The latest edition will be begin rolling out next week during the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.

According to ZDNet.com, the product "will be available for installation by hardware partners on new devices that are purchased with discounted K-12 academic licenses.”

Additionally, "Microsoft also will offer users running devices with Windows 10 Pro that are purchased with K-12 academic licenses to upgrade automatically to Windows 10 Pro Education. And those users with Academic Volume Licensing agreements will be able to get Windows 10 Pro Education through the Volume Licensing Service Center at some later date.” 

Some of the key differences revolve around the inclusion of education-focused features that make the product more accessible to teachers and students.

In April, Microsoft elaborated on what some of these features would be.

”Set Up Schools PC,” for example, is a new feature that " lets teachers set up shared devices in their classrooms in only three steps taking minutes; schools with IT support can opt for the updated Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer tool with the same effect,” said WinBeta.org.

Further, the new app called “Take the Test” "can provide standardized testing for a classroom or the whole school."

These features are part of Microsoft’s initiative to “redefine the modern classroom.” 

The update also disables Cortana, the personal assistant software that Microsoft has deemed irrelevant for educator and student purposes.

Read more about Windows Pro Education here.

Nicole Gorman, Senior Education World Contributor

7/28/2016