Media Coverage

No, but AI’s skillful summarizing and organization blend beautifully with the nuance and expertise of educator instinct.

Increasing parent engagement is a common goal among schools. Even though this objective lives on the mental vision boards of countless K-12 professionals, achieving this aim is easier said than done.

How do educators prepare students for a road that doesn’t yet exist and is sure to be paved with AI?

Automating your applicant tracking eases the effects of covert biases and provides an attractive applicant experience.

AI can’t be avoided—and the good news is, it’s not all that novel. Let’s explore the pros and cons of embracing AI in schools. First, let’s explore two myths about AI.

West Ada School District (WASD) in Meridian, ID, has selected school administration software provider Skyward's Qmlativ School Business Suite as its new enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform.

Recently, EdSurge spoke with representatives from two edtech product providers about the challenge of interoperability and their companies’ decision to implement a data standard through the Ed-Fi Alliance.

Language barriers no longer have to be a challenge. Let’s explore the power of built-in translation tools in EdTech solutions.

Behavioral intervention is strengthened by data, and data is hard to come by when documentation is time-consuming and manual.

Thinking about how to implement truly accessible edtech may feel daunting at first. Dive into the three main objections and learn how universal design is a Technicolor dream once you get used to the idea.

Discussion of the artificial intelligence language model ChatGPT seems impossible to escape these days. Its insight may even prove useful to district leaders deciding how to handle AI in their schools.

The rise and fall of learning outside the four walls of a classroom.

Interoperability—the ability of software programs to seamlessly connect to one another by seamlessly exchanging information and common language—is something we’ve been steadily working towards in edtech. 

Good vendors will learn who you are and what you need help with before making any attempt to sell their offerings.

Thoughtfully automating administrative tasks can free educators to devote more time to their passion: teaching.

For educators and administrators, AI needs to be seen as a powerful tool but still a tool—not a substitute for a human teacher or administrator.

Interoperability – The ability of software programs to seamlessly connect to one another by seamlessly exchanging information and common language is something we’ve been steadily working towards in edtech.

As we continue to move through a second school year with COVID-19 firmly at the forefront, communication between schools and parents—and specifically, parent-teacher communication—is more important than ever.

Remote school and work have blurred the lines between work and home. How does this shape the debate over homework?

The next generation of heroes is walking the halls of schools today, and you’re uniquely poised to help them along.

Stevens Point-based Skyward has announced academic scholarships for eight students attending Mid-State and UW-Stevens Point.

Technology has evolved the modern workplaces from an office cube farm to maximum flexibility. A similar trend is emerging for K12 schools with the advent of 1:1 technology programs, flipped classrooms, and more widespread connectivity. But is blurring the boundaries of classroom learning healthy for students (and teachers)?

Your implementation team has hiked through swamps and peaks of data, interoperability, and training to get your newest edtech venture ready—but there are still plenty of bugs to work out, systems refuse to play nice, and the whispers of mutiny are getting louder by the day. How do you make the difficult decision to either remain committed or throw in the towel on an expensive edtech system? Follow this simple Q & A to organize your thought process.

How can school leaders keep track of minute student data points in their district—then turn those numbers into action to improve instruction?

For K12 schools, building an interoperable system is easier said than done, particularly because the majority of a district’s population uses SIS, ERP, and teaching and learning systems daily. The more moving parts to track, the greater the potential headache can feel looming on the horizon if planning breaks down.

School leaders are often looked up to as agents of change. One big example of polarizing change is the school schedule, whether it’s annual, daily, or some combination of the two. After all, what is more cherished than the end of the school year, looking forward to a sizzling summer break over the next three months?

Take it from someone who has worked at districts that experienced a school shooting, a tornado, and a 100-year flood — nobody is ever fully prepared for the challenges that come with safety threats. You can never be too sure the district’s technology is up to par with safety and crisis management standards.

Edtech industry veteran Scott Glinski shares three decades worth of hard-won wisdom.

Students don't always need to jump right into a programming tutorial to develop an interest in coding. Sometimes, all it takes is an engaging book.

“If you want a job right out of college making a good income, software engineering is the way to go,” said Brian Hicks, the learning and development manager at Skyward, a Stevens Point software developer. “It is absolutely booming.”

Skyward has announced several academic scholarships for local students in post-secondary programs.

A four-part playbook from Advancing K12 outlines ways to launch a badging program at your school or district level. According to the playbook, it would take very little disruption and can be set up, communicated and launched over a summer break without additional staff. (Here's how you can enroll your teachers in a free future-ready teachers badge group.)

Personality tests are fun. Some people derive valuable insights from them. Others simply use them to validate what they already know about themselves. Most just like to see which category they fall in so they can compare, contrast, and laugh about it with others.

Open sesame. Abracadabra. When you’re locking down your data, how secure is the password you chose? If it’s anything like the magic words above, have we got news for you. Your password tricks are not working. Worse, you might be letting security slip and opening yourself up for a student to sneak information to unlock valuable, FERPA-protected data.

"Is product X compatible with product Y?" It’s one of the most common inquiries in education technology evaluation and purchasing, and for good reason: At the end of the day, people just want to know  their systems are going to work together, even if it’s not always clear what that means.

"We knew our grading style needed to change, and standards-based grading (SBG) fit what we were looking for."

Skyward named North American Elite Partner as a value-added reseller for Arcserve.

As any teacher will attest, the most chaotic time of every class is the beginning. At Marion County Schools...

"Here are some things to look for when reviewing your security practices..."

"Take cues from Maslow's Hierarchy to build a strong, safe foundation for students to take risks and get to know who they are..."

"Interoperability—defined as the seamless, secure, and controlled exchange of data between applications—was the topic..."

"A collaboration among several northcentral Wisconsin businesses resulted in a contribution of $75,000..."

“Everyone put your chickens away!” It was, without a doubt, the first time I’d heard these words spoken...

"Skyward received a top state award this week for its connection to young professionals..."

"I think it's wonderful because it allows the parents access early on to the things that are going on in the classroom..."

Commentary: The ability to differentiate salvageable edtech partnerships from those beyond repair can be a valuable skill...

"Skyward and Midwest Communications partnered with Junior Achievement to offer job shadow events to students..."

"Skyward has a robust internship program, averaging more than 30 interns a year of UW-Stevens Point students in various departments."

"Instead, parents can see the report cards online through the Skyward Family Access program..."

Behold, the school district data center. To the untrained eye, it’s just a room full of servers, racks, cables, power supplies...

The push for multi-factor authentication (MFA) in K-12 edtech has been a slow build, inching its way over the past five years to high-priority status for some school technology leaders. By all appearances, we may be reaching a tipping point in the MFA debate, after which the approach will move from “nice thing to have” to “non-negotiable requirement.”

Before committing to any new scheduling technique, district leaders must pose the question: What do students in our schools need to become college and career ready? Of course, the answers will vary immensely depending on the current culture: More one-on-one time with teachers, increased options for enrichment courses, carefully structured (or not) free periods, and access to community resources all may be addressed by restructuring the school day.

A vendor’s choice between expanding a product’s feature set or making that same product more compatible with existing options is no longer as cut-and-dry as it may once have been. District decision makers have spoken—interoperability is the new differentiator.

From interoperability to dashboards, data accessibility is one of the most prevalent topics in edtech circles these days. For superintendents, simply knowing what to look for can be a challenge. These 15 metrics can provide significant value for any district leader.