Alabama has achieved what many thought impossible: climbing from dead last to the middle of the pack in national math rankings. The state, which historically jockeyed with Mississippi for 52nd place on NAEP assessments, now ranks 32nd — a dramatic improvement driven in part by the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative. "We are in the middle of the pack," says Rachel Broadhead, who works with the statewide initiative. "That's a big deal for a state that's been at the bottom for as long as anyone can remember." Kevin Hogan discusses with her what the state has done to achieve this.

Updated for 2025: Thanksgiving is a day to reflect with gratitude on the blessings of our lives. It’s one of the most beloved American holidays, celebrated by people of all religions and backgrounds, and ideal for incorporating into your curriculum.

A few recent education leader-focused T&L originals:

• Charting Your Path to Educational Leadership
• Building Bridges: The Powerful Impact of Community-School Partnerships
• The Difference Between Average And Remarkable Leadership
• Empowering the Next Generation of Female Leaders
• The 2-Minute Story That Saved My Career: How Storytelling Can Be The Most Effective Form of Feedback

Enjoy!

New AI programs are popping up at higher ed institutions across the country at the graduate and undergraduate level. These programs seek to meet the growing demand for AI experts who can help design this technology but also help society navigate it. We spoke with educators at two of these programs to seek their advice about what students entering the field should keep in mind when pursuing an AI degree.

AhaSlides is a presentation tool at its core but it stands out thanks to the interactive nature of the platform as a whole. So while the slide shows themselves can be interactive, there is plenty more, including standard presentations, Q&As, polls, and quizzes, as well as self-paced assessments, gamification, learning discussions, and team activities.

The ViewSonic LDS138-151 All-in-One Mobile Direct View LED Display redefines versatility and flexibility for education. With a stunning 138-inch, 1080p screen, it delivers vibrant visuals for everything from lectures, assemblies and esports tournaments to community gatherings and student announcements. Its foldable design makes the LDS138-151 All-in-One Mobile Direct View LED Display easy to move across campus, transforming any space into an engaging environment.

Google’s Learn Your Way reimagines the traditional textbook with AI-powered personalization, multimodal learning, and deeper student engagement.

Gemini 3 is skilled at reasoning, generating video, and writing code. Amid talk of an AI bubble, Google notes the new model could help increase search revenue too.

Vape detector logs reveal an avalanche of alerts, suspensions dwarfing treatment services, and younger kids being punished more.

By consistently consolidating what students have learned, they are growing their long-term memories and creating more background knowledge to build upon.