As the education editor at The Conversation, some of my favorite stories are the ones that may not make major headlines across other news outlets. Still, these articles explore nuanced, unique research that truly helps readers − and curious editors − better understand the state of education in the United States.

Scholar Graham Wright’s story on antisemitism on college campuses, for example, breaks down how Jewish undergraduate students actually feel about antisemitic rhetoric and violence on campus. These students want their schools to do more to address antisemitism, but heavy-handed approaches to ban pro-Palestinian protesters “sometimes made things worse by further inflaming campus tensions,” Wright writes.

Scholar Sheneka Williams, meanwhile, pulls back the curtain on why rural high school students are more likely than urban and suburban ones to graduate from high school but remain less likely to go to college. She spoke about growing up in rural Alabama, highlighting the various practical reasons why college might seem out of reach for some students in lower-resourced high schools in rural areas.

And scholar Timothy E. Shanahan challenges the very common practice of giving young readers “just right” books. Shanahan explains how this Golidlocks approach could actually limit “students’ opportunities to learn” by not taking them outside of their comfort zones.

Looking into the new year, we will continue to cover breaking and ongoing stories, stretching from early childhood into higher education. Many of these will cover what The Conversation does best − reflecting unique findings, trends and little-known history that people are unlikely to find elsewhere.