Educators are divided on the effectiveness of homework, with some citing its benefits for academic achievement, while others argue that it can be excessive and ineffective, according to informal Education Week polls. Research from the Center for Public Education indicates that homework can boost achievement, but it should take no more than one hour a night for students in middle school and between 1.5 and 2.5 hours for high-schoolers.

Chill Rooms, part of the Allegheny Health Network's Chill Project, are providing a vital mental health resource for students in Pennsylvania. The rooms offer a calming environment and access to behavioral health educators and clinicians, helping students manage anxiety, depression and bullying.

Fifth-grade students at Alfred Lima Elementary School in Providence, R.I., are challenging negative perceptions of local public schools through a bilingual news program, Lima News. The program, led by school librarian Tasha White, covers school events and issues such as media literacy, and has featured interviews with notable figures including Gov. Daniel McKee and Mayor Brett Smiley.

Philadelphia is determined to make high-impact tutoring work for math and is following research recommendations: 90 minutes per week of tutoring during the school day, training tutors, matching tutoring content to teachers' curriculum and selecting students based on parent/student interest. "It’s one of the most promising academic instructional vehicles that we have seen," John Wolf of the University of Chicago Education Lab says, noting that schools still must find the money to scale up efforts and provide students with enough tutoring to benefit.

Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland are introducing Lumi Story, an AI-powered storytelling platform backed by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, to enhance literacy and academic skills. The platform, which supports over 50 languages, is designed to enhance literacy and support academic growth by allowing students to creatively develop stories and characters using AI technology.

The study categorizes children's digital habits into social media, gaming, and video watching, examining their effects on ADHD symptoms. It found that only social media usage was linked to increased inattentiveness, not gaming or video watching. This distinction suggests that the type of digital activity is crucial in understanding its impact on children's attention and highlights the need for further investigation into digital habits.