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.

Intervene K-12 Named on Inc. 5000 List of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America

HOUSTON — Intervene K-12, a Houston-based online tutoring platform, announced that it has been named to the 2023 Inc. 5000 list of FasteIntervene K-12 ranks 162nd overall, 18th in Texas and fourth in education on Iistst-growing Private Companies in America. This highly regarded list puts Intervene K-12 amongst an elite group of companies who have received this distinguished achievement over the years, such as Oracle, Microsoft and Patagonia. This year, Intervene K-12 ranked fourth in the education industry, 18th in the state of Texas and 162nd overall.

“To go from bootstrapping this company just seven years ago, to being named one of the fastest-growing companies in the country is a remarkable achievement for the Intervene K-12 team,” said Aaron McCloud, founder and CEO of Intervene K-12. “Since our founding, we have been able to help thousands of young scholars in six states, and the growth we’ve experienced is a testament to the importance of investing in scholar growth. We are committed to supporting more scholars and helping them reach their full potential, as we continue to expand and reach new communities.” 

Intervene K-12 combines data-driven instruction with intensive online, small-group tutoring to enhance student performance in K-12 schools, with the goal to eliminate the barriers that stand in the way of high achievement. This comprehensive intervention program fosters tangible student advancement by thoroughly assessing skill gaps, offering personalized lessons and delivering real-time online group tutoring sessions, available within or beyond regular school hours. Intervene K-12 covers a wide array of subjects, including math, reading and English language assistance.…Read More

Certiport Names 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist US National Champions

Orlando, Florida – Certiport, a Pearson VUE business and the leading provider of performance-based IT certification exams that accelerate academic and career opportunities for learners, today announced the winners of the 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist US National Championship. The champions topped 185 finalists at the live competitive event in Orlando, Florida, and the first-place winners will head to the Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Orlando, Florida, USA in August. This year marks 21 years since the competition began in 2002.

From across the US, more than 217,000 students ages 13 to 22 entered one of six competition tracks by submitting a qualified, passing score on the following certification exams: Microsoft Office Specialist Word, Microsoft Office Specialist Excel®, and Microsoft Office Specialist PowerPoint®. First-place winners receive an $3,000 USD cash prize, second place $2,000 USD, and third place $1,000 USD.

Finalists were given a printed copy of a document, spreadsheet, or presentation to recreate along with printed instructions and digital assets. They were then scored according to the accuracy of the recreation compared to the original. The champions in each program, along with a chaperone, have won a trip to participate in the 2023 Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship in Orlando, Florida, USA July 31 – August 2, 2023, where they will compete against over a hundred other finalists from countries across the globe.…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

Time to build an AI library

There’s no avoiding it. Artificial intelligence is here: in your classrooms, in your front office, on your phone. And while the topic can be overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be a burden. One of the best pieces of advice regarding managing AI in schools so far came during a conversation yesterday with Melissa Hortman, a senior industry executive at Microsoft, for our sister publication eCampus news, but her advice applies to all levels of education: First, learn how it works. 

That being said, the amount of information out there can be overwhelming and getting worse by the day. Don’t worry, we’re here for you. The following resources should fill up your weekend reading queue quite nicely. And be sure we’ll be diving in deeper as this phenomenon progresses.

From: eCampus News…Read More

5 things to know about ChatGPT in education

ChatGPT has commanded the world’s attention in recent weeks, and it has educators and policymakers discussing its implications for education, academic honesty, accessibility, and more.

OpenAI’s chatbot can compose poems, can write an essay about global warming as a Taylor Swift song, and can call up HTML code instantly–the possibilities are nearly endless.

ChatGPT is not the only AI-powered chatbot available to students and educators (0ther options include Google’s Bard and the latest version of Microsoft’s Bing), but it certainly seems to be the most discussed.…Read More

NWEA Shares Progress on Using AI to Identify and Remove Barriers Within Mathematics for Students with Visual Impairment

Portland, OR –   NWEA, a not-for-profit, research and educational services organization serving K-12 students, today announced progress it has made toward creating an accessible and equitable math assessment for middle school students with visual impairments.

Last October, NWEA was awarded an  AI for Accessibility grant from Microsoft. The project, led by research manager, Dr. Elizabeth Barker, in collaboration with  Perkins Access  Digital Accessibility Consulting, the Governor Morehead School, and two key local experts: Sonja Steinbach, a math educator who works with students with visual impairments, and Neil Soiffer, an accessibility mathematics developer, aimed to create accessible assessment formats. NWEA has chosen to tackle this important challenge, wanting to ensure students with visual impairments benefit from accessible math and have equal opportunities in their studies.

Seventy-five percent of students who are blind or low vision are at  least one grade behind their peers. This is due to many access barriers that contribute to the lack of accessible math education. Classroom materials are not always adapted to formats such as braille, large print, materials suitable for a screen reader, auditory input, or a combination of these designs. Creating accessible formats for students with visual impairments is important for their learning and success, which is why NWEA is committed to addressing such barriers through the work of this grant.…Read More

How to ensure both security and accessibility in your district’s IT strategy

Keeping student and educator information safe and protected is a top priority, particularly now in the wake of skyrocketing cyberattacks. When it comes to fighting cyberattacks, schools need versatile solutions that update, adapt, and scale to support everyone, in and out of the classroom.

In an eSchool News webinar, cybersecurity and school district IT experts share tips on how to implement the Microsoft tools and systems to ensure your IT is safe, accessible, and easy to manage.

Experts dive into the following tips:…Read More

District IT can be secure and still be accessible

Cyberattacks against educational institutions have skyrocketed–and keeping student and educator information safe and protected is a top priority. When it comes to fighting cyberattacks, schools need versatile solutions that update, adapt, and scale to support everyone, in and out of the classroom.

In an eSchool News webinar, cybersecurity and school district IT experts share tips on how to implement the Microsoft tools and systems to ensure your IT is safe, accessible, and easy to manage.

Experts dive into the following tips:…Read More

How to keep your district’s IT safe, yet accessible

When it comes to fighting cyberattacks, schools need versatile solutions that update, adapt, and scale to support everyone, in and out of the classroom.

Cyberattacks against educational institutions have skyrocketed–and keeping student and educator information safe and protected is a top priority.

In an eSchool News webinar, cybersecurity and school district IT experts share tips on how to implement the Microsoft tools and systems to ensure your IT is safe, accessible, and easy to manage.…Read More

Is your district’s IT safe and accessible?

Cyberattacks against educational institutions have skyrocketed–and keeping student and educator information safe and protected is a top priority.

Schools need versatile solutions that update, adapt, and scale to support everyone, in and out of the classroom.

In an eSchool News webinar, cybersecurity and school district IT experts share tips on how to implement the Microsoft tools and systems to ensure your IT is safe, accessible, and easy to manage.…Read More