The US Department of Education has released initial guidance for states regarding transition to the Every Student Succeeds Act from No Child Left Behind. The new federal education law takes full effect during the 2017-18 school year.

Congressional lawmakers are returning from a five-week vacation. They come back to a full list of education agenda items, such as passing a spending bill, reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and an overhaul of the federal higher-education law.

Professional development includes retaining, reflecting and redistributing knowledge, writes Bob Dillon, a director of school technology and innovation. "With a greater focus on retaining information, reflecting more frequently on learning, and redistributing the new knowledge to others, excellence can scale throughout the educational ecosystem," he writes.

Children with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety and/or behavioral problems were at a sixfold increased likelihood of having difficulty in adulthood -- such as addiction, housing instability and trouble finding and keeping a job -- than those without psychiatric problems, according to a study in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

Online exams associated with the Common Core State Standards have prompted some schools to revisit the need for keyboarding classes. "In terms of typing, this is a growing pain," said Luci Willits, deputy executive director of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium. "If it hasn't been a priority for schools, they are realizing now that it is one."