Preschool, transitional kindergarten deliver big: 11 months ahead in reading, 8 in math

The Concord-Carlisle School District and Principal Justin Sparks, however, contend only an AI grammar checker was used and that the dismissal followed a series of underwhelming performance reviews. The arbitrator upheld the dismissal in an Aug. 27 decision and put “no weight” on the AI allegation. But, the way the arbitrator allegedly reached that conclusion — using two AI platforms to research the validity of GPTZero without notifying either party — could be a violation of their neutrality, the complaint says. In a Sept. 28 lawsuit pitting various AI platforms and their reliability against one another, Apollos is asking Suffolk County Superior Court to vacate the arbitrator’s decision and order a new hearing before a different arbitrator. Representation for Apollos declined to comment on the case. A spokesperson for the Concord-Carlisle Regional School District told Boston.com the district does not comment on pending litigation. “Mr. Sparks failed to base his ratings on his own professional judgment in the Summative Evaluation; instead he relied on the judgment of artificial intelligence,” according to Apollos’ argument in court documents.

A new report shows Virginia students’ kindergarten readiness rose 6 percentage points to 57% over the past year, with underserved students making notable gains, according to the Department of Education.

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LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- A split federal appeals court ruled Friday that President Trump's deployment of 4,000 members of the California National Guard to the Los Angeles area last year was an unlawful abuse of his authority. The 2-1 decision by a three-judge panel of the U. S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals follows precedent set by the U. S. Supreme Court in December holding that Trump's federalization of the Illinois National Guard was illegal. The ruling Friday in San Francisco rejects the president's assertion that there was a rebellion'' in Los Angeles that warranted federalizing the guard, an argument the court determined did not stand within a "range of honest judgment. "The Trump administration said violent demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles and elsewhere protesting the immigration crackdown justified the president taking control of the guard from Gov. Gavin Newsom. "Today is a crucial day for the rule of law, upholding the Constitution and defending democracy," Newsom said in a statement. "Yet another court has issued a complete rejection of Donald Trump's illegal, authoritarian takeover of our state's National Guard.

A three-alarm fire erupted in a chemical plant in Newburyport late Friday night and into Saturday morning, fire officials said. No one was injured, officials said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and it’s unclear whether chemicals were involved. It’s also unclear whether any chemicals were affected by the blaze, although a hazardous materials incident was declared due to the location of the fire, the Newburyport Fire Department said in a statement. The fire occured at Strem Chemicals, located at 7 Mulliken Way. The company produces a wide range of chemicals used in both research and commercial manufacturing, as well as laboratory hardware, according to its website. A representative for the company did not immediately respond to the Globe’s request for comment Saturday night. The fire started around 11:10 p.m. Friday, and crews arrived to find heavy smoke billowing from the plant. The sprinklers had been activated, according to the Fire Department’s statement. Three alarms were declared in order to request additional resources, the statement said. The Newbury, Merrimac, West Newbury, Amesbury, and Salisbury fire departments provided assistance.

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky could only offer a rough estimate of 30 to 40 family and friends expected to attend Saturday night’s game against the Bruins at TD Garden. Sharks forward Adam Gaudette, a former Northeastern hockey standout from Braintree, said he lost count of the welcome party that would be awaiting him on Causeway Street after the game. A hefty portion of TD Garden’s lower bowl was expected to be shrouded in teal — given the number of New England hockey products taking the ice against the Bruins. Beyond their bench boss, who hailed from Marshfield, the Sharks boasted four skaters with New England ties: Will Smith (Lexington), Collin Graf (Lincoln), Michael Kesselring (New Hampton, N. H.), and Gaudette. Gaudette, who starred at Thayer Academy before winning the Hobey Baker Award at Northeastern University, was expecting to draw into the lineup to make his season debut. Get Sports AlertsThe latest sports news and Globe's most interesting reporting and commentary right to your inbox. Enter EmailPlaying time has been hard to come by, but an injury to Sharks winger Igor Chernyshov opened the door for the shot-ready Gaudette, 30, to take the ice against his hometown team.