News Briefs

  • 10/18/06

News Briefs

IntelliTools Awarded $1.3 Million Federal Grant for Product Development

IntelliTools Inc., a member of Cambium Learning Technologies, has received a $1.3-million federal grant award to develop and research a new version of IntelliTools Classroom Suite with greatly enhanced mathematics capabilities. The project, “ Number Concepts and Automaticity,” focuses on number sense and fluency for students in grades 1-3. Research will be designed and conducted by the Pacific Institutes for Research (PIR) at the University of Oregon. Funds were awarded by the National Institute for Child Health and Human Development, Small Business Innovations Research, under program officer Dr. Daniel Berch.…

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TEA Standardizes on Watchfire to Manage Web Application Security, Compliance

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has standardized on Watchfire AppScan Enterprise and Watchfire WebXM to manage Web application security and online compliance on its more than 85,000 Web pages. The TEA provides leadership, guidance, and resources to help more than 1,265 school districts and charter schools meet the educational needs of more than 4.5 million Texas students. Many of its customer-facing applications, such as grant application forms and performance reporting, are used to perform secure transactions and collect sensitive information. Given the confidential nature of the information collected online, the size of the TEA Web sites, and the large number of content contributors, TEA turned to Watchfire to help ensure the security and compliance of its Web channel and reputation…

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Kaplan to Acquire Aspect Education

Kaplan Inc. has acquired Aspect Education Ltd., a major provider of English-language instruction with 19 schools located in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the US. The price of the transaction was not disclosed. Aspect, headquartered in the UK, offers English-language and cultural-exchange programs; preparation for a variety of tests of English proficiency, such as the IELTS (International English Language Testing System); vocational training in business and IT; and academic preparation programs for higher education. Under the leadership of CEO David Jones, Aspect will eventually merge with Kaplan’s existing English-language training division, which has 17 schools. Jones will then lead the combined English-language operations as part of the international division of Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions...

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SETDA Honors Three Outstanding Educational Leaders

The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) recently honored three outstanding educational leaders for their efforts to ensure students and teachers receive the opportunities they need to be competitive in the global marketplace. Sen. Tom Harkin (IA) received SETDA’s Federal Policy Maker Award for his efforts to provide resources to ensure each child has a highly qualified teacher, as well as the tools and resources to ensure achievement. Dr. Jorea Marple, associate state superintendent of schools for the West Virginia Department of Education, received SETDA’s State Policy Maker Award for her relentless pursuit of West Virginia’s commitment to use technology as an agent of systemic change within their education system. Finally, Dr. Melinda Maddox, director of technology initiatives for the Alabama Department of Education, received SETDA’s Leader of the Year Award from her peers. Her vision and dedication resulted in the successful development and implementation of a comprehensive distance learning program called ACCESS (Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide)…

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Featured

  • hand holding globe and environmental icons in front of a green background

    CoSN, SETDA, UDT Release Guidelines for Environmentally Responsible Technology Purchasing

    CoSN and SETDA, in partnership with IT and telecommunications solution provider UDT, recently released a set of Sustainability Procurement Guidelines designed to help K-12 school and district leaders, procurement officers, and technology directors make purchasing decisions that are both environmentally responsible and operationally effective.

  • digital dashboard featuring a shield icon, graphs, a world map, and network nodes

    IBM Launches Agentic AI Governance and Security Platform

    IBM has introduced a new software stack for enterprise IT teams tasked with managing the complex governance and security challenges posed by autonomous AI systems.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.

  • tutor and student working together at a laptop

    You've Paid for Tutoring. Here's How to Make Sure It Works.

    As districts and states nationwide invest in tutoring, it remains one of the best tools in our educational toolkit, yielding positive impacts on student learning at scale. But to maximize return on investment, both financially and academically, we must focus on improving implementation.