Research shows that air quality and air conditioning in schools can affect academic outcomes for students. Some schools in California that used air filters had higher test scores than schools that did not, according to a small study by a researcher at New York University.

The Discover E Future City competition challenges middle-school students to dream up ways of preparing cities to deal with issues such as ensuring a ready supply of clean water, which was this year's theme. Students in the Oklahoma City area worked with a teacher or mentor on a project plan using their STEM skills and presented it to the judges on Monday, and the winners will go to the national championships in Washington, D.C.

A high-school English teacher in Virginia has curated a classroom library of about 1,000 books for students. Corrina Reamer paid for the books through grants and online fundraisers, including raising an estimated $10,000 through DonorsChoose.

A focus on STEM education has led many educators to turn to off-the-shelf programs designed to serve as a fun way to introduce students to coding, writes Steven Fink, founder of SummerTech. In this commentary, Fink questions such "edutainment" methods, arguing most fail to teach students the basics of coding.

The Bethel School District in Oregon has launched a pilot program -- called Middle School Mentors -- that matches adult volunteers with students who need extra support. The program brings mentors to Shasta and Cascade middle schools once a week to eat lunch with the students, some of whom have unstable home lives or behavioral problems and benefit from the program's consistency, officials say.

Incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism last fall at Middlesex Middle School in Connecticut prompted the school recently to bring in the Anti-Defamation League to lead sessions aimed at teaching students how to address bullying and hate speech. The sessions included discussions with students on topics such as religion, race, class and wealth.

The Trump administration has proposed changes relaxing nutrition standards under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, permitting schools to reduce fruit servings in breakfasts, offer burgers or pizzas as a la carte food items and provide potatoes as a daily vegetable. The proposed rules, which US Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said seek to curb food waste and paperwork, may encourage youths to opt for foods with increased calories, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Eighty-six percent of parents report agreeing or strongly agreeing that their adolescent children excessively play video games, according to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. The survey also shows that while 71% of parents report that video games may positively affect their teens, nearly 50% say video games "frequently" or "sometimes" hinder teen participation in family activities.

With growing funding for school safety, many schools are looking to adopt a comprehensive approach that includes mental health. This white paper explores how schools can play a role in supporting student safety and well-being, and how administrators can build the case for funding evidence-based mental health prevention and early identification. Download the white paper here.

The presidential campaign season will begin in earnest this February with the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. Which means it's now time for the quadrennial complaint from the K-12 cognoscenti about the failure of the candidates -- or the voting public -- to make education a top campaign issue.