2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): The Nation’s Report Card

The 2022 Nation’s Report Card shows how deeply the pandemic impacted student learning, worsening pre-pandemic trends of growing gaps between higher- and lower-performing students.

These results matter: 25% of 4th graders performed below NAEP Basic in math, meaning students likely lack critical skills such as locating whole numbers on a number line; and 30% of 8th graders performed below NAEP Basic in reading, meaning students likely cannot identify basic literary elements such as the order of events, character traits, and main idea.

Join our webinar with the Governing Board on November 15 at 8:00 p.m. ET for a working session on how state and local PTAs can use and understand the Nation’s Report Card. In order to come prepared, we’re assigning homework: Please review your state’s report card (or TUDA report card if you’re in one of the large cities that volunteers to participate) and identify the result that is most urgent in your state. Come with questions about how to share this data most effectively with your stakeholders. This webinar will be recorded and shared following the event, but we encourage everyone who can to join us live to get their questions answered and ideas heard directly by NAGB.

National PTA & the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB)

2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP): The Nation’s Report Card

Tuesday, November 15^th 8-9pm EST

https://pta.zoom.us/j/87102262698

National PTA Responds to Results from National Assessment of Educational Progress

8:00pm – Welcome/Opening Remarks (National PTA President Anna King)

8:05pm – 2022 Nationwide Findings & How to Utilize the Data for Your State (NAGB, Julia Rafal-Baer and Lesley Muldoon)

8:20pm – Tools & Resources from the Education Recovery Scorecard (Tom Kane, Center for Education Policy Research)

8:35pm – Discussion, Questions & Additional Resources Needed for PTA Leaders

8:55pm – Final Thoughts & Next Steps

9:00pm – Adjourn

10/13 Webinar – Federal School Safety Clearinghouse bullying awareness and prevention

Please join the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse on October 13 at 2:00 PM EDT for an informational webinar on bullying awareness and prevention resources along with guidance to help create safer school environments. This session will provide information and resources designed for the kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) school community.

The session will feature guest speakers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Violence Prevention and Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The event will provide an overview of what bullying is and how to identify it, key strategies and actions schools and school personnel can implement to prevent and address it, and the tools and resources available from the government to support schools in these efforts, including StopBullying.gov.

The discussion will also feature additional school safety-related resources on topics like school climate and mental health access and support and a Q&A session for participants.

When: October 13, 2022, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM EDT
Where: Webex (access link to be provided one day in advance of the event)
For: K-12 School Superintendents and Principals; Counselors and Mental Health Practitioners; School and District Administrators; Teachers and School Staff; School Resource Officers; Parents and Guardians; Students
Registration: https://2022schoolsafetybullyingpreventionwebinar.eventbrite.com

We hope you can join us for this special event during National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month. If you have any questions, please contact the School Safety team at [email protected].

Sincerely,

The Federal School Safety Clearinghouse

This webinar is part of the 2022 School Safety Webinar Series, a program hosted by the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse to address emerging risks and threats facing the K-12 school community. Held on a monthly basis, the webinar series covers a range of school safety topics, and provides information on the resources, tools, and best practices available to equip school leaders with a set of strategies in creating safer and more resilient school systems.

The Federal School Safety Clearinghouse is a federal government interagency collaboration comprised of the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Justice to provide a comprehensive and centralized location for federal school safety resources. The Clearinghouse reviews, collects, and distributes guidance, tools, best practices, and actionable recommendations to improve safety and security within school communities. Learn more at SchoolSafety.gov or sign up for updates.

National PTA Open Letter to Congress

We wanted to share with you that National PTA has joined with other advocacy groups on the attached letter to Congress demanding meaningful and immediate action to prevent gun violence. This letter appeared in the print and online edition of USA TODAY.

We, along with the other groups that signed on, will be amplifying the letter from our social media accounts using the hashtag #EndGunViolence. We encourage you to take action to prevent gun violence and to share this letter on your social media accounts.

National PTA Action on Robb Elementary School Shooting

National PTA President Anna King and Texas PTA President Suzi Kennon issued the following statement on the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas:

“We are disgusted that 19 children and two teachers were killed at an elementary school today, yet again from gun violence. These precious lives were senselessly taken before they even had a chance to reach their full potential. Allowing these incidents to continue is unacceptable. We demand Congress immediately adopt measures that ensure our children are protected from harm. It’s past time to take action to protect the lives of our children and families.

We urge everyone to join us for our upcoming Hill Day Experience to amplify your voice with your federal representatives on community safety and youth violence prevention. For those in need of mental health support during this time, free resources are available at PTA.org/HealthyMinds.”

National PTA Applauds Biden Administration’s Action on Ghost Guns

On Monday, President Joe Biden announced a new regulation meant to address the proliferation of “ghost guns”—homemade or improvised firearms that lack commercial serial numbers and are unregulated and untraceable. National PTA President Anna King issued the following statement on the new regulation:

“For years, National PTA and PTA members nationwide have advocated for sensible gun safety and violence prevention policies that will help keep children safe, including banning the sale of ghost guns. The use of ghost guns has increased ten-fold from 2016, including in school shootings. Our association applauds the Biden Administration for taking action with a policy that will save lives. This regulation is an important step in addressing the gun violence epidemic our country has endured for far too long.

“In addition to banning the sale of ghost guns, National PTA supports federal restrictions on firearms that would:

Require knowledge of appropriate firearms use and safety practices, including safe gun and ammunition storage.
Require a waiting period and comprehensive background check for all individuals prior to purchasing a firearm to screen out illegal firearm purchasers.
Restrict internet gun sales, including kits that can be used to make and modify guns.
Tighten enforcement of laws on straw purchases of weapons, and institute some limits on how many guns can be purchased in a month.
Institute a background check for ammunition purchases.
Ban bump stocks, military-style semi-automatic assault weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines.

“Our association also believes policies and legislation must include but not be limited to:

Fund research on the causes and effects of gun violence on youth and communities, as well as evidence-based strategies to reduce gun violence.
Establish education programs to teach students, parents and community members about gun safety and violence prevention.
Fund research of ‘Smart guns’ that fire only after a fingerprint or a PIN is entered, or if used near a particular bracelet.

“While the regulation on ghost guns is a step in the right direction, common-sense legislation must be enacted immediately to help protect our nation’s families. Just on Tuesday, at least 10 people were injured by gunfire in the subway in Brooklyn, N.Y.

“This crisis is destroying our communities, and National PTA and PTAs nationwide remain committed to calling on Congress to implement policies that will prevent more tragedies from occurring. It is a top priority of our association to prevent and eliminate gun violence, promote the safety and well-being of all children, and ensure every child has every opportunity to reach their full potential.”