The New York Board of Regents has moved forward with proposals to require climate education and financial literacy in schools, opening a 60-day public comment period. The initiatives, part of the New York Inspires and Portrait of a Graduate programs, aim to equip students with essential skills. Climate education would cover causes, impacts and solutions, while financial literacy would address budgeting, credit and investing.

Google has introduced Learn Your Way, an AI-powered digital textbook creator that personalizes content based on student interests and reading levels. Early trials show that the tool increases student engagement and performance, with students scoring 9% higher on immediate assessments and 11% higher on retention compared to those using standard digital readers.

Cook Primary School in Georgia has surpassed its $12,000 fundraising goal to build an outdoor literacy garden, reaching the milestone before its annual WeRun fundraiser event began. The garden, which can accommodate up to 48 students, aims to make learning more engaging by providing a hands-on space for reading and exploration. Principal Jeanne Dixon attributes the success to strong parent involvement, and donations came from 27 states.

The Rotary Club of Jamestown, Va.'s Laundromat Literacy Project, now in its fourth year, has distributed more than 1,800 books to patrons of three city laundromats. The initiative, aimed at promoting literacy among children and families, involves volunteers maintaining bookshelves stocked with free books for children.

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 latest California School Dashboard indicates modest academic progress among K-12 students, with test scores improving but still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. Chronic absenteeism and the progress of English learners have largely stalled, with only slight improvements. However, the graduation rate reached a record high of 88% and college and career readiness also improved, with nearly 52% of graduates meeting university requirements or completing career pathways.

Students of color frequently struggle with undiagnosed dyslexia, as their reading difficulties are often attributed to behavioral problems or home life circumstances rather than learning disabilities. Despite the prevalence of dyslexia, Black and brown children are significantly less likely to be identified and supported compared to their white peers. This underdiagnosis leads to missed opportunities for early intervention and perpetuates academic disparities.

The National Literacy Trust has issued a paper, "The Future of Literacy: Multimodal Reading," that calls for a broader understanding of literacy in the digital age, highlighting the gap between current literacy practices and the support systems in education and policy. Supported by Audible and Oxford University Press, the paper advocates for the validation of reading across print, digital, audio and visual media to ensure no child is left behind.