SchoolStatus Announces Acquisition of ClassTag Strengthening its Suite of K-12 Data, Workflow, and Communications

RIDGELAND, Miss. —  SchoolStatus, a leader in K-12 data and communications, announced today the acquisition of  ClassTag, a unified family communication and engagement platform for educators, schools, and districts.

This strategic acquisition expands SchoolStatus’ current offerings with a robust communications app that enables sharing of essential student-level data in streamlined and easy-to-use ways. ClassTag’s smart messages reach all families based on their preferred channel (SMS, email, app, web or paper) automatically translated into 100+ languages. Seeing all relevant student information in one place helps families stay informed and get involved.

Based in New York, ClassTag is a unified family engagement platform used by over 5 million families. The platform enables teachers to efficiently communicate and coordinate with families and provides school and district leaders with insights on effective ways to build school-home connections that improve student outcomes.…Read More

4 ways to implement mental performance coaching in schools

Key points:

Picture this: Empowered educators are equipped with the insights and strategies of mental performance coaching in schools. They possess the transformative ability–well-established in athletics but yet to be fully realized in the classroom–to help students meet the challenges of life with greater resilience, self-esteem, and focus. Teachers, school coaches, and education leaders are catalysts that propel students towards this emotional and mental strength, using approaches that have benefited thousands of athletes at all levels.

To the cynic, “mental performance coaching” may sound like a passing trend. But in reality, mental performance coaching in schools holds immense value as an integral component of developing student well-being. …Read More

The future of AI in education points to holistic learning environments

Key points:

In the past year, AI has become the shiny new technology across industry sectors. In fact, in education specifically, AI has the potential to revolutionize the way teachers can support students and their individual journeys. But the problem with AI today is the misunderstanding of its potential–especially when it comes to AI in education. 

AI in education isn’t about replacing human educators, and it certainly doesn’t mean that students are off the hook with AI-written essays and assignments. Educators and administrators need to understand the power of AI and how it can–and will–open once-closed doors not only for students, but also for school staff in supporting their students’ journeys and their futures.…Read More

First AI-powered School Year Begins, Ushering in a New Era in Education

NEW YORK –  Students are gearing up for the 2023 school year, and new research from  Brainly reveals that AI is an integral element in middle and high school students’ academic life – even as educators debate and worry whether the revolutionary technology belongs in the classroom.

In its Back-to-School survey,  Brainly, the leading learning platform for all school subjects and grades, highlights a growing trend – a remarkable 66.5% of students in grades 6-12 actively seek external support for their homework and study needs. With 57% expressing concerns about excessive homework, it is evident that students are keen on finding additional resources to aid their academic progress. Forty-five percent of these students spend more than two hours daily on homework. 

Where are students going for help? To their AI tools. Brainly’s research shows that 67% of middle and high school students are using AI to help with their schoolwork.…Read More

How to integrate a computer science curriculum into K-5 classrooms

Key points:

  • Although a majority of teachers believe computer science education is critical, the subject isn’t required–or even offered–nationwide
  • Introducing computer science at an early age equips students with the skills and confidence to be curious in STEAM learning
  • See related article: 4 resources to differentiate computer science instruction

I love it so much I would do it every day if we could!” These words are music to any teacher’s ears and I’m lucky enough to hear this sentiment from my students often. Since introducing a new computer science curriculum in 2019, my students at Redlands Unified School District have consistently shown engagement, genuine enthusiasm, and joy in learning.

Defining the importance of early computer science learning…Read More

StickTogether Kicks Off Back-to-School with Pixel Portrait Project

NEW YORK — To help educators and school media specialists promote community-building and creativity as students come back to school, StickTogether Products is launching its Back-to-School Pixel Portrait Project. This free activity allows students to create self-portraits using StickTogether’s free Pixel Art Platform and then display them in their classrooms, around their school, or at home.

“The Back-to-School Pixel Portrait Project provides a great, tech-enabled way for students of any age to showcase their individuality and uniqueness,” said Sylvia Stein, president of StickTogether Products. “Whether using it as a fun way for students to introduce themselves to their class or as a lead-in to a new lesson or unit, this activity will get students engaged and thinking creatively to kick off the school year. Plus, showcasing all the portraits together makes for a stunning display in any classroom or school hallway.”

To complete their portraits, students simply access the StickTogether Pixel Art Platform, create their portrait using their choice of 17 different colors on a 320-box grid, and then save their creation directly to their teacher’s or librarian’s dashboard. From there, the artwork can be printed or shared electronically. In addition to the artwork, a coded worksheet is also saved so students can ‘sticker’ their portraits. Educators can purchase Pixel Art Class Packs which include a color key and matching colored stickers.…Read More

55 back-to-school tips and insights for a great year

It’s back-to-school season across the country, and while this is met with mixed emotions, like it or not, classroom doors are open and welcoming students.

Here are some back-to-school tips, advice, and valuable insights from educators, stakeholders, and industry experts.

We need to prioritize discussions on how to effectively support multilingual students. Our country is home to a wide range of diverse and vibrant cultures, and it’s important that we acknowledge and value the languages these students already bring with them when they enter U.S. schools. Unfortunately, our education system often struggles to provide adequate support for these students if they don’t know English. However, I am hopeful that this year we will witness a renewed commitment towards providing resources, policies, and initiatives that cater to English Language Learners and promote multilingualism in schools. School and district leaders will be actively seeking innovative approaches, leveraging data, and collaborating with advocacy organizations and policymakers to bring about meaningful changes in how we educate English Language Learners.
–Dr. Maria Armstrong, Executive Director, Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS)…Read More

The Future of Canvas

Drop the company name Instructure on the average educator and you may get a blank stare in return. Now mention the company’s flagship product Canvas and be ready for a flash of instant recognition. Founded in 2008, Instructure reports having more than 6000 customer organizations with more than 35 million users around the world in both K12 and higher education.

I had the opportunity to attend InStructure Con23 in Denver last month—the company’s first user conference since the pandemic—and met many educators, partner companies, and senior leadership including Chief Product Officer Shiren Vijiasingam, Ryan Lufkin, Vice President of Global Strategy, and CEO Steve Daly. We hit on a number of topics that will affect the way educators and students teach and learn, including post-pandemic behaviors, student security, the pursuit of equitability and education, and the future of hybrid learning. Plus of course, AI, AI and yes, a little more AI. This was the first Innovations podcast recorded in person, but it certainly won’t be the last.

More Highlights from InstructureCon23:…Read More

Finalists Announced for “Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2023” Awards

(Portland, OR) – The Teich Group and Catapult X announce the finalists for the Educators Pick Best of STEM® 2023 Awards, the only awards program judged by STEM educators. The awards program, operated in partnership with the National Science Teaching Association (NSTA) and MCH Strategic Data, and for the first time this year with the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT), spotlights innovative products, technologies, and services that are changing the world of STEM education. 

Educator judges evaluated all product entries and selected the finalists listed below, and hundreds of thousands of STEM educators will select the winners in early August. Winners will be announced on August 18, 2023, just in time for schools and districts to review for the back to school season.

Led by Annie Galvin Teich, President of The Teich Group, this year’s judges included Dr. Linda Johnson-McClinton, Dr. Lance Brand, Dr. Jeffrey Crapper, Dr. Omah M. Williams-Duncan, Kim Collazo, Christina Wilson, Jamica Craig, and Erin Barr.…Read More

4 engaging assessment ideas for middle and high school

Key points:

  • When students have different ways to demonstrate learning, educators can collect more accurate data
  • Middle and high school students benefit from choice, and different assessment options can lead to better engagement
  • See related article: 3 new trends in student assessment

As an educator and leader who grades holistically, it becomes important to consider how to create well rounded assessments that offer students myriad different opportunities to demonstrate their learning.

Providing students with authentic and varied assessment opportunities helps educators gather datapoints on a student holistically. What is equally important is that we provide varied assessment opportunities so students can demonstrate understanding in different ways. This article offers ideas that are outside traditional essay writing and test taking mediums.…Read More

Curriculum Associates Launches Extraordinary Educators™ Leadership Collaborative to Support the Professional Growth of Rising School Principals Nationwide

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass. — Curriculum Associates recently launched its Extraordinary Educators Leadership Collaborative to support the professional growth of rising school principals nationwide. Through this program, the inaugural class of 16 principals representing schools across 16 states will have the opportunity to receive monthly, high-quality professional development and grow as leaders as they work in small cohorts to analyze data, learn to plan strategically, and share information with different constituencies.

“A major focus of the Extraordinary Educators Leadership Collaborative is giving leaders time and space for connecting as well as collaborating with each other on the importance of building positive school cultures,” said Danielle Sullivan, national director of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. “We look forward to working with this stellar group of highly motivated and highly passionate educators as they progress in their profession and learn new ways to further serve their school communities. And, we look forward to celebrating their successes along the way.”

All of the principals participating in the Extraordinary Educators Leadership Collaborative have been in their current role for three or less years. They additionally have experience using i-Ready® and/or Ready® for two or more years, lead staff who illustrate growth and achievement via formal assessments, demonstrate schoolwide innovation and engagement practices for students, are evangelists for high standards and student achievement, champion equity, and are eager to grow as leaders.…Read More

If zero trust is good enough for the government, it’s good enough for your school

Key points:

Educators and administrators are holding their breath at the dawn of another academic year. They are well aware that schools are increasingly targeted by hackers, with 1 in 4 falling victim to cyberattacks in the past 12 months.

These hallowed halls of knowledge store vast amounts of sensitive data, from student records to financial information. Consequently, this makes them attractive targets. To make matters worse, growing connected device networks and remote learning opportunities present even more vulnerabilities.…Read More