New Dashboard Monitors Progress of Special Needs Students

  • By Kevin Hudson
  • 07/18/13

PresenceLearning has launched a new dashboard aimed at providing special needs program administrators with data for monitoring the progress of students participating in online speech therapy programs.

The dashboard, SPEDinsight, will provide an "actionable, 'bird's eye' view of the progress made by students with special needs who are receiving speech and other related clinical services online," according to information released by the company.

"What administrators need is actionable data. Are IEPs being completed on time? Which students are making progress? Which ones are not? Which ones are missing too much therapy time to complete their goals by the end of the year," said Clay Whitehead, co-CEO of PresenceLearning, in prepared statement. "SPEDinsight allows them to see this information live and at a glance, bringing accountability and transparency to clinical service delivery."

The dashboard is designed to deliver a "top-level graphical view of data summarizing progress on IEP goals," according to the company, along with delivery of therapy time owed and timely completion of mandated IEP meetings.

"I now can make better decisions and communicate much more effectively with my staff and students' parents. If a question comes up, I have instant access to answers," said Dustine Borges, director of special education and chief psychologist of Fowler Unified School District near Fresno, CA. "PresenceLearning's SPEDinsight dashboard provides me with an unprecedented degree of transparency and accountability regarding the progress of our special education students receiving clinical services."

PresenceLearning has offered online speech therapy programs since 2009, providing schools with Web-based access to a network of licensed speech-language pathologists. As of the end of the 2012-2013 school year, the company had conducted more than 200,000 online therapy sessions.

About the Author

Kevin Hudson is a freelance journalist based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • horizontal stack of U.S. dollar bills breaking in half

    ED Abruptly Cancels ESSER Funding Extensions

    The Department of Education has moved to close the door on COVID relief funding for schools, declaring that "extending deadlines for COVID-related grants, which are in fact taxpayer funds, years after the COVID pandemic ended is not consistent with the Department’s priorities and thus not a worthwhile exercise of its discretion."

  • computer screen displaying a landline phone being unplugged from a single cord, with a modern office desk, keyboard, and subtle lighting in the background

    Microsoft Shutting Down Skype

    Microsoft has announced that it will discontinue service for its Skype telecommunications and video calling services on May 5, 2025.

  • reDesign Future9 report

    ReDesign Updates 9 Essential Competencies for K-12 Students

    ReDesign, a provider of support and resources for competency-based education, has updated its Future9 Competency Framework to reflect the essential skills K-12 students need today to thrive in their education and workforce journeys.

  • abstract illustration of a classroom with glowing circuits and technology gradually integrated from left to right

    Not All Tech Is Created Equal: Transforming Classrooms with Purposeful Technology

    Classrooms will always be places where students build relationships, develop critical thinking skills, and grow into who they’re going to be as adults and citizens. Technology should be a tool to support these goals.