Some rural schools in Ohio have boosted graduation rates and the number of college-going graduates thanks, in part, to the Ohio Appalachian Collaborative. The collaborative, which launched with 21 school districts in 2010, allows for pooling of resources and better access to funding.

Educators can help students rely on their own skills and knowledge by using audio, video and other tools to build autonomy, write educational consultant Jessica Hockett and teacher advocate Kristina Doubet. In this blog post, they outline several strategies.

Educators implementing the Next Generation Science Standards should consider ways to integrate computer science, asserts computer science integration specialist Sheena Vaidyanathan. In this commentary, she shares several ideas and digital tools to help educators get started.

Students who are exposed to science, technology, engineering and math in early grades may be better prepared for future careers in this field, asserts teacher Diana Traylor. In this commentary, Traylor and two other educators advocate for adding robotics and coding to early learning.

About a dozen states and the District of Columbia include prekindergarten in their funding formulas for kindergarten to grade 12. Megan Carolan, director of policy research at the nonprofit Institute for Child Success, calls this approach "tremendously successful."

Forty-three education advocacy groups in a letter to the US Senate say they are worried that proposed tax bills could lead to a reduction in federal funds for education. "If tax reform is deficit-financed and adds to the federal debt, as both the budget resolution and the House bill would allow, there will be increased pressure for Congress to curb direct spending for education and all discretionary spending," the letter says.

An analysis by Congress' Joint Committee on Taxation shows that changes made to higher-education tax policies in the House tax bill could cost students and families more than $71 billion over the next decade. Changes include the elimination of the student-loan interest deduction and a new tax on tuition waivers for graduate students.

The Government Accountability Office reports that a majority of all school districts in the country -- about two-thirds -- have taken steps to address active-shooter scenarios. Superintendent Richard Fitzpatrick said such preparation helped ensure students at an elementary school in California went home safely after a recent threat.

ASCD, in partnership with Wonder Media, presents a series of animations based on the renowned 16 Habits of Mind, developed by Art Costa and Bena Kallick of the Institute for Habits of Mind. This groundbreaking collaboration offers 16 animated lessons and 350 printable extension lessons that empower students in kindergarten through second grade with creative and critical-thinking skills for success in school and in life. The animation was produced by Terry Thoren, the former CEO of Klasky Csupo, Inc., the company that produced the "Rugrats" and "The Wild Thornberrys" for Nickelodeon. Learn more.

The most common complaint that educators have when it comes to communicating with families is that parents often ignore information supplied by educators, especially if it provides explanations of learning activities and goals. There is a lot of truth to this. While there is no guarantee that all parents and community members can be reached at all times, there are a number of factors that might help with establishing relevance and overcoming the "getting through" barrier.