Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Explore the full series of eSchool News podcasts hosted by Kevin Hogan—created to keep you on the cutting edge of innovations in education.

Savvas Learning Company Named to the 2024 GSV 150 of Top-Growth Companies

PARAMUS, N.J./PRNewswire/ — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, is excited to announce that it has been named to the 2024 edition of the GSV 150, an annual list of the top 150 private companies transforming digital learning and workforce skills. This is the second year in a row that Savvas has been named to the GSV 150.

“At Savvas, we are committed to developing innovative learning solutions that are powered by the most advanced technology to help educators meet the needs of all students,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “Savvas is honored to be recognized among the exceptional companies on the GSV 150 who are champions of educational technology — including new AI-enabled systems — to make for a richer, more personalized teaching and learning experience for all.”

GSV is a global community and investment platform singularly focused on elevating the scope and scale of innovation in the $7 trillion education and workforce sector. It estimates that together these 150 companies reach roughly 3 billion people — almost half of the global population — and generate approximately $23 billion in revenue.

Savvas was chosen from more than 2,000+ global companies revolutionizing the world of education technology, from Pre-K-12 to workforce learning. GSV Ventures evaluated these companies on five criteria — revenue scale, revenue growth, active learner reach, international reach, and margin profile — to determine the global GSV 150 list.

With an innovation mindset and a focus on technology to personalize instruction at scale, Savvas empowers educators and engages students with high-quality, interactive PreK-12 learning solutions. It recently acquired Outlier.org and its portfolio of online, asynchronous college-level courses that combine cinematic videos and charismatic professors, enabling high school students to earn dual credit while never having to leave their school building. The acquisition will allow Savvas to offer an immersive, engaging college learning experience to millions of high school students and increase educational equity, access, and opportunity.

In 2023, Savvas acquired Whooo’s Reading and its cutting-edge AI-driven technology, which Savvas is thoughtfully integrating into its digital ecosystem of innovative learning solutions. Savvas believes that AI’s game-changing capabilities have the potential to take personalized learning to new heights while providing teachers time-saving tools to make their jobs easier, enabling them to spend more time interacting with students.

“The world is adapting to seismic shifts from generative AI,” said Luben Pampoulov, partner at GSV Ventures. “AI co-pilots, AI tutors, AI content generators — AI is ubiquitous, and differentiation is increasingly critical. The GSV 150 is an impressive group of edtech companies that are leveraging AI and driving positive outcomes for learners and society.”

Visit GSV 150 for the full list of 2024 winners.

In addition to Savvas being selected for inclusion on the GSV 150 list, Forsa has also been chosen to speak at the ASU+GSV Summit 2024 in San Diego, in panel discussions focusing on the AI Revolution in Digital Education as well as K-12 schools and content.

ABOUT SAVVAS LEARNING COMPANY
At Savvas, we believe learning should inspire. By combining new ideas, new ways of thinking, and new ways of interacting, we design engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed. Our award-winning, high-quality instructional materials span every grade level and discipline, from evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula to supplemental and intervention programs to state-of-the art assessment tools — all designed to meet the needs of every learner. Savvas products are used by millions of students and educators in more than 90 percent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as globally in more than 125 countries. To learn more, visit Savvas Learning Company. Savvas Learning Company’s products are also available for sale in Canada through its subsidiary, Rubicon.…Read More

America’s Blood Centers Announces National Partnership with Body Interact to Help Innovate Blood Donation Education

Washington, DC (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — America’s Blood Centers (ABC), the national organization of community-based, independent blood centers that supply 60 percent of the nation’s blood supply, today announced a new multi-year national partnership with Body Interact, a leader in virtual patient simulation technology. This collaboration aims to help innovate the way students and potential blood donors learn about the critical importance of blood donation by providing cutting-edge virtual patient scenarios illustrating the lifesaving impact of blood donation as part of an expanded Vein to Vein: The Science of Blood Donation high school education program, to be released in the coming weeks.

“America’s Blood Centers is proud to partner with Body Interact to bring cutting-edge virtual learning scenarios to our Vein to Vein program. This collaboration will help innovate how students and potential blood donors learn about the critical importance of blood donation, fostering a lifelong interest in supporting our nation’s blood supply. We look forward to working together to provide an engaging and interactive learning experience that will help strengthen and diversify the blood supply for years to come,” said Kate Fry, CEO of America’s Blood Centers.

“At Body Interact/Take The Wind, we are honored to join forces and collaborate with America’s Blood Centers. By offering students a chance to experience realistic patient simulations, we aim to bring attention to the universal relevance of blood donation through experiential learning. Not only is blood donation a noble act, but also a critical one that could touch students’ loved ones and their communities. We are excited to bring this valuable resource to thousands of high school students across America,” said Raquel Bidarra, U.S. Country Manager at Body Interact.…Read More

iCEV Recognizes Putnam County Schools as the District’s Student Becomes the 100,000th Certification Earner on the iCEV Testing Platform

Lubbock, TX – Putnam County Schools in Tennessee is recognized by iCEV, a leading producer of Career & Technical Education (CTE) curriculum, industry certification testing, and data management, for having the 100,000th certification earner on the iCEV Testing Platform.

Serving more than 12,000 students across 22 schools, Putnam County Schools has long been recognized as a leader in promoting equitable access to CTE programs and career opportunities. In Putnam County Schools, CTE courses are aligned to relevant industry certifications that will help earners begin successful careers.

“It’s important that we provide equal access to all of our students,” said Jaclyn Vester, CTE Program Director for Putnam County Schools. “We want to make sure all of our students are leaving with the tools they need to be college and career ready.”…Read More

Discovery Education Enhances K-12 Platform with New Games, Interactives, Career Resources, and More to Nurture Student Curiosity  

Charlotte, NC — Global edtech leader Discovery Education today announced the addition of new games, interactives, career resources and more to its award-winning K-12 learning platform, Discove ry Education Experience. This exciting new content nurtures student curiosity and supports educators’ efforts to engage all learners more deeply in instruction. 

Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education Experience is a powerful K-12 learning platform that facilitates engaging instruction in any environment. These resources, sourced from trusted partners, are aligned to state and national standards, and help educators bring the outside world into teaching and learning every day. Through expanded, lasting partnerships with Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Brightspace, and Clever, integrating Discovery Education’s K-12 learning platform into existing Information Technology architecture is easier than ever. 

Among the new resources now available for use in pre-Kindergarten to 2nd grade classrooms are: …Read More

SchoolStatus Announces Acquisition of SchoolNow, Enhancing Its Communication Capabilities for K-12 Schools

Ridgeland, Mississippi – SchoolStatus, a leader in K-12 data-driven solutions that empower student success, today announced the acquisition of  SchoolNow, a unified digital publishing platform for K-12 that streamlines how schools engage families and their communities.

SchoolNow combines ADA-compliant websites, mobile apps, social media, text, voice, and email into an all-in-one system created to broaden and deepen the school experience with families. Through this acquisition, SchoolStatus will be able to integrate SchoolNow’s comprehensive communication capabilities into its student success platform designed for K-12 educators and leaders. Users of the SchoolStatus platform will be able to easily create and update their website—the most important owned communication asset for districts. 

“SchoolNow is an excellent addition to our recently launched student success platform, SchoolStatus, as both companies share the common goal of solving schools’ biggest challenges in communication and making it easier for schools to connect and engage with families,” said Russ Davis, CEO and founder of SchoolStatus. “Integrating SchoolNow’s technology will further allow SchoolStatus to offer our district partners the leading solutions for improving student achievement and attendance—delivering another piece of the puzzle.”…Read More

Savvas Learning Company Acquires Outlier.org 

PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, today announced that it has acquired Outlier.org, an edtech startup that has created a portfolio of high-quality, turnkey, online college-level courses that enable high school students to earn dual credit while never having to leave their school building.  

Outlier.org combines cinematic video and charismatic professors with the best in modern, evidence-based teaching techniques to virtually transport the student to a college lecture hall. Its diverse catalog of award-winning courses in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences are taught by hand-picked, world-class instructors from NASA, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and other top institutions.  

“There’s a growing demand for dual-enrollment and dual-credit opportunities for high school students across the country,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company, noting, however, that school administrators have long faced challenges when considering these programs for their students, such as limited course offerings, along with costly transportation and other logistical issues. …Read More

Savvas Learning Company Announces New Edition of its Leading myView Literacy Program Grounded in the Science of Reading

PARAMUS, N.J. —  Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, today introduced the new edition of myView Literacy, its leading K-5 core English Language Arts (ELA) program. Combining powerful Science of Reading-based instruction with engaging student-centered practice opportunities, myView Literacy © 2025 is designed to develop strong readers and writers, improving learning outcomes for all students.

The new edition of  myView Literacy comes at a time when the Science of Reading movement has gained national momentum, with many states now requiring the use of evidence-based strategies for teaching students to read. More and more school districts today are making it a priority to use high-quality instructional materials that not only demonstrate both efficacy and a positive impact on student achievement but also provide teachers the training and support they need to successfully implement the curriculum.

Firmly grounded in the  Science of Reading, myView’s daily foundational-skills instruction follows an easy-to-teach sequence that’s proven to increase reading achievement and close skills gaps. Adding to the program’s exciting authentic literature and interactive resources, the new edition of myView Literacy now features an increased focus on foundational writing instruction, more student practice opportunities, and new enhancements and improved navigation for a more seamless digital teaching and learning experience.…Read More

Leading is learning

Key points:

There was a time when we believed that once you knew how to do something then that was it. Mission accomplished. The skill set was learned and the only thing to do was to put it into practice. It could be improved or mastered through repetition and habit, but the general consensus was that skills were finite.

This was – perhaps still is – true for our students as they check through the content boxes of historical facts, algebraic formulas, and the periodic table. And it was also true of our school leaders. Once they learned the skill set and content knowledge needed to be a principal – let’s call it School Leader 101  – then that was it. Completed and let’s move on. The learning came first and then the leadership began.…Read More

Lexia Celebrates 40th Anniversary 

BOSTON  –  Lexia, a   Cambium Learning Group brand, is celebrating its 40th anniversary as a leader in science of reading-based solutions. Since its founding in 1984, Lexia has grown from a small home-based business in Lincoln, Massachusetts, to a company with nearly 1,000 employees currently serving more than 6.8 million students and over 620,000 educators across more than 23,000 schools nationwide.

Lexia was founded by the late Bob Lemire, an investment adviser and land-use consultant whose son had been diagnosed with dyslexia. Lemire realized many other children with reading difficulties did not have the resources and guidance he’d been able to provide for his son. He founded Lexia with the help of technology expert Dr. Littleton Meeks and Dr. Edwin Cole, a noted neurologist, head of the Reading Clinic at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and founder of several schools for students with dyslexia.

“Back then, leveraging technology for explicit, systematic, and personalized instruction was a novel concept for schools and educators. It was out on the fringes,” said Lexia President, Nick Gaehde who joined the company as its head in 2005.…Read More

Wyoming Catholic School Partners with Global Edtech Leader to Enhance Instruction in Science and All Other Disciplines 

Charlotte, NC — Wyoming’s Holy Name Catholic School (HNCS) today announced a new multi-year partnership with global edtech leader Discovery Education. Thanks to this new collaboration, teachers across HNCS will soon have access to a suite of award-winning digital products that nurture curiosity and support their goal of implementing the first comprehensive STREAM program in a Wyoming Catholic school during the 2024-2025 school year. 

HNCS is in Sheridan, Wyoming, at the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains. HNCS’s dedicated staff views the world through the lens of faith and with curiosity, integrity, and courage. Seeking to educate the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—and prepare PK-5 students for the world beyond the classroom, HNCS’s team sought to enhance science instruction by integrating a comprehensive STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, Math) curriculum. Discovery Education will help HNCS achieve this challenge by providing engaging STEM learning opportunities throughout the curriculum. 

To accomplish this, HNCS sought a suite of flexible, standards-aligned digital learning resources that were easy to integrate into instruction and had a proven record of quickly engaging students in science, STEM, and all other subjects. Following a careful review of available resources, HNCS selected the following products for use in the school’s PK-5 classrooms: …Read More

TouchMath Executives Recognized in 2023 Excellence in Equity Awards

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo./PRNewswire-PRWeb/ —  TouchMath, a multisensory math program that makes learning crucial mathematical concepts accessible and clear for students who struggle to understand grade-level content, had three executives and three solutions recognized at the 2023 Excellence in Equity Awards, including a category win in Special Contribution to Equity. TouchMath was a finalist in the following categories: Company of the Year, Leader of the Year (Sean Lockwood, CEO), Best Special Education Solution (TouchMath Standards Edition), Product Enhancement of the Year (TouchMath PRO 2.0), and Author, Speaker, or Consultant (Dr. Sandra Elliott).

Created by  The American Consortium for Equity in Education, the Excellence in Equity Awards program recognizes the companies, nonprofits, leaders, and educators whose work contributes to the critical goal of ensuring access and equity for every learner. The award program received more than 120 nominations across its 25 different categories, each demonstrating innovative, diligent work being done nationwide to improve learner outcomes.

“We’re honored to have so many TouchMath team members and solutions recognized at this year’s Excellence in Equity Awards,” said Sean Lockwood, Chief Executive Officer at TouchMath. “This recognition is not only a testament and validation to the work my colleagues do every day, but it also serves as a reminder to prioritize equitable instruction in everything we do. Congratulations to the TouchMath team members who were selected as finalists and Scott for winning Special Contribution to Equity.”…Read More