The practice of testing young children for giftedness lacks scientific backing and can be influenced by socioeconomic factors, experts say. In New Orleans, families could pay for private testing to secure a gifted designation for their preschoolers, leading to a two-tiered system. This issue raises questions about the fairness and effectiveness of gifted-only programming for young students.

Suzanne Simons and Megan Jensen from the Literacy Design Collaborative emphasize the importance of assigning grade-level texts and tasks in English language arts to improve student outcomes. They cite a study showing that students who received grade-level assignments gained four to nine months of learning compared to their peers. The authors advocate for better professional development for teachers and highlight the need for equitable access to grade-level content.

Educators suggest several strategies to retain teachers, including creating a sense of purpose, building community and providing opportunities for professional growth. Jen Mott emphasizes the importance of emotional workplace safety and community building, while Renee Jones advocates for teacher representation in retention discussions.

Google Docs can be a powerful educational tool beyond its basic word-processing capabilities, says middle-school teacher Steffannie Alter, who uses the platform to facilitate real-time student collaboration, independent learning and multimodal assignments. Alter also leverages features such as Suggesting mode for peer feedback and document history for process tracking, and uses color coding to ensure balanced participation in group work.

Jessica Pack, a sixth-grade language arts teacher at James Workman Middle School in California, is using AI to enhance reading comprehension among her students. Using Adobe Express, students generate images based on prompts related to what they've read, which is especially helpful for English language learners and students of varying reading levels.

The future belongs to students who can ask better questions, verify answers, and flex their thinking. In their latest column for EL magazine, expert educators Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey break down the skills necessary for thinking, questioning, interpreting, and adapting.

The holiday season offers a unique window into your school’s culture. In their new column in the November issue of Educational Leadership, school counselor Michael Creekmore and teacher Nita Creekmore offer tips to use this holiday season for meaningful change.

The Education Department has resumed operations after a record 44-day government shutdown, thanks to a continuing resolution that funds the government until Jan. 30. The shutdown, which began Oct. 1, led to furloughs and disrupted programs such as Head Start and Impact Aid.

Supporters and critics are eagerly awaiting details of the first federally funded tax credit scholarship program, included in a Republican-led bill signed July 4 by President Donald Trump. The Treasury Department is expected to issue proposed rules for the program, which allows taxpayers to donate up to $1,700 to scholarship-granting organizations in exchange for a federal income tax credit.