Dramatic Drop in Marijuana Use Among U.S. Youth Over a Decade: (2011 to 2021)

Among 88,183 U.S. high school students, marijuana use declined from 23.1% in 2011 to 15.8% in 2021, with first-time use before age 13 dropping from 8.1% to 4.9%. In 2021, use was highest among 12th graders (22.4%) and 11th graders (18.7%). Notably, girls (17.8%) surpassed boys (13.6%) in reported use in 2021, reversing past trends. While Asian, Hispanic, and white adolescents saw declines, Black adolescents had a higher usage rate of 20.5% in 2021, indicating ongoing racial disparities.

Robotics revolution: UniSA sparks STEM passion for future teachers

Cheers of excitement, high-fives all around, and wide, beaming smiles – they’re all the signs of a team success. But this is not a sporting field – this is the camaraderie found among the next generation of teachers learning the very latest, world-class robotics programs so they can excite and inspire students about STEM.

Alarming Surge: Global Crisis of Childhood Overweight and Obesity

Since 1990, childhood obesity has nearly doubled globally, with the U.S. at the forefront. In Southern Europe, 10-15% of children are obese, while Asia has nearly half of all overweight kids under 5. Nearly 70% of the average U.S. child’s diet consists of ultra-processed foods, which are increasingly consumed by children under 24 months, raising obesity risks and reducing immunological protection. Addressing pediatric obesity requires a multifaceted approach from tackling the influence of social media and advertising on children’s food choices to increasing physical activity.

Would banning cell phones on California schools help address students’ mental health? Child psychologist weighs in

As the school year kicked off in California this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom is urging more campuses to adopt bans on cell phone usage to address a growing mental health crisis among students.  Proponents say such bans would work to…

Silence is not an option for First Nations’ content in Australian schools

In a UniSA study, researchers found that pushing pre-service teachers outside their comfort zones helped educate them about the injustices faced by First Nations’ people – including racism, prejudice and discrimination – and to more confidently integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content into their lessons.

Teachers from across US invited to teach, live and play in West Virginia

Teachers Ascend into West Virginia, a first-of-its-kind national program based at West Virginia University and designed to attract teachers to the Mountain State, is now accepting applications.

Rutgers Experts on School Climate and Conditions for Learning Available to Comment on Post-COVID Educational Challenges

Dr. Alicia Raia-Hawrylak, Co-Project Manager for the School Climate Transformation Project (SCTP), is available to comment on post-COVID concerns related to school climate, including student behavior and bullying, social and emotional learning, staff retention, and using data to guide the…

WashU Expert: SCOTUS ruling hints at why religious freedom means living with views we don’t like

While the ruling in the Maine case is unsurprising giving the court’s recent decisions around freedom of religion, some of the rhetoric around the case misrepresents the role of constitutional protections for religion in a pluralistic society, said John Inazu, expert on law and religion at Washington University in St. Louis.

Texas school shooting: Closer family/school connection could help identify troubling behavior

A closer connection between families and school districts could help identify troubling behavior in youths before crisis strikes, accordings to an expert in education at Binghamton University, State University of New York. 19 children and two adults are dead after…

Experts discuss mass shooting in Buffalo

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – Experts at Binghamton University, State University of New York discussed issues surrounding the recent mass shooting in Buffalo. Watch the full talk via YouTube. The tragic, racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, N.Y., by an 18-year-old has…

In News12 The Bronx Blog, Green Bronx Machine’s Stephen Ritz Weighs in on Back-to-School

As New York City public schools prepare to welcome back students next week, Green Bronx Machine founder, urban farmer and educator Stephen Ritz recently shared his thoughts about the return to the classroom in these unprecedented times in a new blog published on New 12 The Bronx’s web site.

Most New Jerseyans Support Fully Reopening Public Schools in Fall, Requiring Vaccinations for Healthcare Workers, Rutgers Poll Shows

As vaccination rates increase and prospects of normal life return more than a year into the coronavirus pandemic, New Jerseyans differ on various aspects of this “new normal” and how comfortable they feel, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.

Study: More multilingual and mental health staff needed to offset trauma experienced by refugees, displaced students and their teachers

The University at Buffalo study examined whether United States educational policies and practices helped or hindered school staff in supporting the needs of students who are refugees or displaced for reasons such as natural disasters.

U.S. schools receive a C in whole child development in reimagined Nation’s Report Card

If the Nation’s Report Card, an annual report formerly known as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), was reimagined to include physical and emotional health in addition to academics, the United States would receive a C average, says University at Buffalo educational policy expert Jaekyung Lee.

School spending cuts? Citizens prefer teachers and administrators to take the hit during economic crises

With schools around the world looking into various cost-cutting measures in the midst of the COVID-10 pandemic, new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York reveals that citizens prefer teachers and administrative staff to be at the frontline of school spending cuts during times of economic crisis.

Commentary in Pediatrics: Children Don’t Transmit Covid-19, Schools Should Reopen in Fall

Based on one new and three recent studies, the authors of this commentary in Pediatrics conclude that children rarely transmit Covid-19, either among themselves or to adults. The authors recommend that schools reopen in the fall, since staying home can adversely affects children’s development.

Caution urged for reopening schools to prevent spread of COVID-19 crisis

Irvine, Calif., June 15, 2020 — With fast-approaching preparations required for a new school year with no consensus plan yet in place, a team of clinicians, scientists and educators – including a University of California, Irvine pediatrician – stress the need for caution when re-opening America’s schools and advocate for large-scale viral testing in children, contract tracing and other actions to avoid compounding the COVID-19 crisis.

Persistent inequitable exposure to air pollution in Salt Lake County schools

Salt Lake County, Utah’s air pollution is at times the worst in the United States. Underserved neighborhoods—and their schools—experience the highest concentrations. A new study utilized nearly 200 PM 2.5 sensors through the Air Quality and U network and revealed persistent social inequalities in Salt Lake County schools.

Don’t forget our kids. OT researchers urge extra support for home schooling vulnerable children

As Australia’s teachers strive to shift education online, parents everywhere are bracing for change, but no more so than parents of children with additional needs such as autism, who fear their kids may be left behind in the race to adjust.

Understanding How COVID-19 Affects Children Vital to Slowing Pandemic, Doctors Say

Though COVID-19 so far appears to be largely sparing children, researchers are cautioning that it is critical to understand how the virus affects kids to model the pandemic accurately, limit the disease’s spread and ensure the youngest patients get the care they need.

Faculty Q&A: H. Luke Shaefer on how the coronavirus outbreak highlights inequities in health care, employment systems

FACULTY Q&ALuke ShaeferAs the coronavirus continues to spread, University of Michigan poverty scholar H. Luke Shaefer discusses how the pandemic will impact hourly workers and families with low incomes. Shaefer, faculty director of Poverty Solutions U-M, is a professor of social work and public policy.What are the implications of the coronavirus pandemic for low-income families?As there are more and more closures, those who don’t have paid time off and only get paid when they clock in are going to run into the most financial trouble.

New study advocates a positive approach to school safety

Policy responses to school shootings have not prevented them from happening more frequently, but restorative justice has the potential to avert bad behavior and school shootings, finds a new study from Washington University in St. Louis.The study, “Disparate Impacts: Balancing the Need for Safe Schools With Racial Equity in Discipline,” published in the journal Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, finds that crisis prevention policies enacted following school shootings tend to exacerbate racial and ethnic discipline disparities in several different ways.