1) A 7-year-long study finds that effective elementary teachers who transferred to low-achieving schools under a $20,000 bonus-pay program helped their new students learn more on average than those in a control group.

2) Nearly 50% of all American public school students now live in poverty and in 17 states a majority of public schools students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2011.

3) 310,000 students are enrolled in fully online schools, an increase of over 13% from 2012.

4) 740,000 students are enrolled in state virtual schools in 26 states.