Tennessee’s third set of test scores from the pandemic era improved again across all core subjects and grades, even exceeding pre-pandemic proficiency rates in English language arts and social studies. The academic snapshot suggests that Tennessee’s early investments in summer learning camps and intensive tutoring are paying off to counter three straight years of COVID-related disruptions. But the performance of historically underserved students — including children with disabilities, those from low-income families, and students of color — still lags.

Most classroom walls display rules about arriving on time or raising hands to speak. Tim Smyth’s has a sign reminding students: “You’re Not Allowed to Ask Which is Better, Marvel or DC.” Even as he sidesteps fervent debates about which comic book publisher is superior, Smyth leans into comics and graphic novels in his 10th and 11th grade social studies classes at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pa. He believes they can offer students an engaging entry point into history and world cultures.

While many teachers are embracing generative artificial intelligence—the technology behind powerful new tools that analyze huge amounts of online data and then use it to create unique text and images from basic prompts—others are still wary of the technology and even feel overwhelmed by it. For that latter group, Kristen Brooks, a technology specialist in Cherokee County schools outside of Atlanta, has three simple strategies for teachers to get their feet wet.

Engaging in storytelling gives students an opportunity to connect with each other and understand classroom expectations. Teacher Matthew James Friday says, "I tell a story every day for the first two or three weeks. I also suggest that the students can become storytellers themselves. All they need to do is write a story at home. After a few weeks of my telling stories, something magical always happens: A student brings in a story."

Every year, educators worry about “summer slide,” the potential for learning loss when children are not in school. This issue is more pronounced among low-income families who don’t have access to summer camps or other enrichment activities. One way to battle summer slide is through reading for fun, which is associated with many academic and health benefits, including strengthening the brain, increasing ability to empathize, reducing stress and building vocabulary.

Pandemic academic recovery in both reading and math is lagging notably behind pre-COVID achievement trends for students in grades 4-8 during the 2022-23 school year, according to a new report by NWEA analyzing MAP Growth test scores of 6.7 million students across 20,000 public schools. Third-graders were the only group who saw improvements, and they were slight, according to NWEA, an educational research organization recently acquired by learning technology company HMH.

A few tips for ensuring that students—particularly those with disabilities and English learners—and their families get the year off to a good start.

Philadelphia and other cities are quietly building installations like the “Urban Thinkscape” to layer on learning where families already spend time. On a tiny triangular lot in the city’s Belmont neighborhood, kids waiting with their parents for the No. 40 bus can also work on their executive functioning skills, playing a hopscotch variation designed to train their brains. In Chicago, a wooden game mounted on the wall of a laundromat teaches children, in two languages, how to find color patterns in a lineup of detergent bottle tops.

Parents of kids with ADHD often say their kids miss social cues, such as when peers are bored, hurt or offended, according to Amori Mikami, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia in Canada. “It can lead to a lot of outbursts or temper tantrums or whining and complaining or arguing with the friend,” she said. Mikami researches peer relationships, specifically focusing on children with ADHD. Additionally, she developed a parental friendship coaching (PFC) model where parents of elementary school-age kids can learn to support their child in making friends.

The science of reading, while typically villainized for solely advocating phonics, is misrepresented as a phonics program, while really, it is a body of research that informs the most effective way to teach decoding and language comprehension. The definition of the science of reading, provided by The Reading League, is “the vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing.” The term “science of reading” does not equate to phonics. That term does not equate to comprehension.

A new FutureEd report, The Reading Revolution: How States Are Scaling Literacy Reform, tells the story of how Mississippi, Tennessee and other states at the vanguard of the reading revolution have redesigned reading instruction and raised student achievement in thousands of public schools through bold, state-level leadership. These states have addressed every aspect of early literacy, from how teachers and prospective teachers are trained to the curriculum they use, how students are assessed and whether children are retained rather than promoted to the next grade.

Billions of dollars were funneled to school districts across the U.S. to help them make up for learning loss from the pandemic. But new research shows that even with that extra money, school districts are still struggling to close the gaps in reading, writing and math. Stephanie Sy discussed the findings with Karyn Lewis of the Center for School and Student Progress and a lead researcher at NWEA.

I’m writing this for all the parents out there: Don’t leave your child’s reading success to chance. I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I was one of those parents. Sure, my wife and I read to our son every night, and we had plenty of books, newspapers and magazines around the house. Our local public school spent a lot of time on literacy too, but I cringe now as I look back on how they did it. They taught kids to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words using pictures, the first letter or other context clues.

Folk tales are meant to be flexible things, open-source stories infinitely moldable to the needs of teller and era. That’s the wonder of them — and of “The Skull,” an old Tyrolean yarn distilled to its droll essentials and marvelously reimagined by the Caldecott medalist (and national treasure) Jon Klassen. Klassen’s version, accompanied by a generous helping of his odd and beautiful illustrations, follows a young girl named Otilla who, one snowy night, “finally” runs away from home. She becomes hopelessly lost in a deep, dark forest.

The itinerary on my 13-day Norwegian cruise was too packed. Spending only two of the 13 days at sea left me exhausted, even as a seasoned cruiser.

Some things you should never do on a dog walk include approaching unfamiliar pets, using an extendable leash, and not picking up waste, experts said.

Denzel Washington may have let slip that director Ryan Coogler is working on a third "Black Panther" film, which Marvel has not yet announced.

"I think they say they want autonomy. I think their actions don't say the same thing," Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky recently said in an interview.

Ergatta's Black Friday deals are live now, giving shoppers a chance to save up to $850 on its smart rowers, including free shipping.

Taylor Swift has made a habit of cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs since she began dating NFL star Travis Kelce.

The rental-car giant fell as much as 12% on Tuesday after posting a deeper-than-expected loss.

With the fall season in full swing, a Business Insider reporter decided to make three cozy, comforting meals in a Crock-Pot.

A nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, like American carriers, would be a major jump for China, giving its navy a global reach.

The best early Black Friday MacBook deals include all-time low prices on the latest MacBook Air models.

Morgan Stanley analysts say Tesla will surge if it can expand to be an AI giant, which may be more likely if Elon Musk exerts influence in a second Trump term.

Paleontologist Dave Hone rates the realism of the dinosaur attacks in the "Jurassic Park" and "Jurassic World" movies.

A pro shares things you shouldn't do when buying a bra, like not switching up cup styles and assuming the clothing shouldn't leave marks on your skin.

A federal judge in Manhattan has agreed to hear Sean "Diddy" Combs argue again to be let out of jail pending his May 5 trial date on sex-trafficking.

Marilyn Chinitz has worked with celebs like Tom Cruise, Michael Douglas, and Wendy Williams. She has been happily married for 38 years.

If Trump's proposed 60% tariff against China is enacted and the country responds aggressively, it could pressure some of America's largest companies.

Ducati North America CEO Jason Chinnock enlisted in the US Army out of high school and served with the Third Armored Division in Desert Storm.

It's a British heritage brand driven by royals, including the late Queen Elizabeth. Now new Jaguars won't be on UK car lots until at least 2026.

I tested more than 30 bidets, from basic to luxe, to determine the most hygienic, comfortable, easy-to-install, and cost-effective models in 2024.

California's San Francisco Bay Area is still solidly blue — but less than it used to be.

Black Friday is weeks away, but Amazon already has several great deals you can find now. Here are the best Amazon early Black Friday deals.

The Houthis launched a complex attack consisting of anti-ship missiles and drones, a Pentagon spokesperson said Tuesday.

Traders are eyeing $100,000 for bitcoin by the end of the year potentially. The total crypto market value has surged to $3 trillion since the election.

When my job announced we were returning to the office, I was able to quit and rely on my emergency fund while job searching. I still wish I had saved more.

Bond yields spiked aggressively as investors awaited Wednesday's inflation data for October.

Too much fluoride can make your teeth brown, but getting a little bit is a dentist's dream. Here's the complete history of fluoridated water.

Shopify's surge added fuel to Canada's strong market rally, helping its benchmark index cross 25,000 for the first time.

Home Depot's CFO said investments to combat retail theft are "paying off" but the operating environment is "getting harder and harder."

Sean Combs is trying to sell the private jet, which prosecutors have said makes him a flight risk.

Taylor Swift is known for her glamorous red-carpet looks and sparkling stage outfits. But she's also fashionable in her everyday life.

NBC's newest workplace sitcom is here, and we'll show you where to watch St. Denis Medical if you don't have cable.

"Food Wars" hosts Harry Kersh and Joe Avella travel across New Orleans to find the best po'boy in the city.

Apple's smart home device, featuring AI and FaceTime, could enter the market by March, Bloomberg reported, and could compete with Google and Amazon.

Financial planner Anthony Carlton says his richest clients are teachers and other unassuming professionals who have good money habits.

ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods said there's not much opportunity for the oil industry to increase production in the short term.

Donald Trump's proposed tariffs would hit the consumer tech sector, raising prices on US consumers' favorite gadgets, an October report found.