School Health

School Nurse Shortage: How to Recruit and Retain these Integral School Staff Members

Historically, the school nurse shortage has received less attention than the teacher shortage, yet nurses are an integral part of any educational organization — especially given that 1 in 4 students have chronic illnesses such as asthma or diabetes. A shortage of school nurses means that schools may have to ask staff without medical training […]

School Health

10 Common Myths about School-based Medicaid for School Business Officials

As a school business official, you’re likely always looking for ways to maximize your school’s resources and ensure that all students receive the services they need — to do more with less.   When it comes to Medicaid claiming, there are many myths and misconceptions that can hinder your efforts to do just that. Read […]

School Health

Protecting Medicaid Coverage for Millions of Students: How School Medicaid Directors Can Help

School Medicaid directors have an important role to play in supporting families to maintain their Medicaid coverage. There is a significant change happening in healthcare coverage that will affect millions of students across the country who rely on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for their health insurance. Since the start of the […]

School Health

A Small (Yet Powerful) Tool for Consistency of Care in Your District

When you think about templates, you might not imagine the most exciting work. Even the word “template” feels a little dry. And because templates are all about making processes universal, you might not imagine individualized care. And yet, templates are a way to empower school health professionals to focus less on paperwork, and more on […]

School Health

A School Bus Trip to New School Year Success: School Health Edition

Growing up in Massachusetts, the school year kicked off around Labor Day in early September. I’d go to bed with my first day of school outfit picked out. And since I walked to school each day in elementary school, living just a quarter mile away, by the time I entered sixth grade I couldn’t wait […]

RTI/MTSS

Why Use Baseline Data to Drive Decisions in K-12 Education?

Table of Contents What you need to know about baseline data How baseline data drives instruction in the classroom Baseline data in Special Education Should baseline data be used for mental and behavioral health support? Data is the evidence we depend on Learn more about using baseline data Believe it or not, data wasn’t always […]

School Health

School Counselors’ Impact on Suicide Prevention

Content warning: This blog post discusses sensitive topics related to mental health and suicide. If you need support, know that you’re not alone. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 via phone: 1-800-273-8255. In 2019 we saw the first decrease in suicide rates since 1998. That’s the good news. But you would probably not […]

School Health

What to Look for in an EHR

Among the expectations, pressures, and responsibilities placed on school nurses, documentation might be one of the most important, yet tedious, of all. Compliance requirements like those associated with FERPA and HIPAA make proper documentation more complex. And with a mounting mental health crisis in addition to the impact of the pandemic, managing student health along […]

School Health

Creating a Culture of Caring: Suicide Prevention in Schools

Mental health awareness is on the rise in education, and with good reason. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 19 — only accidents cause more. It’s prompted many education leaders to consider what role they can […]

Talk Data to Me

A data-centric view on the challenges facing school districts

Recruiting & Hiring

Talk Data to Me: Hire Rates

According to a 2021 Frontline survey, about two-thirds of over 1,200 school and district administrators reported having a teacher shortage. Some districts experienced the teacher shortage worse than others. About half of the respondents reported difficulty filling jobs across all grade levels and subjects while the other half felt the effects of the shortage in […]

Teacher Absences & Subs

Talk Data to Me: Trends in Absence Management and Substitute Pools

Troubled by substitute shortages and low fill rates? You’re not alone. These are challenges faced by many districts, and for good reason. Substitute management is no walk in the park: a lot of different elements go into maintaining and managing a healthy substitute pool.   To overcome the challenges associated with the substitute shortage, districts […]

Recruiting & Hiring

Talk Data to Me: The State of the Instructional Teacher Shortage

The Frontline Research and Learning Institute recently published a research brief called “The State of the Instructional Teacher Shortage”. Following a basic supply and demand economic model, the analysis investigates the quantity of candidates applying for jobs (supply) as well as the availability of open positions (demand). Trends show changes to both sides of the […]

Student Data

Talk Data to Me: Supporting the Health Needs of Students and Staff

In early April, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said that schools should be reopened and “full-fledged in person” come fall 2021, regardless of vaccination status. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona echoed this in early May, saying that he expects a full return for all students in the fall. With most states no longer placing restrictions on school […]

Front & Center

A series showcasing various leaders in the K-12 space