Utah schools would no longer get a letter grade each year for performance—a system that has been largely criticized for relying too much on test scores and accounting too little for diversity—under a bill that gained committee approval. The measure to do away with the controversial A through F grades.

KinderLab Robotics expanded its KIBO curriculum suite by announcing the K2-focused Growing with KIBO. It is designed to support classrooms with a complete, sequenced STEAM curriculum covering robotics, coding and computational thinking. In addition, it provides opportunities for integrating these topics with arts and literacy activities.

When it comes to teaching students about slavery, teachers often stumble through the topic. In the worst cases, they use poorly conceived lessons that end up inflaming students and communities. One idea is moving beyond textbooks, which often use inadequate or inaccurate descriptions, to include records and firsthand accounts. Another way is to get out of the classrooms by visiting museums and historic sites.

Finland's education system caters to working families and receives plenty of funding, with more than 55 percent in federal dollars. Free meals, health care and outside-of-class child care are available to all students, who start formal schooling at age 7.