Education
Current trend: Holding · Category: People · Last updated: August 13, 2026
Current situation
Student achievement has yet to fully recover from pandemic-era disruptions while debates over school choice, curriculum, funding, and postsecondary pathways continue across the country. There is a distinct red-state, blue-state difference in approaches to the issues, particularly regarding homeschooling and potential bias in higher education. With more students (and parents) focused on [trade schools](https://nextgennews.media/watchlist/college-vs-skilled-trades) as a viable path toward a more stable and reliable income, more colleges (especially private ones) may struggle in the years ahead.
Why we're watching
Education influences workforce quality, productivity, income mobility, and long-term economic growth. The relaxation of many educational standards during Covid has resulted in poor grades and lifelong impact on students. School choice has become a hot issue as a result.
What to watch for next
Student achievement trends, School choice legislation, Education funding, Workforce outcomes, Curriculum reforms
Signal history
- 2026-08-13 — Where Did All of California’s Students Go? Between falling birth rates, net out-migration, and the aftermath of COVID-19, K-12 enrollment has dropped 8% since 2015 and is expected to continue declining. Fewer younger students will impact schools and taxes, potentially leading to economic distress and less support for retired persons. It could also cost the state legislative representation. The state is not alone in its shrinking population, but it does tend to be a leading indicator.
- 2026-08-12 — University of Michigan Drops First-Semester Grades to ‘Curb Mental Health Crisis’ First-semester freshmen will get a pass or no-credit grading system beginning next fall, designed to address mental health challenges among young adults. **Bottom line, this is the latest in a string of universities that have gone to pass-or-fail, at least for some students, as they try to address the pressures that may be triggering mental health issues.**
- 2026-08-11 — Elite colleges are returning to the SAT and ACT All eight Ivy League universities have either moved away from test-optional policies or plan to do so, reversing trends prompted by COVID shutdowns. While research is mixed, many are finding that test scores are more predictive of academic preparation than high school grades. **Bottom line, the trend back toward SAT and ACT requirements is likely to gain steam after these moves by the Ivy colleges and prompting by the Trump administration.**
- 2026-08-04 — The Struggling Colleges Raiding Their Endowments to Pay the Bills Struggling private colleges are increasingly tapping restricted donor endowments to cover day-to-day operating expenses. With enrollment down and expenses up, some colleges are accused of misappropriating funds just to keep their lights on.
- 2026-08-02 — Hegseth’s ‘gold standard’ college exam tests middle-school math The college entrance exam that Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth hailed as the nation's new "gold standard," is instead seeing its heaviest use as a remedial high school graduation test. In Florida, the first state to broadly embrace the exam, the Classic Learning Test has become less a college admissions test than a graduation alternative for struggling students.
- 2026-07-21 — Special educators oppose Education Department breakup According to some, moving special education functions out of the U.S. Department of Education would be detrimental to students with disabilities because it would cause disparities in services across the states and reduce accountability measures.