��������

Bullying, name-calling, and put-downs remain pervasive challenges in schools across the country—whether in person or online. As we move through 2025, shifting social dynamics, digital connectivity, and evolving school policies demand fresh understanding and strategies. This article offers parents current insights, best practices, and actionable steps to support children who face verbal or relational aggression at school or online.

Understanding the Scope in 2025

Prevalence and Patterns

Verbal and relational bullying—name-calling, insults, rumors, exclusion—are among the most common forms reported by students. According to the Anti-Bullying Alliance, about 40% of young people experienced bullying within the past year, with name-calling being the most frequent form (around 26%). In U.S. schools, data from the National Center for Education Statistics shows that in 2021–22, roughly 19 percent of students ages 12–18 reported being bullied at school.

The digital realm has only expanded the reach. As of 2025, about 26.5% of American adolescents report experiencing cyberbullying within the prior 30 days. Lifetime online harassment increases that share further: BroadbandSearch notes that lifetime cyberbullying victimization in the U.S. has risen to 58.2%.

Equally concerning, research linking bullying to mental health outcomes continues to grow. A large-scale study of over 95,000 students found that even mild bullying correlates with significantly elevated risk of anxiety, depression, poor sleep, PTSD symptoms, and behavioral issues—and the risk multiplies with severity.

Who Is At Risk—and Why It Matters

Certain

What Is a Magnet School?

A magnet school is a public school of choice—typically within a school district or consortium—that offers a specialized curriculum, theme, or instructional model to attract students from diverse neighborhoods. The term “magnet” reflects the school’s design to pull students across traditional attendance boundaries based on interest or fit. Magnet schools remain part of the public education system—they are tuition-free—but they differ from neighborhood schools by offering distinct programming or pedagogical approaches.

Originally conceived in the 1970s as tools for voluntary desegregation, magnet schools today emphasize educational innovation, specialization, and choice.

In 2025, magnet schools serve roughly 3.5 million students nationwide, operating in around 4,340 institutions—about 4.9% of all public school students.

History and Purpose

Origins in Desegregation

Magnet schools emerged during the desegregation era of the 1970s as a voluntary alternative to court-ordered student reassignment. Districts sought to attract white students into racially diverse schools through special programs (e.g., arts, science, international studies) rather than resorting to mandatory busing.

Federal support began with the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP), which provided grants to districts implementing magnet programs aimed at reducing racial isolation.

Evolving Focus

Over time, many magnet programs have shifted emphasis—from desegregation as the primary goal toward raising achievement, retaining families in public districts, and offering curricular innovation. In some districts, magnet schools effectively compete with charter and

Introduction

Cooperative learning—students working together in structured small groups toward shared goals—has long been a staple in progressive education. Over recent decades, its theoretical foundations, classroom practices, and outcomes have evolved. As of 2025, new research and technological shifts are reshaping how educators implement cooperative learning across K–12 and higher education classrooms.

In this refreshed review, we preserve the core structure and clarity of earlier presentations on cooperative learning, while weaving in the latest evidence, policy trends, and real-world examples. Our goal: to support parents, students, and educators in understanding how cooperative learning works today and how to leverage it for deeper engagement and achievement.

What Is Cooperative Learning?

At its heart, cooperative learning is more than just putting students into groups and having them “work together.” It is a deliberately structured instructional strategy in which a teacher designs learning tasks so that students must cooperate, depend on one another, and hold themselves individually accountable.

Johnson, Johnson, and Smith (1998, 2009) popularized a framework often taught in educator preparation programs, which emphasizes five essential elements of effective cooperative learning:

1. Positive interdependence – students perceive that they sink or swim together.

2. Individual accountability – each student contributes and is assessed on their contribution.

3. Promotive (face-to-face) interaction – structured interactions that require dialogue, explanation, and reflection.

4. Social skills

Career Readiness in Public Schools: Teaching Skills Beyond Standardized Tests

In 2025, discussions about education reform increasingly emphasize that career readiness must extend beyond test scores if public schools are to truly prepare students for life after graduation. For many students, success hinges not only on algebra or reading skills, but also on communication, critical thinking, adaptability, and real-world problem solving. To close the “skills gap,” public schools must adopt new approaches and metrics—and equip educators, students, and communities for a future that values more than standardized test performance.

This article explores why career readiness matters, what skills matter most, how public schools can integrate them, and how to evaluate success beyond test results.

Why Move Beyond Standardized Testing?

The Limits of Tests as a Sole Metric

Standardized tests remain deeply embedded in public school accountability systems. Yet as critics and reformers note, overreliance on such tests distorts instruction, narrows curricula, and fails to reflect the full range of student readiness. The problem is not testing itself, but making tests the final arbiter of success—even when they capture only a fraction of what students must do in life or work.

The Skills Gap & Employer Expectations

Employers routinely report that recent graduates lack key “employability” or “career readiness” skills—communication, teamwork, initiative, digital literacy, self-management. Schools that focus narrowly on test preparation risk leaving students unprepared for their first job or further