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.

Frontline Education Releases Year-to-Date Administration Software Innovation Summary

Malvern, Pa. (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Frontline Education, a leading provider of administration software purpose-built for educators in K-12, today released a comprehensive year-to-date innovation summary that underscores the company’s commitment to anticipating and meeting the evolving needs of school districts across the country. Investments made across its broad portfolio of connected solutions for human capital management, student and special programs, business operations and analytics support educators in streamlining administrative processes and optimizing district operations so school leaders can prioritize their time on delivering high-quality education.

“The technology needs of K-12 school leaders are at the core of our software and services strategy, which inspires us to always embrace an innovation-first mindset,” said Kevin Haugh, Chief Product Officer of Frontline. “As school leaders endure the busy back-to-school season, our aim through these new or enhanced capabilities is to assist districts in fulfilling their goal of achieving operational excellence. This summary highlights Frontline’s leadership in and dedication to providing cutting-edge tools and resources that empower educational institutions to succeed in an ever-changing landscape.”

Year-to-Date Product Highlights
Human Capital Management
Frontline’s Human Capital Management (HCM) solution plays a pivotal role in assisting school districts in the process of attracting, engaging, nurturing, and retaining personnel, all while enhancing the overall employee experience. The significance of HCM has grown into a strategic imperative for school districts, especially in the face of ongoing challenges related to shortages of both teaching and non-instructional staff. Several of Frontline’s HCM products were enhanced during the first half of the year. …Read More

A new battle in the war for cybersecurity in schools: Part 1

Last month, the Biden administration announced new actions and private commitments to bolster the nation’s cyber defense at schools. Administration leaders, school administrators, educators, and education technology providers convened at the White House to discuss how to strengthen the nation’s schools’ cybersecurity amidst growing ransomware attacks.

Frank Pilero, Supervisor of Technology and Data for the Linwood Board of Education in Southern New Jersey, was one of the participants. He shared his experiences of the day and insights on cybersecurity in education during this conversation with eSchool News, which is the first of a three-part series devoted to this issue. Frank emphasized that while cyber threats are prevalent, schools can take proactive steps to protect themselves. Click below to listen and scroll down for the key takeaways along with the government’s approach to tackling this never-ending battle.

Key takeaways include:…Read More

Sneak a peek at 8 eSN K-12 Hero Awards contenders

Nominations for the annual eSchool News K-12 Hero Awards are open through September 1, 2023, and this year, we’re giving you a look at some of the entries that came in by our early-bird deadline.

The 2023 K-12 Hero Awards program is dedicated to recognizing the country’s best examples of K-12 success using innovative education technologies.

Companies are encouraged to nominate the schools and districts using their products and services–this offers a chance to share success stories and impart valuable lessons learned with the education community. Education professionals across K-12 departments are eligible for nomination, including IT, curriculum, instruction, and administration.…Read More

Biden announces $930M in grants to expand internet access, digital equity

Key points:

  • A new $930 million investment can help close digital equity gaps by expanding much-needed internet access across the nation
  • Middle mile internet infrastructure, which moves large amounts of data across vast distances, is an essential part of the grants
  • See related article: 5 strategies to tackle the homework gap

The Biden-Harris Administration has announced $930 million in grants aimed at expanding middle mile high-speed internet infrastructure across 35 states and Puerto Rico. The grants are part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Internet for All Initiative, the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program invests in projects that build regional networks that connect to national internet networks.

Middle mile internet infrastructure carries large amounts of data over long distances, increases capacity to local networks, boosts network resiliency, lowers the cost of bringing high-speed Internet service to unconnected households, and helps connect unserved regions to the Internet backbone.…Read More

Drug Enforcement Administration and Discovery Education Announce New Resources Addressing Counterfeit Drug Crisis

Charlotte, NC — Discovery Education and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are now offering educators new digital resources to address the dangers of counterfeit drugs. The new array of science-based lesson plan and videos equip students in grades 9–12 with an understanding of what counterfeit drugs are and why they are so harmful to individuals and communities.  

The resources join other powerful anti-drug resources available through Operation Prevention, a collaboration between DEA and Discovery Education. Designed to help prevent substance misuse in schools nationwide, Operation Prevention educates students about the science behind addiction, and its impact on the brain and body. The latest content also supports the One Pill Can Kill initiative from DEA, which raises awareness about fake pills that are falsely marketed as legitimate prescription pills. 

Research by UCLA Health shows that in 2020, the teen death rate due to drug overdose doubled and grew by another 20% in 2021. The sharp increase is, in part, attributed to teens purchasing via distributors on social media platforms what they believe to be prescription drugs but instead are counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl. DEA reports that in 2022 more than 9.5 million fake pills were seized, more than the previous two years combined.  …Read More

What SEL teaches us about safety

According to a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) study, the number of children aged 3 to 17 diagnosed with anxiety increased by 29 percent between 2016 and 2020, while those diagnosed with depression increased by 27 percent.

The situation worsened with the pandemic. And now, stressed students are hurting others and themselves.

There’s a dire need for safety in schools and other educational institutions — it’s time for strategies that help create safe learning environments.…Read More

3 ways the E-rate program helps level up learning

The federal E-rate program continues to provide expanded access to technology, including edtech tools, digital learning resources, and high-speed internet access, to schools, according to an annual report that takes stock of the program’s progress.

The findings come from E-rate compliance services firm Funds For Learning‘s 12th annual E-rate Trends Report. The report is designed to understand how the program can best serve schools and libraries. Stakeholder input is compiled and delivered directly to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to inform program administration.

Key findings from the 2022 report include:…Read More

Learn to align your communication strategies with school safety

Having a campus-wide communication ecosystem is imperative, and school district leaders have no higher priority than to create secure and informed campus environments.

Being able to initiate a controlled emergency notification protocol to alert, notify and monitor directly from a mobile device, classroom audio system, or interactive flat panel is essential.

An eSchool News panel of experts, including Brent Thrasher, Instructional Technology Coordinator at Overton County Schools and Todd Eddy from Galaxy Next Generation, offers insights into how to make better decisions, prevent risk, and strengthen communication between faculty, administration, and first responders during an active threat.…Read More

17 Hero Awards finalists demonstrate their commitment to education

The eSchool News K-12 Hero Awards recognize the dedicated efforts of education professionals across K-12 departments, including IT, curriculum, instruction and administration. 

Sponsored this year by JAR Systems and SAP Concur, the program received an influx of inspiring nominations that highlight the innovation and selflessness of educators in schools and districts across the nation.

Listed here is the second group of the program’s finalists. The first group of finalists was featured on eSchool News last week–find them here!…Read More

Hero Awards finalists: 18 schools and educators dedicated to learning

The eSchool News K-12 Hero Awards recognize the dedicated efforts of education professionals across K-12 departments, including IT, curriculum, instruction and administration. 

Sponsored this year by JAR Systems and SAP Concur, the program received an influx of inspiring nominations that highlight the innovation and selflessness of educators in schools and districts across the nation.

Listed here in the order in which their nominations were received are program finalists. Stay tuned, because the second group of finalists will be featured on eSchool News next week!…Read More