to teach. With tuition priced at just $750 per course, the program offers an accessible and affordable pathway to earn a master’s degree without the financial burden often associated with traditional graduate study.

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles, CA — April 14, 2026 — TOKYOPOP, the pioneering manga publisher that introduced an entire generation of American readers to the art form, today announced Manga Quest, the debut collection from TOKYOPOP Learning, its new educational imprint.

BOSTON — Fewer than one-third of U.S. students are reading proficiently at grade level, according to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) — a stark indicator of the ongoing literacy crisis facing schools. Despite increased investment in literacy programs, this challenge persists.

The U.S. Department of Education is continuing to push for artificial intelligence use in classrooms through newly finalized priorities and definitions for districts and colleges applying for any of the agency’s discretionary grant programs. The department’s final rule, issued Monday, said it will prioritize applications for projects that aim to expand the understanding of AI or the appropriate and ethical use of AI in education.

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Staff hiring freezes and layoff notices have risen quickly in districts nationwide in recent months as school boards grapple with declining enrollment and budget shortfalls.

GREENVILLE, S.C. — GREENVILLE, SC, April 14, 2026 – The Walkabouts Platform, the movement and learning platform used by students in 30 states and 11 countries has been recognized by the 2026 EdTech Digest Awards as a Finalist in the Trendsetter category as an “edtech company setting a trend.” Celebrating its 16th year, the US-based program is the world's largest recognition program for education technology, recognizing the biggest names in edtech—and those who soon will be.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As districts work to address chronic absenteeism, one key challenge is rarely addressed: states track attendance differently. Today, SchoolStatus, the leading provider of K-12 attendance solutions, announced a major expansion of its Attend product. SchoolStatus Attend will now include flexible, time-based attendance tracking.

DENVER — April 14, 2026 – As states across the U.S. pass education freedom policies at a record pace, LearningSpring today announced its launch as the first end-to-end school choice management platform. Co-founded by Cecilia Retelle Zywicki and Alex Paul, the company aims to empower families to discover and access their best-fit learning options.

Education models are changing rapidly, reshaping long-held assumptions about how learning is designed, delivered and experienced. Traditional, one-size-fits-all structures are giving way to a more diverse ecosystem that includes microschools, hybrid and digital programs, competency-based learning, experiential education and emerging applications of artificial intelligence. This evolution reflects a broader understanding across the education community: high-quality learning can take many forms.