Analysis
Student Wellbeing
Illinois, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are taking steps to expand school mental health screening and support staffing. Illinois has issued guidance to help districts prepare for annual mental health screenings in grades 3–12 starting in 2027–28, with parents able to opt their children out. Pennsylvania’s $8 million program has placed 42 school psychology interns in 22 schools this year and offers eligible interns support in high-need districts. Massachusetts has increased school funding to help retain teachers, paraprofessionals and mental health counselors.
1
Stories · 30 days
3
Stories · 90 days
3
States
3
Sources
Recurring themes
Where it is happening
Shading reflects how many published stories mention each state. Blank states have no stories in the database yet.
Who is reporting it
- Illinois State Board of Education1 story
- Pennsylvania Department of Education1 story
- Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education1 story
The stories behind this analysis
Illinois Issues Guidance to Support Universal Mental Health Screening Implementation
The Illinois State Board of Education released a planning resource to help districts prepare to offer annual mental health screenings for grades 3-12 starting in 2027-28. Parents may opt their children out.
Illinois State Board of Education · IL · 2026-08-25
Shapiro Administration Provides $8 Million to Increase the Number of School Psychologists in High-Need Areas
Pennsylvania’s program has placed 42 school psychology interns in 22 schools this year. Eligible interns in high-need districts may receive stipends, Praxis fee waivers and additional training.
Pennsylvania Department of Education · Pennsylvania · 2026-08-21
Governor Healey Boosts Schools Funding to Retain Teachers, Paraprofessionals, Mental Health Counselors
Massachusetts Gov. Healey increased school funding to help retain teachers, paraprofessionals and mental health counselors, supporting staffing in the state's schools.
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education · Massachusetts · 2026-07-15
How this analysis is created
Every story K-12 News publishes is read and tagged with its topic, state, organisations and key terms. Stories describing the same development are grouped, then counted over time to show what is growing, holding steady or fading. Figures come from the stories themselves and each analysis links to the original reporting. Where there are too few stories to compare periods fairly, we say so rather than showing a percentage.
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