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.

The importance of the ITS and Facilities relationship

Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on CoSN’s blog and is reposted here with permission.

Key points:

One of our jobs as CTOs is developing great relationships with other district leaders. IT touches every aspect of the modern K-12 district, and our success, as well as the success of the district, relies on our ability to build and maintain these relationships. …Read More

Crunch the Numbers: New Data on Student Wellbeing, the Skills Gap Crisis, and Tech Usage in Utah

The Social Institute, whose mission is to empower millions of students to navigate their social world — including social media and technology — in positive, healthy, and high-character ways, released its 2024 Student Insights Report: How Social Media, Tech, and Current Events Impact Student Well-Being. This report reflects insights shared by more than 29,000 students in TSI’s Annual Student Survey and more than one million responses from its K-12 collaborative learning platform, #WinAtSocial — making it the largest data set of its kind, spanning grades 3 – 12 in schools across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.

Each year, The Social Institute asks students nationwide to share insights into trending apps, positive ways to navigate common but complex social situations, everyday challenges faced online and off, and what adults should know about well-being, social media, and technology. Educators can use the insights to gain a deeper understanding of their students, helping them to improve school culture and community well-being.

Among this year’s key findings:…Read More

E-rate insight protects school technology infrastructure

Key points:

When the Federal Communications Commission’s E-rate program first emerged in 1996, only 14 percent of the nation’s K-12 classrooms were connected to the internet. Since then, the program has transformed to help schools and libraries connect to high-speed broadband. Today, nearly three-quarters of K-12 school districts provide internet bandwidth at a minimum rate of 1 megabit per second, according to the 2023 Report on School Connectivity.

Despite making significant technological advances over the past two decades, schools still rely on E-rate funds to upgrade and protect their technology infrastructures. However, many districts find it challenging to engage in long-term planning without outside consultation or tools that help them evaluate their programs and stay abreast of the latest E-rate policy changes. Keeping up with comment cycles and changing requirements can open new opportunities for students and library patrons.…Read More

Student mental health is still suffering–how should we address it?

Key points:

Between March 2020 and March 2021, K-12 schools in the U.S. saw an unprecedented influx in federal government aid, totaling nearly $190 billion. This funding aimed to help students recover both academically and emotionally from the pandemic. School districts across the country utilized these grants to hire counselors, social workers, psychologists, and other care providers. In theory, this should have been transformative; however, the available workforce wasn’t large enough to meet the demand, and traditionally underserved and rural districts faced the brunt of this shortage.

Subsequent follow-up funding has been deployed by the federal government in a necessary step to increase the workforce of care providers. As these funding opportunities come to a close, many districts are still left struggling to adequately address their students’ mental health needs.…Read More

Purdue begins work to advance science of reading with $1.5M grant

This article on the science of reading originally appeared on Purdue University’s site and is reposted here with permission.

Key points:

Purdue University has begun work to improve the reading abilities of K-12 students in Indiana by strengthening teacher preparation using science-based methods. The work is funded in part by a $1.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded to Purdue in August as part of Lilly Endowment’s Advancing the Science of Reading in Indiana initiative, which launched in 2022.…Read More

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

First-in-the-Nation Artificial Intelligence Framework for District Leaders

The ILO Group this week announced the release of its Framework for Implementing Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education–a first-of-its-kind AI framework for school district and state education leaders–providing them with the tools, resources, and research-basis to thoughtfully embrace this game-changing technology.

The Framework for Implementing Artificial Intelligence in K-12 Education provides district and state leaders with a roadmap for understanding AI’s potential benefits, addressing associated challenges, and making well-informed decisions about implementation.

“AI is reshaping education as we know it. This isn’t about the future, it’s about the now” said Dr. Julia Rafal-Baer, ILO Group CEO. “Until now, district and state leaders have been without the comprehensive guidance they need to navigate AI’s complexities and have up until this point found piecemeal solutions and ad hoc tools. No more. Our Framework changes that. It provides strategic direction, real-world use cases, and department-specific applications. It’s also been stress-tested with input from a national working group of state and district superintendents. Our goal is to empower leaders with the knowledge they need to make informed, impactful decisions that will shape the future of learning.”…Read More

K-12 schools aren’t ready for AI’s risks or benefits

Key points:

Almost all school superintendents (97 percent) say that schools have an obligation to teach students how to use AI effectively and responsibly. Still, only 37 percent have a plan for incorporating AI instruction in the classroom, according to the 2024 Voice of the Superintendent Survey released by education company EAB at the School Superintendent Association (AASA) National Conference on Education.

Eighty-four percent say teachers in their districts are concerned about students using generative AI to cheat and take shortcuts.…Read More

Spring ISD Selects BenQ Boards for Classrooms

COSTA MESA, Calif. — BenQ, an internationally renowned provider of visual display and collaboration solutions, today announced the Spring Independent School District (ISD) in Houston has selected and installed almost 1,800 BenQ Boards in K-12 classrooms across the 45 schools in the district. Purchased as part of Spring ISD’s most recent school bond, the BenQ Boards were chosen over other smart board vendors because of the rich and forward-thinking feature set the BenQ Boards offer, including ease of use and flexibility for teachers, advanced learning tools for students, and free built-in remote management solutions for IT.

“When we invited the entire district to come in and test drive different smart boards, everyone voted nearly unanimously for the BenQ Board,” said Joe Holecek, Spring ISD’s manager of campus technology support. “They hit all our needs, from those of our teachers and students to our technology department. We’ve deployed half the BenQ Boards in our classrooms so far, and it’s been so positive that the other half can’t wait because they know how much the boards offer.”

Spring ISD Teachers Benefit From BenQ Board’s Tap ‘N Teach Technology
While preparing students for the future, the BenQ Boards are also designed to eliminate the steep learning curve and complicated tasks that typical smart boards can overburden teachers with. The teacher-friendly experience starts immediately at sign-in. The industry’s only germ-resistant BenQ Boards boast BenQ’s Tap ‘N Teach technology, which features one-tap NFC log-in to load lesson materials and interactive teaching apps, cloud storage, settings, and tools instantly and securely.…Read More

6 trends to watch in K-12 schools in 2024

This post originally appeared on the Christensen Institute’s blog and is reposted here with permission.

Key points:

As we move through the beginning of 2024, parent power, rethinking assessments, and career and technical education (CTE) for every student are some of the trends rippling through K-12 education. …Read More