Skyward Earns 2015 EdTech Digest Cool Tool Award

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (March 24, 2015) – Skyward, an industry leading K-12 school administrative software provider, received a 2015 Cool Tool Award for its Student and Family Access system from acclaimed online education publication EdTech Digest. The web-based communication tool took home the top prize in this year’s Parent/Student Portal Solution category. The annual awards program honors outstanding solutions, leaders and innovators in the education technology sector. 

Skyward’s Family Access gives parents and guardians immediate and secure access to the information they need. Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the portal offers parents an inside look into their students’ records, including grades, daily assignments, discipline incidents and food service reports. The Family Access system reduces the amount of time parents spend on the phone with school staff and administrators, helping districts respond more effectively to concerns and questions. Student Access provides a centralized location for students to view grades, missing assignments and classroom discussions. 

Districts can also mass-generate parent usernames and passwords directly from the database, and customize the system’s security features, controlling what information parents can access while reducing the amount of technology staff involved. To ensure data accessed through Student and Family Access is only used for its intended purpose, Skyward employs strict security standards beyond what is required under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). With secure, easy to navigate software, Student and Family Access is a flexible, one-stop shop for families. 

“Our Student and Family Access portals are designed to keep families engaged, and empower students to be accountable for their education. Skyward strives to help administrators, educators and parents improve outcomes through transparency and accessibility,” said Ray Ackerlund, vice president of sales and marketing at Skyward. “Being honored as a Cool Tool by EdTech Digest demonstrates that Skyward delivers on this goal.” 

The presenter of the Cool Tool Awards, EdTech Digest is an online publication serving the education community as a resource for technology news, interviews, and trends. The awards program is in its fifth year and honors outstanding contributions by the people and companies working to transform education through technology for all learners. All entries undergo thorough evaluation from a panel of educators, entrepreneurs, journalists, and technology professionals who are leaders in their respective fields. 

About Skyward
Skyward is a leading provider of K-12 school administrative software that surpasses districts’ needs in state reporting, improves operational capabilities, and opens communication between schools and families. Today, the Skyward School Management System™ is used in more than 1,800 school districts worldwide, ranging from districts with as few as 50 students to statewide implementations supporting more than 800,000 students. Founded in 1980, Skyward serves school districts with its integrated student, finance, and human resources suite of products and is proudly made and supported in the United States. To learn more, visit www.skyward.com.

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