K-12 Technology News

Here you'll find the latest news from the education technology world, from the newest hardware and software releases to policy and funding updates to research reports to school and district tech initiatives. Looking for more in-depth coverage of important topics? Be sure to visit our Features page.


EarlyBird Dyslexia Screener and SoapBox Speech Recognition Technology Paired to Help Predict Reading Problems in Young Pre-Readers

EarlyBird Education and SoapBox Labs have partnered and paired their technology to identify potential dyslexia or other reading problems in young children who have not yet learned to read. The technology was developed at Boston Children’s Hospital, along with faculty at the Florida Center for Reading Research. It is now available for pre-K and first-grade levels, and will be expanding to second- and third-grade levels, EarlyBird reports.

Reading Horizons Launches Free Online Community for Educators

Reading Horizons, a company whose goal is to help educators eradicate illiteracy, has launched a free online community called the Science of Reading Collective. The community seeks to support teachers with any years of experience or grade level by offering free access to all, whether or not they purchase the company’s materials.

Follett Acquires Library Management Provider Access-It

Follett School Solutions has acquired Access-It Software, which provides a library management system used in K–12 schools around the world.

Nearly Half of Public Schools Have Open Teaching Positions

Forty-five percent of public schools in the United States had at least one teaching vacancy as of October 2022, with 27% reporting multiple vacancies, according to information released today by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The shortages disproportionately affect schools in areas of high poverty (57% versus 41% in more affluent areas) and in schools with a student body composed of 75% or more minority students (60% versus 32% of schools with 25% or less minority population).

National Survey Finds High School Graduates Not Prepared for College or Career Decisions

According to a new survey, "75% of high school graduates are not ready to make college and career decisions. This is despite the fact that the National Center for Education Statistics reported that in the 2018-2019 school year, the graduation rate for high schools was 86%, the highest it had been since 2010."

Takeda and Discovery Education Partner to Provide Health Equity Education to Grades 6 to 8

Japanese global biopharmaceutical company Takeda and ed tech company Discovery Education have partnered to offer health equity and STEM education topics to students, educators, and families in grades 6 through 8 free of charge through the Better Health in Action: From Classroom to Community initiative, to interest students in health equity careers.

Inventionland Course and Contest Leads to Product License for Middle School Students

Two eighth-grade students in the Grove City (PA) Middle School have garnered a product license for their invention following completion of Inventionland’s K–12 Innovation Curriculum course and winning both their middle school and regional contests. The course, which Inventionland describes as a “cross-discipline STEAM toolbox,” uses the same proprietary nine-step invention process the company follows in its own commercial applications.

Texas CIO Report Calls for New Law Requiring K–12 Schools to Report All Cyber Incidents

The Texas Department of Information Resources, in its newly released Biennial Performance Report, has asked the state legislature to require Texas school districts to report cybersecurity incidents to its office within a minimum reporting timeframe.

Smart Technologies Rolls Out Android 11 Update as Part of iQ 3.12 Release for Smart Boards

Interactive whiteboard maker Smart Technologies has announced its iQ 3.12 release, which includes an over-the-air upgrade to the Android 11 operating system.

Virtual Lab Environment Cyber.org Range Launched to Make K–12 Cybersecurity Skills Training Available Nationally

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Cyber Innovation Center (CIC) in Louisiana, along with Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, have announced the expansion of Cyber.org’s new virtual lab environment, Cyber.org Range, available to teach cybersecurity skills to all K–12 students nationwide free of cost through a Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program (CETAP) grant.

Whitepapers