Cal State Could Drop Required English Test for International Applicants
The California State University system is considering dropping the TOEFL requirement for international applicants, with trustees expected to vote on the change in November.
Rutgers Rugby Club Changes Name to ‘Womxn’s Rugby’ Citing Inclusion
A Rutgers club rugby team has renamed itself from Rutgers Women’s Rugby to Rutgers Womxn’s Rugby, saying the change reflects a commitment to inclusivity, amid a wider national debate over Title IX and transgender participation in women’s sports.
Madison Police Find 30 Young Men in Frat Basement Covered in Food and Condiments, Two Leaders Arrested
Madison police say they found roughly 30 young men, mostly 18 years old, covered in food and condiments in the overheated basement of an unaccredited fraternity house on Langdon Street, leading to the arrest of the group’s president and vice president.
Debate Over Ending Gifted Programs Intensifies as NYC Mayor Weighs Delaying Fast-Track Classes
Schools nationwide, including in New York City, are dismantling gifted and talented programs, prompting pushback from education researcher Michael Petrilli, who says the shift hurts low-income and minority students most.
Stafford County School Board Weighs Dropping Veterans Day From Student Calendar
Stafford County School Board members are weighing a 2027-2028 calendar that drops Veterans Day as a student and staff holiday, citing a state requirement for 180 instructional days that the district has missed since 2021.
Study Finds States With Strong Teachers’ Unions Score Worse on Reading Policy
A new Progressive Policy Institute analysis finds states with stronger teachers’ unions tend to score worse on early-literacy policy and reading outcomes, though exceptions like Maryland and South Dakota complicate the pattern.
Reading Scores Slide as Schools Point to AI, Phones and Aging Buildings
New data discussed on The Drill Down podcast shows American students reading faster but understanding less, even as Mississippi’s decade-long reform effort pushes it into the top ten nationally for fourth-grade literacy.
Justice Department Accuses Berkeley Law of Racial Bias in Admissions
Federal officials say Berkeley Law’s admissions data show a strong bias favoring Black applicants over White and Asian applicants, a claim the school firmly denies.
Utah Valley University to Close Campus Thursday for Charlie Kirk Memorial
Utah Valley University will cancel classes Thursday for reflection on the one-year anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, as Turning Point USA holds a memorial on campus that a student group plans to protest.
NYC Schools to Bar AI Tools for Students Through 8th Grade, Set New Screen-Time Limits
New York City’s Department of Education is banning generative AI tools for roughly 600,000 students from kindergarten through eighth grade and setting new screen-time limits, following months of debate over AI’s role in classrooms.