K-12 news and analysis

Teachers in a classroom review lesson materials and laptops around a table before students arrive, with desks and shelves visible behind them.

Poughkeepsie adopts one K-8 curriculum to replace a patchwork

The district approved HMH across K-8 just before the new school year, pairing the switch with teacher training, parent progress access, and repeated implementation support.

Sep 4, 20267 min read

An elementary teacher sits at a classroom desk making a phone call beside worksheets, crayons, and a children's book, with empty student desks behind her.

K-12

During COVID closures, first graders did better with more teacher contact

A peer-reviewed study of 2,740 first graders in Germany found no overall achievement drop in this sample, but students with more teacher contact had stronger math results and smaller language-motivation losses. The sharpest risk appeared when low contact overlapped with low socioeconomic status.

Aug 26, 20266 min read

A teacher, a student, and a school administrator sit together at a table in a school library with open laptops.

K-12

Google Classroom’s new role-based homepage starts rolling out July 27

The redesign gives teachers, students, and administrators different default dashboards, but analytics and Gemini-linked tools still depend on licensing, settings, and user eligibility.

Jul 26, 20266 min read

A high school student helps younger children with classroom work in a bright school room while an adult stands nearby.

K-12

What Schools Can Learn From Chief Leschi’s Graduation Gains

AP reporting on the Bureau of Indian Education’s record graduation rate points to a practical lesson at Chief Leschi Schools: career pathways tied to real work can help keep students engaged. The story also comes with an important caution, since cleaner student tracking has contributed to the rise in reported rates.

Jul 15, 20267 min read

Editorial illustration for a story about Seattle Public Schools' cellphone procedure and practical policy rollout.

K-12

Seattle's new phone procedure shows school bans live or die on implementation details

Seattle's May 4, 2026 cellphone rollout offers a useful playbook for districts designing enforceable school phone bans.

May 9, 20265 min read