Young men paid the ultimate price to save their classmates from gun violence. Teachers marched through the streets, demanding change. Prosecutors uncovered corruption in the high-stakes world of elite college admissions. Clashes characterized the field of education in 2019. The struggles that students, parents, and educators endured taught them important lessons they can carry into the new year.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week targeting anti-Semitism on college campuses, drawing praise from some and fear from others that it may lead to a silencing of free speech.

“This is our message to universities: If you want to accept the tremendous amount of federal dollars that you get every year, you must reject anti-Semitism,” the president said. “It’s very simple.”

U.S. students scored above average in reading and science but lagged behind in math compared with their international peers, according to the latest Programme for International Student Assessment test results.

Amid hallways decked with international flags, more than 200 children from 21 countries—including Afghanistan, Cuba, and Myanmar (also known as Burma)—chatter in a mix of English and 15 other languages at Valencia Newcomer School in Phoenix. As they make friends and learn about American classroom etiquette, they also pick up vital language skills.

The U.S. Department of Education released an update to its College Scorecard last Wednesday, providing college-bound students data on salary and debt levels for specific majors.

A national achievement test shows American fourth and eighth graders falling behind in reading and barely holding steady in math, but the numbers don’t tell the whole story. The National Assessment of Educational Progress, which administers the test, says public schools are making progress with some key student groups even though overall performance is lackluster.

A federal judge held U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in contempt of court last week for billing thousands of students who were victims of education fraud. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim on Thursday said the Department of Education continued to collect money from former students of the for-profit Corinthian Colleges despite a May 2018 court order to stop. The San Francisco judge fined the department $100,000 and required detailed monthly reporting to verify future compliance.