Standing in the front of his Lorton, Virginia, classroom, Sean Miller told his students that food would be a topic of conversation during the class period. He also said they would talk about the types of goods that emerged in ancient East and West Africa. Part of that would involve how the influence of gold shaped the development of certain African empires.

Michael Petrilli, president of the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute, says an important debate is brewing in the school choice community—"how to balance the drive for educational freedom with other essential values, including fairness and fiscal responsibility."

Denver Public Schools launched Acceleration Academies that pair students who are significantly below grade level with paraprofessionals who are receiving coaching and professional development.

More districts universally screen students for gifted and talented programs but other promising practices are less common, a new report warns.