Here's what you need to know about the realities of one of the biggest, most controversial trends in K-12 education, starting with the most difficult questions first.

To foster improvement and responsible accountability, instructional coaches must honor teachers' choices and discretion.

Preschoolers with elevated ScreenQ scores had reduced structural integrity of white matter in brain areas involved with literacy and language, compared with more well-developed white matter among those with lower ScreenQ scores, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers also found a strong connection between higher ScreenQ scores and poorer emerging literacy, expressive language…

Scott Anderson, a high-school math teacher in Wisconsin, gradually scaled back homework until he eliminated it entirely in favor of using every minute of classroom time to teach math skill sets. Anderson said that changing his approach boosted the number of students ready for college-level math from about 30% to nearly 100%.

Integrating podcasting into the classroom can help encourage students to engage with lessons while exploring their passions. Lindsay Johnson, a high-school English teacher in Kentucky, says making a podcast enabled her students to talk about their interests while learning how to ask the right questions and construct a compelling narrative for listeners who might be…

Study finds principal PD program did not move needle for students.

To foster improvement and responsible accountability, instructional coaches must honor teachers' choices and discretion.

Students' writing improves when they have step-by-step guides for writing in different genres as well as for grammar and punctuation, according to an analysis of 14 studies by researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Education, plus researchers in Belgium and the UK. The researchers also found that successful writing instruction thrives in classrooms that…

Why students should have freedom to think like historians.

There are several ways to help improve reading proficiency among students, suggests Laura Bemus, Title I funding specialist at Kids Read Now and assistant superintendent for Greenville City Schools. Bemus shares how her district found success by working on reading strategies, expanding the school day and year, engaging families and giving students access to books…

Many children struggle with dyslexia and have difficulty reading in school. We created the Mindshift Guide to Understanding Dyslexia as a printable resource for parents, educators and kids who are looking for help.

Schools are easy targets for cybercriminals and should change their mindsets to prioritize the prevention of ransomware attacks, writes former Defense Department security analyst Sam Bocetta. In this commentary, he shares tips to help stave off attacks and respond in case of a disaster.