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.

How districts can proactively protect against school shootings

Key points:

The U.S. continues to grapple with its gun-related violence problem as new shootings make headlines every day. In 2022, Americans witnessed the horror of the second deadliest school shooting of all time, which resulted in the deaths of 19 students and two teachers. While Robb Elementary School was the target in this particular tragedy, school shootings have proven to have a domino effect that permeates the entire school system.

K-12 schools are facing a national teacher shortage and declining public school student enrollments, with enrollment dropping by roughly 3 percent in 2020-21 compared with the previous school year. These declines cannot be attributed solely to budget cuts, salary disputes, or curriculum changes. In a recent National Center for Education study, 57 percent of students and 63 percent of parents claimed they are worried about a shooting happening at their school, while 40 percent of teachers reported feeling less safe compared to five years ago.…Read More

Navigate360’s Suite360 Social-Emotional Learning Solution Satisfies Tier IV ESSA Requirements

RICHFIELD, Ohio /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ —  Navigate360, the nation’s leader in K–12 school safety and student wellness solutions, proudly announces the official validation and endorsement of their  Suite360 social-emotional learning solution by LearnPlatform. This achievement underscores Suite360’s effectiveness in meeting the stringent criteria set by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Tier IV, thus fulfilling the evidence-based intervention prerequisites necessary for educational districts to procure the solution using allocated ESSA funds.

Amid a nationwide situation where students are grappling with various challenges, a recent study conducted by Navigate360 unveils a concerning reality—educators are encountering difficulties in adequately addressing the well-being of their students. Additionally, a staggering 84% of educators express that their students are lagging in self-regulation and interpersonal skills compared to the pre-COVID-19 era. At the same time, the landscape of swiftly advancing education technology coupled with the ever-evolving landscape of social-emotional curricula making it harder than ever for educational leaders to determine what truly makes a difference in schools and districts. Nevertheless, the convergence of appropriate technology and comprehensive social-emotional curricula has the potential to wield a substantial influence on the teaching and learning processes.

“Suite360 stands as a beacon of transformative change, offering educational leaders an empowering tool to cultivate essential social-emotional learning skills in their students. With a meticulously curated collection of 1,800 research-backed lessons, Suite360 aligns with the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), enabling students to develop vital proficiencies such as self-awareness, social awareness and responsible decision-making. This endorsement by LearnPlatform reaffirms Suite360’s pivotal role in reshaping education, equipping educators to create a positive learning environment where students’ well-being thrives alongside their academic success,” said JP Guilbault, CEO at Navigate360.…Read More

7 compliance areas for district leaders’ back-to-school checklists

Key points:

  • District leaders will want to shore up vital compliance elements before the new school year kicks off
  • These areas include school wellness, hazard plans, and information surrounding medical procedures
  • See related article: 4 best practices to support and retain school leaders

As summer nears an end, now is the time for school and district leaders to review and update key plans, policies, and procedures. By getting these essential elements in place and up to date before students return to the classroom, you enhance the safety, well-being, and compliance of your schools. Here are seven areas that you should prioritize before the end of summer.

1. A school safety plan is the foundation of a well-prepared educational institution, and nearly all states require them. These plans may include:…Read More

Closing the gap in school emergency response

Key points:

  • One of the biggest issues surrounding school emergency plans is a reliance on disparate and disconnected technologies
  • Automated emergency response and streamlined communications are two ways to improve school emergency response plans
  • See related article: How our school handled the chaos of an active shooter hoax

As school violence has reached a 20-year high, schools and first responders are feeling more pressure to make sure they’re prepared to respond to and resolve school safety incidents as quickly and effectively as possible.

When an emergency happens at a school, every second matters during the response. But communication and visibility gaps continue to hinder school officials and first responders and their ability to respond quickly in emergencies. The ability to effectively communicate during these incidents saves lives.…Read More

4 considerations for school safety solutions

Key points:

Recent school safety data revealed that during one school year, more than 900,000 violent incidents – such as physical attacks and fights (with or without a weapon) – were reported by public schools throughout the U.S. 

Many schools adopt safety technology in hopes that it will never be used, but the reality is that safety incidents happen every day; therefore, the technology should be able to handle everyday situations in addition to the most extreme. Schools need to be equipped with technology to prevent, prepare, and respond to all situations, from medical emergencies to the most serious ones such as active shooters. …Read More

Back office business: 5 big K-12 edtech deals this week

Key points:

  • Smarter systems can help protect students
  • AI technologies continue to proliferate
  • Online learning platforms now support millions of students

ZeroEyes, creators of their AI-based gun detection video analytics platform announced a strategic partnership with AEGIX, a Utah-based provider of industry-leading resources, technology, equipment and training for first responders. Through the partnership, ZeroEyes’ AI gun detection and situational awareness software will be integrated into the AEGIX AIM active incident management platform to create a sole-source solution uniquely built for Utah public schools.

The system enables individuals in an organization, such as a school, to notify others of a crisis with the touch of a button. In a worst-case scenario, such as an active shooter, teachers simply push a button in the app to let administrators and first responders know if they are “safe” or “unsafe.” AEGIX AIM can be operated from a desktop, laptop or smartphone. …Read More

Navigate360 Ushers in Growth with Key Additions: Chief Marketing Officer, Chief Product Officer and Vice President of Threat Detection & Prevention Program Development

RICHFIELD, OHIO (PRWEB) — Navigate360, the nation’s leader in K–12 school safety and student wellness solutions, announces the appointment of Julia Goebel as chief marketing officer, Jami Timmons Klotz as chief product officer, and Dr. Joe McKenna as vice president of threat detection and prevention program development. All are passionate, innovative and experienced leaders poised to drive a new wave of meaningful impact in school safety and student wellness for the more than 50 million students in the United States.

“We are pleased to welcome these accomplished executives in SaaS technology and K–12 leadership to the Navigate360 team,” said JP Guilbault, chief executive officer of Navigate360. “Julia, Jami and Joe bring a wealth of valuable knowledge and experience which supports our mission of zero incidents of violence and harm.”

Year to date, the  Expert Insights data from Navigate360 show alerts related to self-harm are up 51 percent year-over-year and alerts related to weapons and harm to others are up 25 percent year-over-year. On average, the Navigate360 report also found more than 4,000 anonymous tips per week come into school tip lines powered by Navigate360 P3 School Tip Line solution, with the most common tips related to self-harm and weapons.…Read More

Student mental health tops list of school safety concerns

Educators participating in a recent survey overwhelmingly believe that the Covid pandemic has increased student mental health needs–and in many instances, mental health issues are the biggest obstacle to school safety.

These latest statistics are found in the 2023 School Safety Survey from Raptor Technologies and the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO). Through the survey, Raptor gathered insight into a wide range of school safety and student wellness challenges school safety decision-makers face today. 

The survey surfaced critical data and insight on obstacles related to school safety and security processes, such as physical security, safety drills and procedures, and emergency response planning. In addition to 60 percent of respondents citing “mental health issues” as the greatest school safety obstacle they are encountering, 78 percent of respondents indicated the mental health needs of their student population have increased since returning post-Covid.…Read More

Navigate360 Recognizes New Jersey School District with Excellence Award for School Culture & Climate

RICHFIELD, OHIO (PRWEB) — Navigate360, the nation’s leader in K–12 school safety and student wellness solutions, announces the recognition of Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District in Atlantic County, New Jersey, with the District Excellence Award for School Culture & Climate. This award honors their noteworthy impact on student development and success through continued, proven use of Suite360. Each school within the district will also receive Suite360 Character Excellence Awards with multiple celebrations taking place on the nationally recognized SEL Day, March 10.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is poised to remain a major focus for districts nationwide. According to EdWeek Market Brief, 60 percent of all districts plan on spending more on SEL in 2023–2024 and 67 percent of all Northeast schools will increase their SEL spending, while 0 percent will decrease their spending. With SEL being a high priority, it’s essential to recognize what’s working.

Greater Egg Harbor’s utilization of Suite360 has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from all key stakeholders, including district and school leadership, families and the students themselves.…Read More

National Report Reveals Rapid and Discreet Wearable Panic Buttons Directly Impact Staff Well-Being and Job Satisfaction, and Students’ Perceptions of Safety

ATLANTA/PRNewswire/ —  CENTEGIX, the leader in incident response solutions, today released its biannual report highlighting the impact of safety tools in K12 schools across the country and the benefits of wearable panic button solutions. The ” School Safety Trend s Report: Fall 2022” analyzed over 50,000 incidents gathered from CENTEGIX’s CrisisAlert™ usage data for the Fall 2022 semester, along with survey data from 1,200 educators and staff who have used the CrisisAlert platform to call for help.

According to the survey results, access to a safety solution that offers campus-wide coverage with precise location indication was highly effective in protecting staff and students. This correlates with the CrisisAlert usage data that showed 47% of incidents reported in the fall of 2022 occurred outside the classroom. Full-campus coverage is necessary to ensure all students, staff, and visitors are safe whether in the classroom, in the parking lot, or on the athletic fields.

Respondents also shared that districts that provide discreet and easy-to-use safety and security solutions for teachers and staff see a direct impact on their well-being and job satisfaction, as well as students’ perceptions of safety. Survey results revealed that 97% of respondents believe that having a wearable incident response solution helped them feel safe and supported as a staff member.…Read More