Aldine Independent School District in Texas is overhauling high-school education with a new program that offers students career pathways in health care fields such as imaging, nursing, pharmacy, rehabilitation and administration, combining traditional academics with specialized training. This move aligns with a broader national push, supported by initiatives like the Future of High School Network, to modernize high-school education and ensure graduates are better prepared for postsecondary opportunities and the demands of today's economy.

States vary in their approach to college and career readiness indicators, with 42 states using at least one indicator in their accountability systems, according to a report from All4Ed and the Urban Institute. The most common measures for college readiness are Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, while career readiness is often assessed through industry credentials or career and technical education pathways.

A digital divide in AI education is emerging, with affluent schools more likely to offer AI training than those in low-income and rural areas, according to research from Arizona State University. AI4All, a free summer camp at Princeton University, aims to bridge this gap by teaching high-school students from low-income families about AI.

The West Virginia Board of Education has reported continued improvement in English language arts and math proficiency among students, with ELA proficiency rising to 48% for the 2024-25 academic year compared with 45% for the previous year. The improvements mark a continued recovery from declines seen during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and show a majority of counties statewide now meeting or exceeding established growth targets.

Student achievement has yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels five years after the onset of COVID-19, according to a report from Curriculum Associates. The report, based on data from more than 11 million K-8 students, shows modest gains in reading, but progress in math is slower, with students still lagging behind 2019 benchmarks by as much as 17 percentage points.

Equitable grading elements, which include no zeros, no late penalties, unlimited retakes and no credit for homework or class participation, are increasingly being implemented in schools, according to a report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute and RAND Corp. that is based on a national survey of teachers. The report shows that while 36% of teachers have adopted more than one of these policies, only 2% have implemented all of them, with many teachers expressing concerns about the potential negative impact on student achievement, with some suggesting that the policies could lead to a sense of entitlement among students.