5 Long-Term Benefits of Using Online Literacy Programs

When we started using a new literacy program 10 years ago, our reading scores were mediocre. Within a few years we had moved up to being a Level 1+ school, which is one of the highest rankings for Chicago Public Schools' rating system (which is currently being replaced with a new system). We're using the literacy program as a main component for grades K–5 and then another program for fifth graders.

The Role of AI in Assisting Teachers and in Formative Assessments of Students

How can AI be developed to help advance teaching? For beginners, it needs to put teachers front and center, according to a new report from the United States Department of Education.

4 'Key Foundations' for AI in Education

Artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay. The U.S Department of Education has released guidance for the education sector — including potential benefits, warnings about misuses, and principles for developing guidelines at the district level.

AI Is an Ally: Saving Teachers Time with ChatGPT

The time is now to welcome AI into classrooms as an asset and an ally. There are so many things that AI can do to support teaching and learning, from analyzing data for schools and districts, to enabling students to research and understand information in different ways, and — arguably the most important thing — saving time and energy for teachers so that they can focus on the parts of teaching that are less tedious and most important.

Key Concepts in Designing AI-Based Learning Strategies

Chronic Absenteeism Severe, Especially Among Historically Marginalized Groups

An analysis of data from more than 325,000 preK–12 students found that chronic absenteeism has reached severe levels between 2022 and 2023 and that disparities between demographic groups are growing.

Student Success Demands That We All Work Together

Facilitative leadership can help academic communities support success and promote holistic outcomes. The timing for this type of approach is especially important as schools look to re-energize staff, restore trust, and find new ways to support the changing needs of students in today's post-pandemic learning environment.

Smartphones Continue Decline

The already sluggish forecast for smartphones looks to be headed toward a slightly steeper decline this year.

Report: AI R&D Should Align with ED Recommendations and Focus on Context, Partnership, and Public Policy

As far back as 2010, the National Education Technology Plan (NETP) set a research and development (R&D) challenge for ed tech developers to "create personalized learning systems that continuously improve as they are used." Now a new report suggests further R&D goals and makes recommendations for AI ed tech developers, keeping in mind a focus on "context sensitivity" for success in educational goals.

AR/VR Headsets Continue Decline as VR Sets Plummet

The first quarter of 2023 saw further declines in the AR/VR headset space, following a steep decline the previous year.

ED Invites Districts to Apply to Fostering Diverse Schools Program; Deadline is July 7

The U.S. Department of Education is now accepting applications for the Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Grants program and will hold a pre-application webinar on Thursday, May 18, 2023, at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Applicants can sign on at oese.ed.gov/fostering-diverse-schoolprogram-fdsp/

Day of AI K–12 Curriculum Freely Available Online Anytime

Day of AI is an initiative MIT RAISE (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education) developed and teamed up with i2Learning to teach K–12 students at every level what AI is, what it can do, how to use it responsibly, and what career options are available. Each grade-level appropriate curriculum contains about four hours of 30- to 60-minute lessons and activities.

Hallo's New Career and Jobs Platform for Students Features AI-Powered Coach, 'Boris'

Hallo has launched a revamped website for connecting students to career opportunities, and it features a personalized, AI-powered career coach named Boris built on GPT-4 technology, the company said in a news release.

Turnitin AI Detector Analyzed 38M Submissions in its First 6 Weeks; Updates Answer Educator Feedback

In the first six weeks of educators using Turnitin's new AI writing detection feature, the platform processed 38.5 million submissions, finding that 3.5% of those submissions contained more than 80% AI-written text, and just under one-tenth of submissions contained at least 20% AI-written text.

New Network Tool Measures Students' Connectivity Off-Campus

The new Digital Equity module, an extension to Lightspeed's Digital Insight network and ed tech analytics platform, provides real-time connectivity and device health data on students' school-issued devices, enabling school leaders to know when students experience connectivity outages at home — allowing for interventions or assistance before learning outcomes are impacted, the company said.

AI-Based Plagiarism Detection Comes to Open Source LMS

Open LMS, an open-source learning management system, is getting new plagiarism detection capabilities via Copyleaks, which uses artificial intelligence to detect potential problems with students' work, including plagiarism and text generated by AI platforms like ChatGPT.

Kajeet Adds eduroam Integration

Kajeet, which provides internet connectivity technologies to K–12 schools and families, has added eduroam network access to its SmartBus, Connect Suite, and Smart Transit services.

LatinX Ed Tech Summit 'Bridging the Digital Divide' Tackles Sustainable Solutions for Underserved Areas

The Success Through Technology Education (STTE) Foundation will hold its second annual LatinX Ed Tech Summit, "Bridging the Digital Divide," on June 16, 2023, in El Paso, Texas. It will focus on three key goals to develop digital education solutions for underserved areas, especially rural and LatinX communities.

LINQ Launches Parent Payment Portal

LINQ has launched LINQ Connect, a new SaaS offering that provides payment processing and other services to allow parents to pay for services like school lunches and field trips.

PublicSchoolWORKS Updates Software Suites to Match New School Safety Laws

In preparation for new school safety laws taking effect this summer and fall, compliance software PublicSchoolWORKS has updated its EmployeeSafe Suite and StudentWatch Suite to guide K–12 safety and compliance leaders through the various new state and federal reporting requirements, according to a news release.

RedCritter Launches AI Powered PBIS System

RedCritter has launched CritterCoin, a new automated system for positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) built on ChatGPT.

Stride and Ocean Visions Building Ocean Sustainability World Project in Minecraft

Digital learning provider Stride has announced a partnership with nonprofit research network Ocean Visions to build instructional content for Minecraft: Education Edition to teach students about the science of oceans and support the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, according to a news release.

LG Debuts Ultra Wide ProBeam 4K Laser Projector with Up to 285-Inch Image

To address a growing demand for ultra-wide conferencing projection, LG Business Solutions USA has debuted a new 4K UHD laser projector with 21:9 aspect ratio support with "maximum visibility" for conferencing apps and presentations, according to a news release.

New & Upcoming K–12 Grants