A new national analysis found that most teachers check on students’ mental health at least weekly, averaging 8 hours a week on these supports, and half say the work has become harder in the last two years. About 2 of those hours fall outside contract time, and teachers who give more of this support are more likely to call teaching emotionally draining. The analysis recommends that districts offer wraparound services for students and families, such as mental health care, food assistance and housing support. It also suggests partnering with community organizations so teachers aren’t carrying this work alone.

Many states have adopted the science of reading, an approach built on explicit phonics instruction, after Mississippi used it to climb from 49th to 9th in the nation in 4th grade reading. However, most of the training and support has focused on kindergarten through 3rd grade. Late elementary and middle school students who still struggle need the same decoding instruction, but their teachers often aren’t trained to provide it. Leaders should check whether their literacy training and intervention plans reach grades 4-8, not just the early grades.

New York finished moving its grades 3-8 state tests online this past spring after a decade-long transition. Now more than half of New York City Council members have asked the state to allow a paper option. Their reason is that a computer testing requirement pushes schools toward more screen time just as many are trying to cut back; NYC has already banned individual devices for pre-K through 2nd grade. State officials say digital tests are faster to score and can adjust to each student’s skill level, but the shift has been slowed by repeated technical problems, and the state is reviewing the request. This is an early sign that pushback on screen time is starting to reach testing policy, so it’s worth planning how your own assessment choices fit your screen-time goals.

Fairfax County, Virginia, launched a digital literacy curriculum built on the idea of “purpose over platform,” using a Common Sense Media curriculum with a different focus for each grade. Kindergartners learn habits through six body-part characters; for example, feet stand for a digital footprint and guts stand for online safety. By 2nd grade, students learn to search trusted platforms and to question whether images are real, including AI-generated ones, and to check with a trusted adult or a library book when unsure. This case study shows how early grades can lay a foundation for AI literacy without putting AI tools in young students’ hands.

A recent National Association of State Boards of Education report found that nearly three in four high school graduates felt less than fully prepared for life after graduation, and a third of teachers thought their students weren’t ready for the workforce. Some schools are responding with career-focused models, like Rhode Island’s Met High School, where students intern twice a week and design many of their own projects. These models come with tradeoffs, though: one Met graduate said he is now working to make up for gaps in his academic preparation. The lesson for leaders is that career-connected learning works best alongside strong academics, not as a replacement for them.

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