Transitioning to middle school is a significant change for students, especially those with individualized education programs, writes Richard Celebre, director of special services in a New Jersey district. Celebre emphasizes the importance of early planning, sometimes starting as early as October, to ensure a smooth transition, with key strategies including having a dedicated coordinator, engaging families from the beginning and gradually familiarizing students with their new environment.

Student-led parent-teacher conferences are increasing parent attendance and student engagement at schools such as Open World Learning Community in St. Paul, Minn., and Friends School of Baltimore. Friends School, a private school, starts student-led conferences as early as kindergarten, emphasizing goal-setting and presentation skills.

D.H.H. Lengel Middle School in Pottsville, Pa., celebrated National Farm to School Month by serving meals made from locally sourced ingredients from Honey Brook Farm and Anderson Farms. The event highlighted the importance of agriculture and healthy eating, with students expressing enthusiasm for the fresh food.

Teachers who use class openers, collect regular feedback, give low-stakes quizzes and ensure brain breaks are using brain science to aid in teaching. Understanding the neuroscience of cognitive functions such as memory, attention and emotion can lead to meaningful shifts in classroom strategies, resulting in improved student outcomes in math, reading and empathy.

Eighty-nine percent of principals are concerned that generative AI tools will make students reliant on technology for completing basic assignments, 87% say that the technology will hinder critical thinking and 82% say it will prevent students from engaging with course material, a report from the College Board finds. However, 69% of students report using AI regularly to find information, with only 45% worried about its impact on skills and 52% concerned about overreliance, the report finds.

Jeffrey Schuh, a social studies teacher at Seaman Middle School in Kansas, has been chosen for the National History Day organization's Silent Heroes program. Schuh is among 61 teachers nationwide conducting research, with 15 of the educators focusing on Vietnam War soldiers.

Jillian Nolke is recognized for cultivating a classroom environment at Skinner North Classical School in Chicago, where kindness and individuality are prioritized. She encourages her middle-school students to be themselves, embrace their individual quirks and treat one another with respect, with students describing her classroom as calm, supportive and a place where they feel safe to express themselves.