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.

District leaders: Act now to avoid financial disasters after COVID relief funding ends

Key points:

Among all institutions impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, few faced challenges as profound and fast-moving as America’s public schools. But as many large organizations return to normal, school districts face a daunting challenge: key federal relief funds are set to expire next September. 

In 2020 and 2021, Congress passed the CARES and ARP Acts, which created and added to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Program (ESSER). In total, ESSER funding has provided $190 billion for K-12 school districts across the country–an amount that has surpassed the annual budget of the U.S. Department of Education in recent years. For many districts, ESSER funding has been instrumental in helping serve students’ heightened needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and allowed schools to avoid financial catastrophe. …Read More

Your district’s cyber safety needs help–here’s how to fix it

Key points:

There is no question that cybersecurity threats such as ransomware continue to pummel the education system, with the White House estimating that at least eight K-12 school districts faced “significant cyberattacks” during the last school year alone, resulting in loss of learning time and even full school shutdowns. With open networks, tight budgets, and a lack of proper cybersecurity training for teachers and students, there are many factors that lead schools to become prime targets for attacks. 

On the heels of the White House’s multi-pronged plan to help bolster K-12 schools’ cybersecurity, it is crucial that schools recognize the importance of strong cyber posture within the education system and take the steps necessary to bolster their digital security, despite limited resources and an increasing number of complex cyberattacks.…Read More

CASEL Announces New Cohort of SEL Fellows to Support Young People Nationwide 

CHICAGO – Education leaders representing 44 school districts and regional offices of education will join a national fellowship focused on social and emotional learning (SEL), hosted by field leader CASEL.

Selected from an impressive pool of applicants, the 2023 cohort of the SEL Fellows Academy take part in a 10-month engagement to deepen their SEL leadership and build systemic implementation strategies in support of their students, educators, and communities. The 46 SEL Fellows in the 2023-2024 cohort represent 26 states that collectively serve more than 2.7 million students from preschool to high school. These districts range in size from 325 students up to some of the largest urban districts in the country. The full roster of the 2023 cohort can be found here.

A convergence of challenges amplified the spotlight on SEL, bringing with it a demand from educators for more guidance on how to advance SEL for millions of young people. Launched in 2020, the SEL Fellows Academy is a unique opportunity for education leaders in rural, suburban, and urban communities to build SEL expertise and develop action plans alongside a growing network of peers and CASEL experts. …Read More

10 key CoSN back-to-school resources for edtech leaders

Editor’s note: This story on 10 back-to-school resources for edtech leaders originally appeared on CoSN’s blog and is reposted here with permission.

digital equity dashboard

1) Digital Equity Dashboard 

CoSN’s Digital Equity Dashboard is an innovative and practical tool designed to help school districts and communities leverage data to close digital equity gaps. This powerful instrument integrates various national data sets into one comprehensive dashboard. By anonymizing the data and breaking it down into county, school district and zip code units, the Digital Equity Dashboard provides school and community leaders with valuable data to inform decision-makers and address equity concerns.…Read More

15 questions to ask when evaluating communications platforms

Key points:

  • Home-school communications systems help to build trust and establish consistency in a school community
  • Districts must be clear in their communications, and to do so, they must select the right platform
  • See related article: Your top 5 school-home communication challenges, solved

The importance of effective home-school communications has never been higher. Families expect to be kept informed of their child’s activities, academic progress, and expectations. However, confusion and frustration often ensue when messaging is not centralized or when individual messages contradict each other.

In today’s educational environment, it is vital the school or district have a clear message with leaders understanding exactly what is to be communicated. It is equally important that families trust the authenticity of the communications.…Read More

3 strategies to streamline K-12 data management

Key points:

  • K-12 educators have hundreds of data sources, but that data is siloed
  • Learning to manage a sea of data can help support your district’s strategic mission
  • See related article: Reaching data readiness: 10 steps to take

Think about all the data points available at your average school district.

Standardized test scores. Behavioral assessments. Attendance. And grades, of course. Not to mention, most districts are assessing grit, emotional wellness, and individual personal growth plans as well.…Read More

Use tech to reassess assessment

With 25+ years of practice and research behind him, Joe Feldman—a former teacher, principal and district administrator—speaks from experience when it comes to the ongoing inequities and challenges that districts and schools have with grading. In this conversation with eSchool News, Feldman, author of the recently updated Grading for Equity, discusses the importance of equity in education, particularly in the context of grading practices. He emphasizes how the COVID-19 pandemic and events like the George Floyd protests highlighted the need to address these inequities, explains the flaws in traditional grading practices, and advocates for the need for change. He also explores how technology can aid in more accurate, unbiased, and motivational assessment methods. Have a listen and scroll down for some other takeaways, and an excerpt from his book:

➔Traditional grading practices have flaws, including inaccuracies, biases, and demotivation, and the pandemic has exposed these shortcomings, prompting educators to reevaluate their grading methods.

➔Technology can offer benefits in assessment by providing support for generating questions and allowing students to demonstrate their knowledge in various ways. It can help reduce the limitations of traditional assessments.…Read More

BIOZONE’s High School Biology for Texas achieves Top Marks

COLORADO, Parker – BIOZONE has just officially received the awesome news that their inaugural High School Biology for Texas has received “High Quality” status by scoring 100% TEKS and 100% ELPS after an extensive review by the Texas Education Agency’s State Review Panel

The goal of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) is for all students in Texas to have access to rigorous, high-quality educational materials. The review process was created by and for Texas educators to provide  rigorous reviews of instructional materials that are independent, objective, comprehensive, and Texas focused. These detailed reviews allow school districts to easily compare instructional materials and choose the best in order to deliver a robust educational program for students.

BIOZONE’s new program: Biology for Texas has fully met expectations and was rated 100% for both TEKS and  ELPS by the educator-reviewers at TEA.…Read More

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