AGP Executive Report

Higher-Education Leadership: The University of Kentucky named four faculty as 2026-27 fellows in the SEC Academic Leadership Development Program, with workshops planned at LSU and UK. Back-to-School Logistics: Greater Cincinnati districts published 2026-27 start dates, with many schools beginning mid-to-late August. Student Aid Shake-Up: Ontario capped OSAP grants at 25% and shifted more support to loans, while ending career-college grant funding and allowing tuition hikes after a long freeze. School Safety & Policy: Louisiana’s state superintendent urged leaders to keep classrooms calm and enforce anti-bullying rules. Campus Tech Rules: Arlington Public Schools rolled out a two-year iPad pilot that limits devices for younger grades. Local School Leadership: Laurel County Public Schools named Tyler Maynard principal of Hazel Green Elementary. Community Learning Support: Fortitude Re donated $200,000 to Jersey City’s Educational Arts Team to expand arts-based learning. Higher-Ed Oversight: The Trump administration sent a new open letter to universities urging reforms across major policy areas.

School Safety & Mental Health: Las Piñas National High School in the Philippines suspended face-to-face classes for five days after a fatal July 31 stabbing of a 13-year-old student, shifting junior and senior high to printed modules and online work while DepEd and police deploy trauma counseling and tighten campus security. Nutrition Support: Taipei will expand its weekly free milk/soy milk program to junior high students from Aug. 31, reaching about 66,000 more learners via a digital card and partner retailers. Education Reform & Discipline: Ghana’s Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu announced zero tolerance for indiscipline in Senior High Schools, urging firm action and a national conference to shape a policy framework. Digital Higher Education: India’s BRAOU and the Commonwealth of Learning will build an AI-enabled digital university to strengthen distance learning and faculty development. Climate Resilience in Schools: Bangladesh workshop highlights how floods and river erosion disrupt schooling, pushing for climate-smart education planning. Back-to-School Costs: In Arizona, rising school supply prices are prompting free haircuts and backpacks for families. Partnerships & Skills: Papua New Guinea and Australia launched a three-year secondary education program focused on safer schools, leadership, and stronger STEM teaching.

AI in Classrooms: Israel’s Education Ministry says all high school students will start learning English with personalized AI lessons next year, expanding “Project 720” from a 28-school trial to 180 schools, while keeping teachers central. University Digital Push: Qatar University is accelerating AI across academics and administration, rolling out an AI-powered academic advisor, an AI research and innovation center, and training programs. Back-to-School Support: Kirksville’s sales tax holiday runs Aug. 7–9 for qualifying school supplies, clothing, and tech; Crossing Church’s Back-to-School Fair provided backpacks plus physicals and vision screenings. School Safety & Disruption: Kerala ordered school closures in nine districts due to heavy rain; Spokane Public Schools said two schools were untouched by a nearby wildfire but will support evacuated families. Funding & Partnerships: Cala Homes (Thames) donated £1,500 to a UK primary school summer fair; Texas Wesleyan received a $400,000 state grant to expand trauma care training. Higher Ed & Policy: New Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled physician-patient privilege can block body-camera video in a newborn death case involving a doctor-patient conversation.

Orang Asli Leadership Support: Malaysia’s Johor, with JAKOA, is boosting Orang Asli community leadership via training and higher allowances for Tok Batin in Kampung Labong, aiming to strengthen local governance. Early Vision Care: In Kelantan, an eye screening drive by Universiti Sains Malaysia detected 300+ primary pupils with conditions like strabismus and amblyopia, stressing routine checks and early treatment. Disability Education Funding: Qatar’s endowment authority launched “Sponsoring a Student with Disabilities” to fund grants for students with disabilities through partner schools. College Admissions Access: Georgetown University in Qatar opens fall 2027 admissions using the Common App for the first time, expanding access for applicants. School Safety Shock: A 13-year-old was killed in Las Piñas after a stabbing at school over a small canteen dispute, with authorities investigating how a weapon entered despite security. Back-to-School Tech & Grants: Trafford Council supplied refurbished desktops to Stretford’s St Matthew’s CE Primary under Tech4All, while Virginia Agriculture in the Classroom offers educator grants up to $500 for classroom agriculture projects. Exam Security After NEET-UG Leak: India’s NTA announced a ₹7.5 crore security overhaul tender for offices handling exam materials. NCAA Eligibility Ruling: A federal judge granted a fifth year of NCAA eligibility to Class of 2022 athletes, with the NCAA planning to appeal. Student Mental Health Tech: India’s DIMPLE digital platform is rolling out to support students with anonymous access to mental health resources and counsellors.

Workforce & clean-energy training: SUNY Canton received $440,000 from New York Power Authority funding to train 450+ learners via credit-bearing micro-credentials in heat pumps, drone operations, and mapping/logistics. Back-to-school support: Harris County (Texas) expanded its birth-certificate event to all 10 clerk annexes on a Saturday, helping families complete enrollment paperwork; in Virginia, “Cuts with Cops” offered free haircuts, vaccines, and school supplies. Student opportunity programs: Oswego City Schools used Shineman Foundation grants for hands-on science/field experiences; Sonoma Valley Unified will loan band instruments to every fifth grader starting 2026-27. Campus learning models: Nelson County’s Old Kentucky Home Middle School launched IMPACT, a civics-focused microschool blending social studies and English. Higher-ed & policy: NCAA eligibility rulings granted a fifth season to class of 2022 athletes after a preliminary injunction, reshaping college sports planning. Digital access: New Mexico connected multiple districts to the Statewide Education Network to boost secure high-speed internet and student supports.

Admissions & Exams: Andhra Pradesh’s Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences released the NEET UG 2026 rank-wise qualified list for MBBS/BDS, stressing it’s not the final merit list and counselling will follow after online applications. University Access: Sri Lanka’s UGC published university admission cut-off Z-scores for 2025 A/L after re-scrutiny. Higher Education Governance: Nigeria’s NUC approved Omega University in Kaduna to start academic sessions with 10 undergraduate programmes, with Kaduna State University as mentor. AI in Schools: New Delhi’s NDMC inaugurated an AI/AR/VR experiential lab at Navyug School for Classes 6–10, while Bhadrak (India) plans AI innovation and skilling hubs in selected government schools. Phone Rules: California’s Turlock TK–8 students will face a phone-free campus policy under the new Phone-Free School Act. School Safety: Nigeria’s Safe Schools Initiative funding is under review to speed releases to security agencies; in General Santos City, police are tracing an online shooting threat aimed at two schools. Student Wellbeing & Discipline: Kerala’s menstrual leave plan is delayed due to missing official orders, and a Las Piñas National High School stabbing left a student dead after an argument. Funding & Grants: Virginia awarded $2.4M via Virginia Catalyst to life-science startups; Virginia Catalyst’s non-dilutive grants target university-to-market biomedical innovation. Sports Eligibility: NCAA eligibility rules are in flux after court injunctions granting a fifth season to certain college athletes.

School Safety & Accountability: Pangasinan police say online bomb and shooting threats across 7 schools (July 18–26) involved mostly minors, with some cases filed and others turned over for welfare action. Education Access & Funding: DepEd launched a new digital platform for its Adopt-A-School Program to speed private donations and improve tracking and tax-incentive access. International Pressure on Girls’ Schooling: The EU again urged Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate to reopen schools for girls above the sixth grade, citing long-term harm to the country’s future. Higher Ed Quality Signals: University of Regina earned AACSB business accreditation, while Illinois State University named its new engineering site “Campus East.” Learning for the Future (AI): A survey finds teens feel schools build AI skills, but they want clearer guidance on using AI for real job outcomes; meanwhile, a Central High School yearbook controversy reignited debate over AI-generated student images. Grants & Programs: A $30,000 grant helps advance Wisconsin’s Jenni Nichols Outdoor Learning Center; URI researchers received a $1.5M grant for cerebral amyloid angiopathy research. Digital Connectivity Risk: The FCC’s E-Rate review could cut internet discounts for districts, raising costs for schools.

School Safety Alerts: Police in General Santos City tightened security at Buayan National High School and General Santos City SPED Integrated School after separate online threats targeting students and teachers. Remote Education Policy: The Philippines’ DepEd is finalizing rules for the Last Mile and GIDA Schools Act, aimed at improving access to quality education in far-flung communities starting Aug. 12. Higher Education Expansion: Greece approved seven foreign universities to open international branch campuses for 2026–27, including U.S. and U.K. institutions, after years of debate and student protests. US Education Department Fight: A Senate committee moved to block parts of a plan to outsource key Education Department offices, protecting special education and other core programs. Admissions Updates (India): Delhi University released UG law spot round schedules and minimum cut-offs for PG spot rounds, with tight deadlines for seat acceptance. School Nutrition Rules (India): Maharashtra’s FDA ordered schools to ban unhealthy foods and restrict HFSS items near campuses. Back-to-School Support: Community groups and health centers in the U.S. and elsewhere are running free holiday clubs and back-to-school events with supplies, meals, and screenings. Teacher Pipeline: Scholarships and new programs are boosting teacher recruitment, including Indiana’s Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship and a new teacher academy in Florida.

Rural Education Funding: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced $2.56M in Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership planning grants for three Crossroads-area districts to build college-and-career pathways through local workforce partnerships. Justice Grants: Ontario’s Law Foundation opened its Responsive grants call for nonprofits improving access to justice, with applications due Sept. 10 via a new grant portal. Higher Ed + Agriculture: Papua New Guinea’s higher education leaders urged stronger research partnerships to boost rural livelihoods, spotlighting agriculture innovation and food-security solutions. AI + Energy for Education Tech: The U.S. DOE unveiled a $100B AI data center campus at the Paducah site, promising thousands of jobs and major energy infrastructure—an indirect boost for regional workforce training. Cashless Campus: BRAC Bank launched Bangla QR at BRAC University to expand cashless payments for tuition and daily campus spending. Student Support Grants: Food Lion Feeds awarded $1,700 to Duplin Christian Outreach Ministries for weekend backpack food during 2026-27. Edtech Safety: A new guide urges schools to vet edtech tools and build dedicated teams to protect student data and use technology purposefully. School Security Funding: Pennsylvania opened applications for its fully funded 2026-27 Nonprofit Security Grant Program, continuing $10M+ support for faith and community groups. Health Workforce: Cyprus nursing and midwifery students welcomed a new grant scheme approved by the cabinet.

School Feeding Boost (Cameroon): Cameroon’s Basic Education ministry and WFP signed a EUR 3.6m deal to expand home-grown school meals to nearly 11,000 children (2026–2029), while buying from 600 smallholder farmers. Water Access at School (South Africa): Two Nelson Mandela Bay high schools are rushing repairs after severe water cuts threatened sanitation and feeding programmes, with private-sector help bringing systems back online. AI in Education (US): A rural New York district paused plans to use a humanoid “robot teacher” after concerns about student data and the maker’s links to sex-bot products. AI Research Accountability (US): The University of Tennessee Research Foundation sued Anthropic over neural-network patents, a test case for how universities claim credit in the AI era. AI & Learning Goals (Global): Commentaries argue schools must teach judgement, not just answers, as AI makes information instantly available. Food Rules in Schools (India): Maharashtra banned junk food sales and ads inside and near schools, with inspections and penalties for non-compliance. Safety Alerts (Philippines): DepEd GenSan said it’s coordinating with law enforcement after online threats targeting schools and learners. STEM Competitions (Nepal): Nepal launched the National School Innovation League for robotics and IoT, aiming to reach about 10,000 students. Higher Ed Pathways (Vermont): A Vermont event spotlights strengthening education-to-workforce pathways through higher education and employer alignment.

Therapeutic & Mental Health Funding: Iowa’s Department of Education awarded $2.35M to 10 districts to create 19 new therapeutic classrooms and expand youth mental health services. Higher Ed Funding Reform: Indiana approved an updated outcomes-based higher education funding formula focused on credential and degree completion for the next two fiscal years. Student Support & Access: Operation 412NC is collecting donations and supplies to help at least 20 Charlotte children experiencing homelessness or housing instability get ready for the 2026-27 school year. School Safety & Discipline: Montezuma-Cortez High School tightened its cellphone policy for grades 9-12, locking devices away during instruction. Policy Oversight: The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into Minnesota over “transgender dolls,” after parents raised concerns about opt-out rights. Campus & Community Infrastructure: Moldova’s Ion Creangă State Pedagogical University renovated a dormitory with World Bank support, improving housing for 200+ students. Local Leadership Moves: Miami-Dade named Rafael Villalobos as its next superintendent, and Steamboat Springs appointed Darcy N. Walters as assistant principal.

Education Policy Oversight: Philippines’ Edcom 2 flagged eight urgent education priorities, but President Marcos’ Sona mentioned only two, pushing the focus onto implementation and measurable classroom impact. School Infrastructure Funding: Malaysia approved RM4.6bn to redevelop dilapidated schools in Sabah (2023–2026) and detailed rising maintenance allocations. Private School Regulation: Punjab (Pakistan) says it will draft legislation to address private-school demands, including longer academic calendars and longer registration validity. Student Results & Access: Pakistan’s FBISE released Class 9–10 annual results; Ohio published an updated list of K-12 industry credentials; India’s CBSE supplementary Class 12 results are expected in August. Safety & Security: New York health officials urged compliance with back-to-school vaccination rules amid hesitancy; UK police sentenced an asylum seeker armed with weapons after an incident at a school. Learning & Partnerships: Rose-Hulman and Terre Haute Regional Airport will expand student rocket certification access; Tennessee library Wi-Fi hotspots got a $1.615m TOP grant. Tech in Education: Kyrgyz students unveiled EyeSens smart glasses for visually impaired users, aiming for low-cost assistive tech. Higher Ed & Student Action: University of Otago students staged a sit-in over tertiary funding cuts in New Zealand.

Philippines Education Reform: DepEd says it’s accelerating President Marcos Jr.’s directives on teacher welfare, safer classrooms, school construction, and Senior High School job readiness under Education Secretary Sonny Angara. School Safety & Mental Health: A 13-year-old in Jaen, Nueva Ecija was reportedly behind threatening messages sent to a high school; officials cite depression and family issues after police traced the sender. Teacher Hiring Rules (Dubai): KHDA says new private-school teachers can be hired without prior experience if they complete at least 6 months of supervised practical training, with degree flexibility if curriculum-compatible. Disability Compliance (Arizona): Arizona’s education department says the state schools for the deaf and blind violated federal disability law by restricting placement options and preselecting where students would attend, and has ordered corrective oversight. Back-to-School Costs (US): A new analysis finds 2026-27 school spending near $4,000 per child, with school supplies and lunches rising sharply. Cybersecurity Education (US): NSF launches inaugural CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service awards to expand AI-and-cybersecurity training and workforce development. Online Safety Rules (New York): New SAFE for Kids Act rules require social platforms to limit addictive features for under-18 users without parental consent. Higher Ed Labor (New York): Gov. Hochul ratifies a five-year SUNY labor deal with UUP covering about 42,000 faculty and professional staff. Afghanistan Rights: UNAMA reports continued bans on girls’ education and documents abuses tied to Vice and Virtue Ministry enforcement. Security Alert (Nigeria): Gunmen abduct three first-year students from Federal University of Lafia, prompting urgent safety advisories and police search efforts.

Teacher Retention & Leadership: New research links teacher turnover to principal influence, with Orange County Public Schools sharing a leadership development pipeline aimed at keeping educators in hard-to-fill roles. School Reform Pilots: Malaysia’s Education Ministry is launching a school reform programme next week, selecting 10 schools per district (five primary, five secondary) for targeted improvements and teacher professionalism. Bullying Transparency: Malaysia’s PM Anwar Ibrahim urged schools to stop hiding bullying cases, warning that small incidents can escalate without early action. Form Six Governance: Anwar also said Form Six stays under the Education Ministry for now, with separate recognition and separate management within schools. Early Years Infrastructure: Malaysia reports most infrastructure for the 2027 intake of six-year-olds is finished ahead of schedule, alongside plans for teacher placement. Safety After Threats: A Pangasinan school suspended face-to-face classes and shifted to online/modular learning after an online threat, with police investigating. Cybersecurity for Schools: US lawmakers reintroduced a bipartisan K-12 cybersecurity bill to help districts defend against ransomware and data breaches. Ghana Double-Track Overhaul: Ghana pledged to end the double-track secondary system within 24 months, backed by World Bank funding for infrastructure upgrades. Dual Enrollment Pathways: A US story highlights how dual enrollment can help students graduate high school with college credits and an associate degree. Exam Integrity Reform: India formed a high-level exam reform panel after protests over a paper leak and the education minister’s resignation.

School Meals Funding: Colorado schools will get $23.8M in grants to expand Healthy School Meals for All, including local food purchases, more scratch cooking, and higher nutrition staff pay. Parental Rights Enforcement: The U.S. Education Department says it’s taking action against Anne Arundel County and Ann Arbor schools for allegedly withholding sensitive student health info from parents under FERPA. Back-to-School Logistics: Newark’s New Media High School opens in September but students will start at Bard High School Early College while renovations finish. Community Housing Grant Watch: Gainesville, Florida is awaiting a decision on a $26M HUD grant to revitalize east Gainesville neighborhoods. District Accreditation: Decatur, Georgia’s City Schools earned reaccreditation from Cognia, covering the district and multiple schools. Campus Leadership: Cal State San Bernardino names S. Terri Gomez as its new university president. Student Safety & Threats: In the Philippines, police plan school signboards warning of legal consequences for online bomb/shooting threats after incidents prompted class suspensions. Disability Health Coverage: Philippines President Marcos says PhilHealth will double developmental-disability benefits and raise covered therapy sessions from 90 to 150.

Exam Reform Shake-Up (India): Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a high-powered task force led by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to reform India’s exam system after the education minister’s resignation amid paper-leak protests. School Safety (Philippines): Two SWAT units were deployed at Bulua National High School in Cagayan de Oro after a student posted a threat online, and classes were suspended. AI in Higher Education (Ghana): University of Ghana approved an AI policy to guide ethical, accountable use across teaching, learning, research and administration. Admissions Updates (India): Telangana’s TG PGECET 2026 counselling seat allotment is out with download instructions, while AP POLYCET 2026 final-phase results are scheduled for release with self-reporting steps. Infrastructure & Skills (Nigeria): Federal Polytechnic Offa and EMVC signed a pact to boost indigenous EV production and train students, including plans for an electric mobility centre of excellence. Digital Education & Workforce (US): iT1 acquired Nucleos to expand education and workforce training pathways for non-traditional learners. Institutional Governance (UK): New College of Florida officials move to dissolve a long-running alumni association amid criticism of governance changes.