SolarWinds provides simple, powerful, secure observability and IT management software to enable educational institutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union to accelerate their digital transformation. SolarWinds delivers on this commitment with products designed to be easy to install, implement, utilize, and maintain. Our education customers use SolarWinds solutions in the data center, in the cloud, and the classroom.
…Read MorePodcast 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.
3 ways superintendents can maximize resources this school year
Key points:
- Every level of education has specific goals–and faces challenges
- Solving immediate challenges frees school leaders up to focus on long-term goals
- See related article: Fostering connections and edtech strategies between education leaders
As the new school year kicks off, superintendents across the nation are evaluating resources needed for the year ahead to ensure that everyone–school leaders, teachers, students, and parents–has what they need to be successful.
During a time when many kindergarten through 12th grade education leaders are facing many challenges, including teacher shortages, declining math and reading scores, funding issues, student mental health, and more, it’s critical that superintendents maximize their resources. By doing so, they’ll be able to solve immediate challenges that may arise, giving them more time to focus on the long-term goals of their school or district.…Read More
Schools are at a greater risk for cyberattacks than ever before
Key points:
- A lack of collaboration in schools is increasing cybersecurity risks
- Most district leaders and administrators agree K-12 schools face higher risks for cyberattacks than ever before
- See related article: The essential guide to 2FA for schools
Cyber threats against K-12 school districts are on the rise, yet only minimal steps are being taken at the local level to safeguard district technology assets and student information, according to a new research report from Project Tomorrow and iboss, a Zero Trust Edge cloud security provider.
The report, Why A Different Cybersecurity Ecosystem Is Needed Today, details findings from K-12 district, technology, and communications leaders on the cybersecurity challenges they’re facing today.…Read More
SolarWinds Hybrid Cloud Observability
Robust monitoring empowers schools to safeguard sensitive student data and uphold privacy standards. SolarWinds Observability streamlines IT management, bolstering operational efficiency and enabling educators to focus on teaching. By fostering a reliable and secure digital environment, SolarWinds elevates K-12 institutions, enriching both administrative and academic endeavors.
…Read More5 Hybrid Cloud Observability delivers an end-to-end view for Western Kentucky University
Though the pandemic kicked remote learning into a whole new dimension, as a mid-size university, WKU already supported on-campus and off-campus learning. Their end users, students, faculty, and staff expect to be able to access systems and apps at all times from anywhere, and they often need to be able to attend class or submit assignments online. As a result, the IT team views their network as borderless, requiring solutions to support WKU’s needs.
…Read MoreIntroducing My PowerSchool: An Intuitive User Experience Empowering Families, Staff, and Administrators
FOLSOM, CALIF. – PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC), the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, today announced the release of My PowerSchool, a cohesive user experience that consolidates all relevant information and applications into a single, streamlined platform. My PowerSchool simplifies how families interact with their children’s school and how school technology leaders manage their PowerSchool solutions by providing a central point of access based on if the user is an educator, student, or family member. My PowerSchool Family, the first release of the My PowerSchool experiences, will be available in the fall, allowing families and educators to share one source of information, including grades, attendance, assignments, calendar, completed and in-progress forms, behavior, and fees, in a seamless experience.
“My PowerSchool marks a significant milestone in empowering the education community,” said Marcy Daniel, Chief Product Officer, PowerSchool. “This new release will provide an upgraded experience to families using the current family portal in PowerSchool SIS and showcases our commitment to providing user-centric solutions that streamline processes, enhance communication, and foster collaboration among families, staff, and administrators.”
My PowerSchool Family will provide users with multiple benefits including:…Read More
eSchool Live@ISTE23 Preview
Just try to have a conversation about edTech these days without mentioning AI. It took about five minutes for Ryan Imbriale, PowerSchool’s VP of Education Solutions, and me before we cracked. To be fair, Powerschool’s announcement this week that it will integrate Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to use OpenAI’s large language models within the company’s Personalized Learning Cloud will probably be the biggest news to come out of ISTE next week. Have a listen and scroll down for some edited highlights:
The details:
Powerschool will use Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service to use OpenAI’s large language models within PowerSchool Performance Matters and PowerSchool LearningNav, part of PowerSchool’s Personalized Learning Cloud.…Read More
How my 5th graders are taking a stand against bullying
Unseen and often silent, the shadows of bullying loom within the walls of schools, casting a dark cloud over the lives of countless students. The PACER Center’s National Bullying Prevention Center engages and empowers kids to combat bullying in all its forms. Through the Students with Solutions contest, my 5th grade students worked together to raise awareness about bullying and encourage children to actively participate in addressing this issue. This challenge amplified their voices and empowered them to inspire and support one another, creating a united front against bullying.
The winning entry within the “Student with Solutions” national anti-bullying competition this year is a video by my two 5th grade classes within the Birmingham City Schools System. The students wrote, filmed, and edited the video. It inspires unity and support, drawing from the students’ experiences, with the main message being that bullying hurts and everyone matters.
Students enjoy technology, so being able to integrate technology in an academic setting is highly advantageous. In this instance, we were able to combine social-emotional learning and technology, which are both important in this day and age.…Read More
Carousel Cloud Scales with Indianapolis School District for K-12 Communications
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – The Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Washington Township in Indianapolis is midway through a district-wide Carousel Cloud digital signage network deployment that will eventually reach more than 11,500 students and staff in eight elementary schools, three middle schools and one high school plus a career and technical center. The district reports 70 screens are live today with Carousel digital signage content coming from multiple contributors per school, with approximately 150 screens expected upon completion.
The Carousel Cloud deployment coincides with a district-wide remodeling project that includes the school district’s Central Campus, home to North Central High School, Northview Middle School and the J Everett Light Career Center. The district has adopted a “one school at a time” rollout strategy that helps its technology specialists effectively train staff before using the system.
“We wanted to implement a digital signage network that invites many contributors, and that means the system has to be easy to learn and easy to use,” said Matthew Whitt, Audio Video Specialist – Technology, MSD of Washington Township. “We also wanted software that could be flexible for the needs of different education levels. With Carousel, each grade has a unique channel with its own voice.”…Read More
PowerSchool Partners with Scribbles Software to add More than 2,000 Colleges to the Naviance eDocs Network
Charlotte, North Carolina – Scribbles Software today announced a partnership with PowerSchool (NYSE: PWSC), the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education in North America, and PowerSchool Naviance. This partnership will nearly double the number of institutions in the Naviance eDocs network, greatly expanding college access for high school students.
Scribbles Software has served over 12 million students with transcript requests since 2012 and provides over 400 districts and charter schools with a best-in-class network to ensure easy and equitable access for students pursuing higher education. In the last year alone, Scribbles completed nearly one million electronic transcript requests from districts across the United States, including 25 of the 30 largest districts in the country.
“Scribbles is thrilled to partner with Naviance to expand access to a broader higher education network. Through this partnership, districts and schools will be able to empower more students to have more access to life-changing opportunities,” said Marshall Simmonds, Vice President of Sales for Scribbles Software.…Read More