Federal education data show a wide disparity between white and black students' placement in programs for gifted students or challenging courses, such as Advanced Placement classes, throughout Indiana school districts. Some districts with the widest gaps are making some progress through policies such as universal screening and training teachers on racial and cultural biases.

Educators Jamie Schleifer and Mindy Andrus started a business selling coffee to teachers at their Nebraska school to help students with special needs gain job skills and have more social interactions throughout the campus. Students in the program have gained confidence and are more engaged in their schooling, the teachers say.

There are four key factors that create obstacles to a positive work environment for teachers, according to a report by the nonprofit 100Kin10. They include limited resources for professional development and a belief that student learning and teacher growth cannot be prioritized together.

Before introducing a one-to-one device program in the classroom, school districts should carefully consider the budget they have -- including a maintenance budget -- and should weigh their options before deciding on which devices to purchase, writes Lenovo Software's director of inside sales, Jessica Menasian. In this commentary, she also says that school districts should ensure they have effective digital policies in place to protect students.

Four states -- Georgia, Kansas, South Carolina and Hawaii -- have indicated their interest in being part of an innovative assessment pilot for the Every Student Succeeds Act. Up to seven states can join the pilot, which would allow them to try various tests in a few districts before taking them statewide.

Youths with autism spectrum disorder and those with developmental delays had 1.57 times and 1.38 times increased odds of being overweight or obese, respectively, compared with those in the general population, according to a study in the Journal of Pediatrics. The findings, based on data involving about 2,500 children ages 2 to 5, also showed a 1.7 times higher overweight or obesity risk among those with severe ASD symptoms, compared with those with mild ASD symptoms.