How School Culture Slays Chronic Absenteeism Chronic absenteeism is extra sad since ideally students create their own great place to learn. The cycle of belonging and esteem gives us clues we need to get kids to school. #Culture by Erin Werra

Common School-Related Dreams and What They May Mean Learn more about the symbols your subconscious offers as you sleep. #Leadership by Erin Werra

So You Want to Become a Superintendent If you’re aiming for district leadership, you'll shift from do-er to planner. Here's how. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Play-Based Learning All Grown Up Two teachers explain why play is the most essential skill a student can learn. #Achievement by Erin Werra

The Two Kinds of Time You'll Spend in a K12 Career Examining both ends of the K12 spectrum and a kaleidoscope of time in between. #Leadership by Erin Werra

10 Ways to Use Your SIS to Build Educator Support into School Culture While district leaders undoubtedly have several strategies planned to shore up staff support, did you count your student information system (SIS) among them? #Technology by Erin Pinter


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How School Culture Slays Chronic Absenteeism Chronic absenteeism is extra sad since ideally students create their own great place to learn. The cycle of belonging and esteem gives us clues we need to get kids to school. #Culture by Erin Werra

Common School-Related Dreams and What They May Mean Learn more about the symbols your subconscious offers as you sleep. #Leadership by Erin Werra

So You Want to Become a Superintendent If you’re aiming for district leadership, you'll shift from do-er to planner. Here's how. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Play-Based Learning All Grown Up Two teachers explain why play is the most essential skill a student can learn. #Achievement by Erin Werra

The Two Kinds of Time You'll Spend in a K12 Career Examining both ends of the K12 spectrum and a kaleidoscope of time in between. #Leadership by Erin Werra

10 Ways to Use Your SIS to Build Educator Support into School Culture While district leaders undoubtedly have several strategies planned to shore up staff support, did you count your student information system (SIS) among them? #Technology by Erin Pinter

Tackling Tension within Your District: Steps for K12 Leaders Follow these steps to tease out solutions when tensions run high. #Leadership by Casey Hernandez

New School Year, New Social Strategy An interview with Sarah O’Donnell, award-winning K-12 social media storyteller. #Culture by Lexi Beecher

Teaching in the Trees: Public School Meets Waldorf Listen to two teachers capturing creative aspects of Waldorf education in a public school, incorporating movement, artistry, choice, the outdoors, and more. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Your Ultimate Guide to Edtech ROI Measuring edtech ROI is easier than you think—it just requires patience and strategy to capture the data you need. Let’s dive in! #Technology by Erin Werra

How the Pareto Principle Shows Up in K12 Schools The 80/20 rule with roots in Italian land ownership proves useful when prioritizing tasks in a high-energy, high-demand role like K12 educators have. #Leadership by Erin Werra

3 Skills Students Need from the School Business office The skills at work in your school business office are in short supply outside it. How can the SBO help? #Business by Erin Werra

Midyear Check-In: 2024 Conversations Each year we predict the top newsmakers in K12 schools. The 2024 conversations: behavior crises, cybersecurity roles, and of course our friend AI. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Detecting Digital Lies with Media Literacy In the age of AI, factual integrity matters more than ever #Achievement by Lindsey Canny

Measuring Edtech ROI Vol. 5: Data Paints a Better Picture What do you do with all the data you’re gathering on your new edtech solution? Use data visualizations to tell your story to any audience. #Technology by Erin Werra

Let Kids Be Weird: They Learn Better That Way Lean into kids' unique passion projects to capture engagement and maximize agency. #Achievement by Lindsey Canny

3 Ways to Play the Long Game for Staff Retention Use these tactics early in the school year to build educator stamina and keep morale high all year long. #Leadership by Casey Hernandez

How Are You Attracting and Retaining Teachers of Color? Automating your applicant tracking eases the effects of covert biases and provides an attractive applicant experience. #Leadership by Erin Werra

4 Critical Components of K12 Data Solutions Look for these four non-negotiables when purchasing your next school data solution. #Technology by Erin Werra

What Research Says About AI and the Future of Work How do we prepare students for future jobs that don't exist yet? #Technology by Erin Werra

Your Video Guide to Edtech ROI: Vol. 4 Take your ROI measurement to the next level with the combined power of data and user feedback. #Technology by Erin Werra

Surfing the Social Media Waves See what the research says about social media and its effects on students' well-being—the nuances may surprise you. #Technology by Lexi Beecher

Metacognition is the Superpower Kids Need for the Future How can educators help kids navigate a new normal with AI? Thinking about thinking can help. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Want More STEM Grads? End Math Tracking Schools are passing over a population of potential STEM workers. There must be a better way. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Budget Entry Made Easier This is how easy it could be to import your budget into your ERP system. #Business by Erin Werra

3 Strategies for Holistic Cybersecurity How you can improve cybersecurity without investing in additional software. #Technology by Austin Anderson

Your Video Guide to Measuring ROI: Vol. 3 Signs your solution is worth its salt: Great data for goal-setting and progress monitoring. #Leadership by Erin Werra

4 Essential Security Features for Your Business Office Protect yourself from Business Email Compromise attacks. #Business by Mike Bianco

Empathy: A New E for STEAM Empathy is the secret to UX success and can be taught and practiced! Bonus: Behavior improvement and soft skills galore #Achievement by Erin Werra

Why Are We So Worried About AI in Schools? AI can’t be avoided—and the good news is, it’s not all that novel. Let’s explore the pros and cons of embracing AI in schools. #Leadership by Erin Werra

The Quest for Social Media Authenticity As a K12 leader, people want to know you—the real you. Here's how to get comfortable with your online thought leadership. #Leadership by Lexi Beecher

Your Video Guide to Edtech ROI, Vol. 2 What kind of data can you use to make a solid decision about your next edtech purchase?Let's explore five types of data. #Technology by Erin Werra

How Behavior Data Helps Retain Teachers K12 schools face a behavior disaster. A data-driven approach to student behavior is within reach. #Data by Erin Pinter

Without People, Cybersecurity Falls Flat Cybersecurity is a team sport. Here's how to get everyone focused on the same goals. #Technology by Austin Anderson

Data Migration is a Team Effort You’re ready for a big data migration—you just don’t know it yet. #Leadership by Casey Hernandez

Social Media Checklist: Parent Engagement Made Easy Examine tried-and-true methods to supplement communication and increase interaction with families online. #Culture by Lexi Beecher

Trick Kids into Learning: 3 Strategies for Student Agency How do we shift student attitudes toward their education from obligation to privilege? #Achievement by Erin Werra

Your Video Guide to Measuring Edtech ROI Set the stage to measure the return on investment for pricey edtech. Learn how in this video. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Changing Your School Brand and Other Misfortunes Rebranding always feels like an uphill battle. A few strategies can help the process along. #Leadership by Erin Werra

IT is the Real MVP But it takes a team to make it flow smoothly. #Technology by Austin Anderson

3 Conversations to Follow in 2024 Each year we anticipate the next hot topics for the new calendar year in K12 schools. See which three made the list. #Leadership by Lindsey Canny

25 Edtech Acronyms Defined Let this glossary help you make sense of the edtech alphabet soup. #Culture by Erin Werra

Productive PD: Building a Growth Mindset from Burnout The best time to do better is when you're already doing well. PD is no different! #Leadership by Erin Werra

Teach Your Community About Your School Culture Your communication strategy can help them capture the school spirit you have in mind. #Culture by Erin Werra

Erasing Friday: What a 4-Day School Week Might Mean for Your District What does the data say about four days in school instead of five? #Leadership by Erin Werra

The Value of Device Tracking Saving big bucks on tech? Terrific. Defending the district from data theft? Priceless. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

Gen Z is Bad at Cybersecurity Turns out digital natives aren't the best cybersleuths. #Data by Lindsey Canny

Recognize These 5 Phishing Email Patterns Use pattern recognition to identify and stop phishing attacks in your district. #Data by Erin Werra

Use STEAM to Shift the Math Anxiety Paradigm It’s not only what we teach, it’s how we teach it. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Increase Engagement and Equity with SIS Translation And with built-in tools, it's as easy as pie. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Aim for Higher STEM Goals Regardless of budget, it's possible to up your STEM game.  #Achievement by Lindsey Canny

Infographic: Replenishing Empathy 10 Ways Folks in education have a superhuman demand for relationship-building. Here are 10 ways to stay strong and healthy. #Culture by Erin Werra

We Have the Tools; Let's Keep Our Talent Use a clever mix of tools and talent to retain great educators. #Leadership by Erin Werra

How Data Standards Safeguard School Data from Ransomware Data standards make life easier in many ways—one of the most valuable is protecting school networks and data. #Data by Erin Werra

Who Wants to be the Next K12 Leader? Refine your strategies for identifying and nurturing the future leaders in your district. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Quiz: Are You an Edtech Innovator? Take a quick quiz to find out how bright your edtech curiosity shines. #Technology by Lindsey Canny

Top 3 Myths Folks Believe About Classroom Accessibility Shift mindsets from accessible systems being “nice to have,” and into the future of tech and learning designed for all. #Technology by Nou Chee Her

Authenticity and Your School Culture Is your school climate feeling a little stifled? Practicing authenticity can help. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Change Management for K12 Districts Change is coming. Learn a framework to launch district projects poised for success. #Leadership by Leslie Strong

Midyear Check-in: 2023 Conversations What kind of progress are we seeing in recouping learning losses, stemming staff burnout, and keeping school networks secure? Let’s find out. #Leadership by Erin Werra

3 Considerations in Favor of Momentum—Even When Times Are Tough When change feels heavy, build your staff up—don’t opt them out. #Leadership by Scott Glinski

4 Creative Culture Considerations to Retain Teachers Does your culture keep employees coming back year after year? #Culture by Lindsey Canny

Data Legislation in Review via the Data Quality Campaign Anticipating a wave of legislation designed to keep humanity safe from AI, let’s take a look back on years of K12 data legislation. #Data by Erin Werra

Summertime Fraud Watch: 10 Ways to Stay Vigilant Keep your school business office safe from bad actors within and outside the district. #Business by Erin Werra

End of the Year in the School Business Office A high-level look at the multi-step process SBOs use to end the year—and how a great ERP can help. #Business by Erin Werra

Appreciating Educators Builds a Strong School Culture Although ways we show appreciation can be full of feeling, respect is the name of the game! #Culture by Erin Werra

Soft Skills Strengthen STEM Success Graduates who practice these 5 skills enjoy a leg-up in their post-grad pursuits. #Achievement by Erin Werra

How Much Should ChatGPT Know About Your District? When asked, artificial intelligence made it clear: Don’t trust me. #Technology by Erin Werra

5 Factors that Can Keep Your District Growing During Superintendent Succession Don’t let looming retirements slow down district progress! #Leadership by Scott Glinski

The Pros and Cons of Live Gradebooks Is it good for teachers and students to report and see grades in real time? #Technology by Erin Werra

Secrets to K12 Communication, as Told by Two Pros Learn tips and tools of the trade from communication directors Gregg Gutschow and Sarah O’Donnell, who both serve school districts in Central Wisconsin.  #Leadership by Erin Werra

Maximize Effort by Minimizing Measurement As the current year wraps up, leaders have one eye on the finish line and the other on what's coming next. A shift in perspective can help. #Leadership by Erin Werra

The Evolution of eLearning The rise and fall of learning outside the four walls of a classroom. #Technology by Erin Werra

Two Words to Strengthen Your School Culture And they are… 🥁 #Culture by Erin Werra

We Need You to Fight Ransomware in K12 Schools It's everyone's job to protect school data. Let's look at what we should all do before, during, and after a ransomware attack. #Data by Mike Bianco

Automate Absenteeism Letters and Keep Kids Learning Missing a few faces in the classrooms of your school? It’s time to make attendance reminders easier. #Data by Erin Werra

The Deep Work in Doing Nothing There's more to doing nothing than meets the eye. #Leadership by Lindsey Canny

9 Donations Schools Love but Communities Forget About Looking for ideas to share with families? Look no further. #Culture by Erin Werra

Rethinking Credentials for Careers of the Future First comes K12, then comes college, then comes career—right? 🤔 #Achievement by Erin Werra

Define a Term: Student Information System Let's go back to basics and break down a big concept. Next up in this new series: Student information system (SIS). #Technology by Lindsey Canny

Evaluate Edtech Use and Save Thousands Take back your district’s share of the billion-dollar edtech industry.  #Technology by Erin Werra

How School Culture Can Fight the Midyear Slump Strong school culture helps boost motivation and engagement, even amid midwinter gloom. #Culture by Lindsey Canny

Top 4 Midyear Tasks in the School Business Office As the new year starts, the SBO is knee-deep, smack-dab in the middle of theirs. Let's take a peek behind the scenes. #Business by Erin Werra

Building Skills and Schedules: Arena Scheduling Boosts Engagement What can your scheduling solution do for you? #Achievement by Lindsey Canny

Should School Districts Ban Apps? It’s in the news, let’s talk about it: Should schools ban certain applications? #Technology by Erin Werra

3 Conversations to Follow in 2023 Let’s make it a year of sustainable progress recouping relationship losses, solidifying school culture that builds loyalty, and securing schools. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Define a Term: Edtech Let's go back to basics and break down a big concept. Kicking off this new series: Edtech. #Technology by Lindsey Canny

Top 6 Content Literacy Skills K12 Admins Shouldn't Ignore Content creation is more than just kids playing on phones. Learning the components can lead to student success. Here’s how. #Achievement by Erin Werra

What K12 Leaders Can Learn from 80s Movies Mentors and nemeses, time travel and teamwork—what can you learn from '80's flicks? #Leadership by Erin Werra

Storing Data in the SBO How can your ERP solution support record retention compliance? #Business by Erin Werra

What's Going on with Big Edtech? Does size matter when it comes to edtech? Everyone has a different answer, but one thing's for sure: edtech is a hot investment right now. #Technology by Lindsey Canny

20 Clues Universal Design is a Priority in Your Edtech Ensure every person enjoys effective, comfortable access to education technology. #Technology by Nou Chee Her

The Ups and Downs of Girls in STEM Statistically it’s a slog, but how do girls really feel about their prospects in science? One high schooler has her sights set on pre-med and explains her view in contrast to trends. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Infographic: How to Spot Burnout from 10,000 Feet Learn to spot the early warning signs so you can step in sooner. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

5 Things to Keep in Mind When You Suspect Misinformation Keeping misinformation at bay calls for constant vigilance. Learn five ways to stay sharp. #Technology by Lindsey Canny

Payroll Encumbrances Made Easier Does your ERP forecast your payroll encumbrances? If not, it should. #Business by Erin Werra

Financial Literacy Equals Freedom: Your School Business Office Can Help How school business offices can lead the way to students’ achieving financial literacy. #Business by Erin Werra

One-Page Pitch: Why Try a Tardy Kiosk? The Advancing K12 One-Page Pitch Series aims to help team members lead from within. This month's topic: tardy kiosks. #Technology by Erin Werra

Social Media and School: A Unique Opportunity Social media and education can coexist, with a handful of dos and don'ts. #Achievement by Lindsey Canny

The Points Are Made Up and the Grades Don't Matter Three reasons traditional letter grades are flawed 🤝 a handful of alternative strategies to measure progress  #Achievement by Erin Werra

5 Quick Edtech Tips for Physical Safety in Schools From biometrics to background checks, how edtech can create a safer environment for kids to learn.  #Technology by Casey Thompson

6 Creativity Blockers and Their Antidotes Good news: a few leadership tweaks and the spark of creativity burns brighter than ever.  #Leadership by Erin Werra

Great Leaders Are Epic Failures Opening up about your own struggles is hard, but it pays dividends. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

Reading Automaticity is the Hidden STEM Superpower Kids Need It’s not mathletes vs. bookworms: STEM and reading are not mutually exclusive. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Progress is Not Linear A lesson that most definitely translates to the professional world. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Results Are In! Meet the Readers of Advancing K12 Dive into the data behind Advancing K12's subscribers. #Culture by Casey Thompson

There Are No Low-Tech Fields Computer skills and tech-savviness are no longer optional. Let’s explore how students can stand out in a few hands-on vocations by embracing technology. #Technology by Casey Thompson

Your District Needs an Advisory Panel (Here's Why) Looking to better engage with your community while boosting school culture? Try setting up an advisory panel. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Create a Coaching Culture at Your Workplace A leadership style built on emotional intelligence promises a stronger team. Curious? See the 10 Commandments of Coaching. #Culture by Emily Katz

The Summer of PD Plans Know you want to get going on a DIY, digital credentialing professional development program, but not sure where to start? Here’s one option with built-in support. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

The Future-Ready Progress Report Half a decade later, let’s check in on the concept Future Ready Schools shares with district leaders to guide planning for technology, professional development, student achievement, and more. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

How to Increase Engagement at All Corners of Your School Culture Parents, families, and the broader community are all part of school culture, and making sure they’re engaged and invested can lead to great outcomes for students. Check out these tips for small yet impactful ways to increase community and parent engagement. #Culture by Erin Werra

The Best Benefit You Can Give Educators? Easing Their Mental Load. Break down the role reliable data automation plays in educators' wellbeing. #Culture by Erin Pinter

Silence is Not Stagnant—It's Power Harness the power of silence in a loud world. #Leadership by Erin Werra

The One-Way Valve of Interoperability Not only does interoperability reduce dual entry and ensure information stays up to date, but it keeps your data secure too. #Data by Mike Bianco

Making Data Work for People Data is only as good as the insight it leads to and the headaches it prevents. #Data by Erin Werra

5 Ways Edtech Companies Show Customers They Care Technology doesn't have to feel cold! Here's how the best vendors show they care. #Technology by Casey Thompson

Make Your Data Work for You A wealth of data becomes actionable in 4 steps. #Data by Erin Werra

4 Ways to Enrich Your School Business Office Make a few tweaks and watch your team thrive like never before.  #Business by Erin Werra

K-12 Crisis Communication: What Does It Look Like Now? Let's review the lessons from the past two years of crisis communication and crisis management. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

Using Multifactor Authentication If you've ever heard pushback about how MFA is "too much work," here's an explainer to illustrate its importance. #Data by Casey Thompson

Listening Is a Superpower Practice six new skills to level up your active listening. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

How Teachers Can Text Families—Without Their Personal Phones Texting is a great way to increase communication, but it shouldn’t have to come at the expense of teacher privacy. School text messaging services provide a great alternative.  #Technology by Casey Thompson

5 Tips to Help Students Stay Safe on Social Media Social media is a great way for students to connect—but there are plenty of challenges. Here's how to promote online safety. #Technology by Emily Katz

How Does Cloud Hosting Keep Your Data Safe? Is cloud hosting and storage the way to go to protect your district's data? Let's break down the pros and cons. #Data by Casey Thompson

Red Flags or Gold Stars: Flipping the Script on Behavior Tracking Your SIS can shift behavior tracking from disciplinary action to the entire spectrum of student behavior, social-emotional learning, and whole-child wellness. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Platforms, Processes, and Fraud Prevention The risk of financial exposure due to fraud is greater than ever. Are you overlooking fraud risk? #Technology by Casey Thompson

Retaining Teachers Starts with Leadership Opportunities Offering leadership opportunities with growth potential might be a way to keep teachers in the profession for years to come. Consider these tips as you’re building out your teacher retention strategy.  #Leadership by Casey Thompson

Not New in 2022: Ransomware Threats Schools face plenty of dangers and threats, from pandemics to budget cuts, but ransomware may be one of the most pernicious, transcendent, and frightening—and it’s not going away. #Technology by Erin Werra

What's New in EdTech Interoperability? When systems work nicely together, everyone saves time—time they can devote to teaching and learning. Learn what’s new in the world of edtech data interoperability for K12 schools.  #Data by Casey Thompson

Is Automation Right for K12 Schools? Does automation have a role to play in education, and the enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform? #Technology by Erin Werra

3 Conversations to Follow in 2022 Here's a quick primer on 3 of the biggest K-12 talking points of 2022: teacher retainment, standardized tests, and hybrid/remote learning.  #Leadership by Caroline Gilchrist

Pandemic-Era Attendance Can we see the impact of COVID on student attendance right now? #Technology by Erin Werra

Do We Do Our Best Work for Machines? What impact has machine learning, AI, and surveillance had on the way we teach and learn?  #Technology by Casey Thompson

How to Develop Automated Messages with Humanity Are automated messages endearing you to families, or pushing them away? Explore ways to boost engagement without adding manual tasks. #Culture by Emily Katz

One-Page Pitch: How Attendance Letters Improve Absenteeism Chronic absenteesim continues to challenge schools and families. This pitch outlines why automated attendance letters work to turn the tides. #Leadership by Erin Werra

DIY K12 PD with Badge List It’s a whole new world in K12 schools. Have you changed your PD plan yet? #Culture by Erin Werra

How EdTech and Culture Work Together to Retain Teachers By easing administrative tasks and investing heavily in culture, districts may be able to prevent or stem teacher shortages. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

Business Office Automation Changes K12 for the Better Everyone who works in schools contributes to a better environment for kids. #Business by Casey Thompson

Facilities Challenges During Low Occupancy Caring for school buildings during virtual learning brings its own set of challenges. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

Use Task-Based Permission to Tighten Edtech Security How system admins assign permissions makes a big difference in keeping data secure.  #Data by Erin Werra

Record Health Data Using Your SIS Looking for a way to keep health data records? Your solution may already be at your fingertips.  #Data by Erin Werra

How Stock Responses Can Improve Parent Communications Won't stock responses limit participation? Not exactly. Be strategic to encourage productive conversations. #Culture by Erin Werra

Maximize Classroom Space for Maximum Comfort Space has always been at a premium, but with a little design thinking leaders can break out of the box. #Leadership by Erin Werra

The Hidden Costs of Poor Edtech Support Take a deeper look at what your SIS offers. Is everything you need included? #Technology by Erin Werra

Playing Catch-Up with Student Behavior Small acts add up for healthier students—and better behavior. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Video Edtech Playbook: When Is It Time for a New SIS? If your SIS is as comfortable as a well-worn t-shirt, it might be time to consider newer options. #Technology by Tim Casey

How Edtech Can Help Recruit and Retain Substitutes Learn three ways good edtech can help your district become a destination for substitute teachers and staff. #Culture by Erin Werra

Midyear Check-In: 2021 Conversations How's the year going so far? Let's check in on our three important conversation topics for 2021. #Leadership by Erin Werra

7 Reasons Your SIS is the Cornerstone of Learning Don't sleep on the power of your student information system. #Technology by Casey Thompson

Optimize Student Data as an Agent for Change By grasping where students stand through comprehensive, accessible data, district leaders can improve the education experience for students. #Data by Caroline Gilchrist

Future-Ready Students Seek Credentials As students work toward a brighter future, which credentials can help? And how can schools support them? #Achievement by Erin Werra

Kids' Digital Citizenship Skills are Non-Negotiable How do schools prepare digital natives for the world wide web? These inalienable rights can help guide the conversation. #Technology by Erin Werra

Simplify Audits with View-Only Users Accounts It's a win-win: Auditors can't unwittingly disrupt data, and the system remains secure. Read on to learn how. #Business by Caroline Gilchrist

5 Good Things the Pandemic Revealed in Schools Celebrate the wins. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Does Your Pre-Hire Process Shine? Are applicants following a well-marked, automated path to hiring success? Analyze your application process to see where improvement is needed. #Business by Erin Werra

Making Plans for Virtual School? You're Not Alone. Planning ahead can make all the difference for students, families, and equity. #Achievement by Erin Werra

6 Edtech Tools Schools Used to Navigate a Pandemic These six tools have proven useful—and the good news is, you may already have them. #Business by Erin Werra

3 Ways Virtual Onboarding Strengthened One Team If onboarding a new employee from afar sounds like a nightmare, read on to discover the hidden benefits. #Business by Erin Werra

5 Ways to Plant the Seeds of Sustainability Schools have the unique opportunity to instill a sense of stewardship in Earth’s future caretakers. Here are five ways to get started. #Culture by Caroline Gilchrist

The Impact of Technology on the Homework Debate Remote school and work have blurred the lines between work and home. How does this shape the debate over homework? #Technology by Casey Thompson

Get Your Board On Board Behind just about every public school district is an elected school board. Here are a few considerations to cultivate harmony. #Leadership by Erin Werra

10 Ways to Prevent Eyestrain During eLearning Eyestrain has become a real issue for students learning remotely. Here are 10 tips to help prevent it. #Technology by Lacy Skrzeczkoski

Could Virtual Options Double Parent Participation? Zoom fatigue is real, but one thing’s for sure: Virtual options are a win for parent/teacher conferences. #Achievement by Erin Werra

10 Ways to Get Cameras on During Remote Learning Without demanding, begging, or adding rules. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Intervention Needs an Abundance Mindset Take stock of the tools we already have to make intervention a success. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Leaders, Spark New Joy Start fresh with the most-missing piece of the school culture puzzle: joy! #Culture by Chad Aiken-Zdroik

3 Methods of Broadband Expansion Let's explore three ways schools are providing connectivity to students in need. #Technology by Caroline Gilchrist

5 Ways Good EdTech Puts People First If sifting through edtech specs feels a bit cold, warm up with these user-centric traits. #Technology by Erin Werra

The Cost of Proactive vs. Reactive Data Security Investing in K12 data security pays off. Here’s how to stretch your dollar. #Data by Erin Werra

Youth Activism in Schools The next generation of heroes is walking the halls of schools today, and you’re uniquely poised to help them along. #Achievement by Erin Werra

11 Ways Schools Can Reach Out to Families Keep the conversation flowing between school and home. #Culture by Jacob Baumann

What Does School Look Like Around the Globe From Europe and Asia to Africa and Australia, there’s a lot we can learn from education around the world. #Culture by Caroline Gilchrist

An Intro to Single Sign On Security Ever wondered how this super convenient feature protects your district? Let’s explore SAML and SSO. #Technology by Erin Werra

3 Conversations to Follow in 2021 Goodbye 2020. Let’s prepare for whatever comes next #Leadership by Erin Werra

Being Approachable as a Leader Approachable leaders break down the walls that separate them from those they lead. Here’s why this strategy is important and how you can master it. #Leadership by Caroline Gilchrist

Why Edtech Choices Matter So Much Educators have had no choice but to lean hard on technology in 2020. What have we learned about edtech choices and their impact on a generation of students? #Technology by Erin Werra

A Rural Internet Glossary There are no simple answers for rural connectivity. For families looking for options, learning some baseline lingo can help guide the way. #Technology by Erin Werra

Less Paper Not Paperless "Going paperless" sounds good on, well, paper. But even small steps to reduce paper usage are steps in the right direction. #Business by Caroline Gilchrist

10 Principles of Leading Great Teams One leader's observations of what makes a team happy, productive, and great—don't miss the infographic! #Leadership by Casey Thompson

Ditch Passwords and Use Passphrases “Passphrase? Is that the same as a password?” Not quite! Find out why you should be using passphrases in this quick, shareable pitch. #Leadership by Erin Werra

What K12 Leaders Can Learn from Movie Monsters It was a dark and stormy school year… #Leadership by Erin Werra

Let's Take a Phishing Trip Learn how to run a successful simulated phishing program! It just might prevent employees from falling hook, line, and sinker for real-life scams. #Data by Caroline Gilchrist

Motivation vs Determination and How to Capture Both Learn the difference between them and how to master both, then strike the right balance to see professional (and student!) growth soar. #Achievement by Erin Werra

5 Important Pieces of Your Mental Health Toolkit A proactive approach to mental health sets you up for success, especially as a community caregiver working in K12 education. Here are 5 ways to build one. #Leadership by Emily Katz

Pandemic-Era Safety and Security in School Buildings COVID-19 has changed the way schools operate. Here’s how school administrators are protecting their communities. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Making Blended Learning Accessible Remote learning is hard. A few quick tricks help ease the experience for students using assistive technology. #Technology by Nou Chee Her

Tell Me Something Good Just four words might turn the tide of school culture. #Leadership by Erin Werra

5 Budget Curveballs for 2020 Mission: Impossible just got more... impossible. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

Midyear 2020 Conversations Check-In A year like none other. #Leadership by Erin Werra

The Golden Rule of Interoperability Treat others’ private data the way you’d want yours to be protected. #Data by Caroline Gilchrist

What K12 Leaders Can Learn from Late Night TV Night owls appreciate long-running hosts and a solid, familiar format. What can you learn from late night shows? #Leadership by Erin Werra

5 Tactics Radio Gives Us for Loud and Clear Communication What can “radio talk” protocol teach us about quality communication? Turns out, a lot! Here are 5 takeaways from this tried and true method. #Leadership by Erin Werra

How Assessment Squelches the Summer Slide COVID-19 followed immediately by a couple months off has the potential to make the summer extra slide-y. Assessment to the rescue. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Future-Proof Record Retention As districts update SIS and ERP solutions, how can they ensure long-term records are retained and safe? #Data by Casey Thompson

Arena Scheduling from Home Even if remote learning is a contingency, it’s wise to plan ahead for remote options—including arena scheduling. #Achievement by Erin Werra

What K12 Leaders Can Learn from Saturday Morning Cartoons Saturday morning used to represent golden hours of freedom and indulgence for kids. What can you learn from the heyday of kid freedom? #Leadership by Erin Werra

Introducing the Careers of the Future Quiz Peer into the crystal ball to see which jobs might suit your skills in 2050! #Leadership by Emily Katz

Solidifying a Distance Learning Strategy Uncertainty demands school leaders consider all angles of reopening schools—including teaching students who cannot return to the building. #Technology by Casey Thompson

Should Your School Use a Crisis Text Line? May is mental health month, but students struggle all year round. Here’s how technology can play a role in compassionate care. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Beware These 5 Threats During COVID-19 Hackers are capitalizing on vulnerabilities due to COVID-19-prompted remote work. Here’s how to stay safer in cyberspace. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

When Your Team Struggles with Working from Home Troubleshooting and coaching the challenges of the new normal: remote work. #Leadership by Erin Werra

How eLearning Can Empower Kids Learning doesn’t stop. But it will be different, and that’s okay. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Why Emotional IQ Skills Are Essential for Students One of the most impactful ways to improve job performance is to brush up on emotional intelligence. What if we gave kids a jump on it? #Achievement by Erin Werra

What Is Turning Women Away from Computer Science? It’s common knowledge that men have a greater presence in programming than women—but how did this trend arise? And what can we do to help girls overcome bias? #Technology by Caroline Gilchrist

When Is the Last Time Vendors Asked for Your Feedback? If you’re racking your brain right now, we have bad news. #Technology by Casey Thompson

Position Control and Traveling Staff As staff travel between buildings, how are you tracking their time spent in each? Is each building sharing an equal part of the position budget? These are just a couple questions that may affect the salary negotiations, budget considerations, and time tracking for these traveling employees. #Business by Casey Thompson

Project-Based Learning is a Perfect Developmental Match for Teens Adults, we’re witnessing a revolution. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Vetting Apps Across the District 6 red flags for applications used in classrooms with students. #Data by Casey Thompson

School Librarians Make a Difference Librarians provide additional opportunity to support students with positive adult relationships, share representation, and bridge tech skills. #Achievement by Erin Werra

20 Things We'll Be Into This Decade A mix of perennial and emerging topics we’re looking forward to witnessing as time marches on. #Culture by Erin Werra

The Great Homework Debate Could “the dog ate my homework” someday be retired? Let’s look at both sides of this debated topic. #Achievement by Lauren Gilchrist

Prioritizing Accessibility in EdTech A big-picture guide for CTOs exploring the importance of accessibility in school technology. #Technology by Nou Chee Her

Branding Is An Inside Job Education Dive's Superintendent of the Year Dr. Joe Sanfelippo shares how to get your entire team involved in telling your school's stories with pride and energy. #Leadership by Dr. Joe Sanfelippo

7 Dimensions of Wellness: How to Incorporate Each in 2020 Take a look at each of the seven dimensions of wellness and dive into how you can help your students be well in each category in 2020. #Achievement by Chris Harrison

3 Conversations to Follow in 2020 As we welcome a brand-new year and decade, we'll explore the connection between technology and soft skills, ransomware, and measuring software efficacy. #Leadership by Erin Werra

4 Strategies to Manage Educator Empathy Empathetic educators focus so much on keeping their spirits up to care for others—the quick refill cycle can lead to burnout. Here's how to stay healthy. #Leadership by Erin Werra

On the Road with Lauren: Cranberry Science and a Splash of Red We traveled to Central Wisconsin to join a Splash of Red cranberry tour, led by students in the only cranberry science class in the country. #Achievement by Lauren Gilchrist

Setting Up An eLearning Day Look out, kids, there's a new snow day ritual in town. #Achievement by Casey Thompson

One-Page Pitch: Positive Attendance The Advancing K12 One-Page Pitch Series is designed to help you lead from within. This month's pitch: Postive attendance! #Leadership by Avery Faehling

The State of K12 Coding Computer science is rapidly growing—and we're making progress. Check out this recap and learn about bringing the Hour of Code to your school. #Technology by Erin Werra

Battling Unseen Causes of Chronic Absenteeism These four barriers can stand in students' way of getting to school. Here's how you can help. #Culture by Casey Thompson

How to Prepare Students for the Jobs of Tomorrow The workforce is changing—how do we manage the gap between today’s skills and the impossible to predict future?  #Technology by Erin Werra

Leading Different Generations in a School District Leading multiple generations is all about striking balance between recognizing (and celebrating) differences and keeping all people focused on the same goals, regardless of age or experience.  #Leadership by Erin Werra

On the Road with Lauren: Race Cars Meet High School At Ashwaubenon High School, students are trading lectures and laptops for the chance to design, build, and race their own cars. #Achievement by Lauren Gilchrist

Take the EdTech Careers Quiz Have you ever wondered what your ideal role would be if you worked at an edtech company? We put together this career quiz to help you discover where your talents could be put to the best use. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

3 Ways to Keep Your Credit Cards Out of The News How can administrators stay vigilant against all types of fraud? By being good stewards of reimbursement approvals. Here's how. #Business by Erin Werra

Mobile Education Tug of War Technology has evolved the modern workplaces for maximum flexibility.  But is blurring the boundaries of classroom learning healthy for students (and teachers)?  #Achievement by Erin Werra

Teaching our Teachers: The Value of Teacher Mentorship Listen as a veteran teacher talks about the crucial role mentorship plays in an educator’s success. #Leadership by Lauren Gilchrist

Brace for Impact: School Data and Disasters Losing access to student data is its own brand of disaster. Prepare by devising an airtight recovery plan. #Data by Casey Thompson

How Ed-Fi Standards Simplify Student Data Management How do school leaders keep track of minute student data points in their district—then turn those numbers into action to improve instruction? #Data by Erin Werra

One-Page Pitch: Data Security The Advancing K12 One-Page Pitch Series aims to help team members lead from within. This month's topic: data security. #Leadership by Erin Werra

7 Things You Don’t Have to Print This Year Which processes can you shift online to move closer to a paperless office? Here are 7 ideas to consider. #Leadership by Lauren Gilchrist

Empowering Students with UX Classroom Design Studies show classroom design affects student learning. Why get students involved in the process? And how? #Leadership by Lauren Gilchrist

Do You Have a Crisis Communication Plan? If an emergency occurs today, how prepared is your district to communicate with the community?  #Leadership by Casey Thompson

Midyear Check-in: Conversations to Follow in 2019 How's the year going so far? Let's check in on our three important conversation topics for 2019. #Leadership by Erin Werra

5 Great Education Debates Let's explore both sides of a handful of education's perennial debates. #Culture by Erin Werra

The 5-Step EdTech Integration Checklist Here's a customizable template of the five main tasks leaders can follow to start an interoperability journey. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Rethinking the Traditional School Schedule As we gaze into the future of K12 education, what scheduling changes do we see budding? How do these changes affect kids? #Leadership by Erin Werra

Staging the School No budget for fancy landscaping, signs, sculptures, or fountains? No problem. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

On the Road with Lauren: Can Kindergartners Learn to Code? How do kids develop computational skills at the elementary level? We traveled to West Bend, WI, to find out from teachers who presented at ISTE. #Achievement by Lauren Gilchrist

A K12 Funding Primer for Parents Do you find yourself answering questions about funding from parents? Here's a quick, share-worthy breakdown of the basics of funding to bookmark. #Business by Advancing K12 Staff

What Do We Really Know About Screen Time? What used to be a matter of parenting opinion has moved into the realm of vocational requirement. We know kids are going to be using screens in and out of classrooms. So where can we draw the line between enough and too much? #Technology by Erin Werra

One-Page Pitch: Edubranding The Advancing K12 One-Page Pitch Series is designed to help you lead from within. This month's pitch: Edubranding in the era of school choice! #Leadership by Lauren Gilchrist

EdTech Playbook: Interoperability Though the benefits add up quickly, interoperability takes careful planning to achieve. We'll explore the components in this four-part video playbook. #Technology by Rebecca Gaboda

3 Contradictions Between Research and Practice Schools (and vendors) love to tout research-based solutions, processes, and practices. But is “research-based” really all it’s cracked up to be? #Leadership by Erin Werra

Talking to Parents About Digital Citizenship Parents may have various qualms about technology. Most of them boil down to one thing: protecting kids. Digital citizenship skills can help. #Leadership by Erin Werra

10 Districts Leading the Way in Video These districts discovered the secrets (and value!) of producing awesome videos. Learn from their approach and pick up some tips and tricks to crafting a video strategy. #Technology by Lauren Gilchrist

10 Digital Badges Worth Pursuing Which digital badges can make the greatest impact on teaching and learning? These 10 cover parent communication, digital skills, mentoring, and more! #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

The Data Security Starting Five It takes a wide range of roles and skills working together to keep data safe. How does your district’s lineup compare to this security all-star squad?  #Data by Lauren Gilchrist

One-Page Pitch: Digital Badging The Advancing K12 One-Page Pitch Series is designed to help you lead from within. Our inaugural pitch: Digital badging for professional development! #Leadership by Erin Werra

6 Surefire Cures for Initiative Fatigue Or, how to keep your eyes on the prize and refrain from chasing the latest, shiniest trend. #Leadership by Erin Werra

High-Tech HR: One-Way Video Interviews Imagine interviewing every single applicant while speeding up the first-round process. Unbelievable? Believe it! Here's how. #Business by Erin Werra

3 Steps for Building an Awesome Brand Ace school branding, with bonus advice from the superintendent who (literally) wrote the book on it. #Culture by Erin Werra

Parent Engagement: Beyond the Homework Helper What factors make parents into your biggest advocates #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

6 Roles Technology Can Play in the Hiring Process These six tools, from emerging tech to tried-and-true strategies, can save time and effort in the recruiting process. #Technology by Erin Werra

Guest Post: Our Journey to Mass Customized Learning "This wasn’t a small shift in mindset. We were completely reexamining how school has been 'done' to kids for the last century." Join us for a deep dive into the future of public education in Central York, Pennsylvania. #Leadership by Ryan Billet

Fact Check: 3 Examples of Data Gone Wrong How far should you trust the data? About as far as you can throw it, if these examples are any indication. #Data by Advancing K12 Staff

Guest Post: Amping Up Your School Security When you hear the phrase “school security,” what comes to mind? Locked entrances? Cameras? Metal detectors? Resource officers? While these visual, recognizable features are great, there are other important facets of security to be considered.  #Technology by Dan Hoerl

The Gold Standard for School Budgets Budgets: A necessary task, or an art form? #Business by Erin Werra

7 News Literacy Strategies for All Ages How do we build a healthy skepticism to navigate the Internet’s endless content offerings? Most importantly, how do we share our strategies with students? #Achievement by Erin Werra

The Perils and Promise of K12 Crowdfunding What if you could skip the sales and go directly to donations for classroom supplies, edtech, or other initiatives? #Leadership by Erin Werra

EdTech Playbook: Moving to a New Student Information System The move to a new SIS is one of the largest, most challenging projects faced by school technology leaders. Learn how to do it right in this five-part video playbook. #Technology by Advancing K12 Staff

10 New Year's Resolutions for School Leaders A collection of initiatives (and supporting materials) to consider after the clock strikes midnight. #Leadership by Erin Werra

3 Conversations to Follow in 2019 What’s on the horizon for the New Year? We’re keeping a weather eye on boosting computer science for early learners, digital badging for PD, and the future of hiring. #Leadership by Erin Werra

5 Creative Uses for Digital Signage in Schools Plenty of schools have put up screens to share content, but using them creatively is still a challenge. Here are 5 ideas for sharing creative content. #Technology by Mark McDermott

What is Arena Scheduling? If you're looking to increase student engagement, accountability, time management, and much more, why not give arena scheduling a try? #Achievement by Erin Werra

The 6-Step Fraud Test Few things can be more devastating to a school district than a major fraud scandal. In this article, we explore six areas worthy of the occasional audit. #Business by Erin Werra

3 Ways for Students to Steal Your Password Kids are craftier than ever these days, but with a little awareness you can stay one step ahead. Featured: Three 1-Minute Security Drill videos. #Technology by Erin Werra

What School Choice Means for Edubranding In the age of choice, what can educational leaders do to turn their schools and districts into desirable destinations for families and job candidates? #Leadership by Erin Werra

Let's Change the Integration Conversation Is product x compatible with product y? More importantly, is that even the right question to ask anymore? #Data by Advancing K12 Staff

What is Whole-Child Education? Schools are nurturing multiple facets of child development. But how does whole-child education work? #Achievement by Erin Werra

10 Districts with Awesome Brands These 10 school districts identified why their district is awesome, then structured everything they do around it to produce a noteworthy brand. #Culture by Erin Werra

The Attendance Nudge By analyzing studies conducted in school districts using attendance letters, we can learn the best ways to nudge parents into becoming attendance allies fighting chronic absenteesim. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Why Can't We Get Teacher Evals Right? What does the research say about teacher evaluation, and what are some of the most common takeaways from recent studies? #Leadership by Erin Werra

4 Paths to Student Accountability Explore four strategies to maximize students' opportunities to develop accountability, practice self-management, and gain essential skills they’ll use long after they graduate. #Culture by Erin Werra

Introducing the EdLeader Personality Test We've assembled the first ever personality test designed specifically for educational leaders. What's your archetype? #Leadership by Erin Werra

The 4 Stages of Filling Big Shoes Few leadership challenges are more difficult than following in the footsteps of a local legend. Grab the torch and run with this four-step blueprint. #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

Who is Responsible for Mental Health? Staff responsibilities overlap, data goes unanalyzed, and students (or teachers) line up at overwhelmed counselors’ doors. How do schools address mental health? A school psychologist and social worker describe their team's approach. #Culture by Erin Werra

10 Do's and Don'ts for Effective Teacher Mentorship Looking to boost teacher retention, build a strong school culture, and contribute to new teachers' professional growth? Learn 10 tips for improving your teacher mentorship program. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Micro-credentials: A One-Year Reflection One year after the rollout of the Future-Ready Teachers badge group, we reflect on slow starts, implementation hurdles, and the state of micro-credentials today. #Technology by Advancing K12 Staff

Midyear Check-In: 2018 Conversation Topics We've been closely following 3 key education topics in 2018. See what the past six months have revealed and what to keep an eye on in the second half of the year. #Leadership by Erin Werra

FERPA and Your Student Information System Student information systems are the default location for most educational records, but how do you balance the need for speed and access with legal privacy obligations? #Data by Advancing K12 Staff

Maslow and the Modern Learning Environment What can psychology tell us about creating a motivating learning environment? Explore the connections between Maslow's Hierarchy of Human Needs and students' needs in classrooms and schools. #Achievement by Erin Werra

4 Paths to Safer Schools Without a foolproof formula for school safety, how do you tackle such a serious topic? Find action items in four areas of opportunity, including advice from a lieutenant who works in a school district. #Leadership by Erin Werra

The Elusive Coaching Culture Imagine a work environment where transparency outweighs fear, growth defeats insecurity, and positivity reigns supreme. This is what a coaching culture looks like. #Culture by Advancing K12 Staff

The Right Fit: SEL and Technology Social-emotional learning and technology: Two inescapable topics in education today. But how do the two overlap to improve outcomes for students? #Technology by Erin Werra

It's Ok to Have No New Projects Is innovation always the right answer, or are we just spinning our wheels? Give yourself a breather to build on what you're already doing. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

Guest Post: Behind the Curtain with Predictive Analytics How can we possibly account for unexpected, yet inevitable, expenses that happen within districts? Predictive analytics offer school business officers one powerful tool for peering into the future. #Leadership by R.J. Gravel, Ed.D.

On the Road: Chickens, Crops, and Community “Everyone put your chickens away!” It was, without a doubt, the first time I’d heard these words spoken in a classroom. Find out more about my trip to New Holstein and what you can learn from their community-driven curriculum.   #Culture by Lauren Gilchrist

The 3 Leading Causes of EdTech Breakups When you stop and look around, how many of your edtech partnerships are still fulfilling? Here are some common reasons why they fail and some ideas to turn them around before it's too late.  #Technology by Erin Werra

Why We Need Computational Thinking “Teaching kids to code” has been a rallying cry for a number of years, but the desired outcome has more frequently evolved into “teaching kids to think like coders.” Here's what that means. #Achievement by Advancing K12 Staff

5 Tech-Friendly ESSA Plans Which states have the clearest plans to fuel innovation in teaching and learning in the years to come? These five ESSA plans stand out from the rest. #Technology by Erin Werra

What is ePayables? What if you could turn accounts payable into a revenue generator for your district? ePayables is emerging as a preferred payment method, and for good reason. #Business by Advancing K12 Staff

Guest Post: Records Retention 101 To keep or to purge student records? It's crucial to learn and practice your state's guidelines. Learn how one data manager practiced smart purging and retention processes. #Data by Sarah Paul

5 School District Data Center Mistakes Based on true stories; this is what happens when technology leaders don't get final say on where their data center goes or how it's maintained. #Technology by Casey Thompson

Hanging Out with the Chrome Squad Royse City ISD’s Connected for Learning (C4L) leader Cody Holt and his student-led IT team, the Chrome Squad, share their story about the difference they’ve made in their district and beyond. #Achievement by Erin Werra

Guest Post: Introducing #EdFinChat In this guest post, #EdFinChat co-creator Chris Wildman breaks down the making of a Twitter chat and discusses Twitter’s potential as a global networking tool for helping school business leaders shift to a more strategic role. #Business by Chris Wildman, CPA CGMA SFO

3 Top-Tier RTI Districts Response to Intervention has been around for a while and is widely recognized, but not every implementation is created equal. Three districts with strong RTI programs share what works, what didn’t, and how they keep the momentum going strong. #Achievement by Erin Werra

4 Ways to Build a Better Schedule Scheduling is one of the most time-consuming yet rewarding tasks in school operations. These student-centered and flexible scheduling methods are trending up. #Leadership by Erin Werra

Playing Nice: The EdTech Interoperability Landscape Someday we may see an edtech system that can do everything. Until that happens, interoperability is the new standard. #Data by Advancing K12 Staff

What is Decaying Average? When it comes to standards-based grading, what's the best way to measure growth and proficiency? Many districts are turning to the Decaying Average for a more complete picture. #Achievement by Erin Werra

5 Ways to Track SEL Efforts How do you measure the important business of social-emotional growth and wellbeing without falling back on emojis and sticker charts? Here are five data-driven strategies for social-emotional learning in your district. #Data by Erin Werra

Is EdTech Ready for Multi-Factor Authentication? The push for multi-factor authentication is becoming stronger every year. But what does this security approach even look like in a school district setting?  #Technology by Advancing K12 Staff

15 Advanced Metrics for Superintendents Knowing what to look for is half the battle. These 15 datapoints and four overarching categories can boost any superintendent's ability to effectively analyze data.  #Data by Advancing K12 Staff

The Yin and Yang of Augmented Reality Augmented reality: trendy or troubling? Let’s take a look at the potential for AR in education and the potential pitfalls it poses. #Technology by Erin Werra

4 Ways to Improve the Substitute Teaching Experience How do you attract and keep good substitute teachers in your classrooms? By adjusting your processes to deliver a better experience, of course! #Culture by Erin Werra

EdTech Playbook: Twitter for Educators If you're doing it right, Twitter is one of the most valuable professional development resources for any education professional. Here's how you can get more from the Twitterverse. #Technology by Advancing K12 Staff

The Road to Connected Schools Broadband is a necessity for learning in a digital world, but remote, rural schools are being left in the dust. Read on for an examination of progress made and ongoing opportunities on the horizon. #Technology by Erin Werra

3 Conversations to Follow in 2018 Goodbye, 2017! The new year sets the stage for fresh ideas. Here are three topics sure to make an impact in 2018. #Leadership by Erin Werra

The 5 Most Popular Articles of 2017 This year, Advancing K12 readers were all in on school PR, data stewardship, and the ever-expanding role schools play in our children's lives. Here are the five most-read posts of 2017. #Culture by Erin Werra

Student Apprenticeships: Working For a Brighter Future Through apprenticeship programs, students are earning school credits, gaining real-world experience, and getting paid. Watch the video to learn more!   #Achievement by Lauren Gilchrist

The Right Fit: Hiring a New Superintendent If recent trends are any indication, these four central themes will dominate superintendent job postings, interviews, and hiring decisions in the years to come. #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

EdTech Playbook: School Data Data-driven is just a catchphrase, until it's not. In the world of education, learning how to turn data into insight is one of the most valuable changes you can make at the classroom, building, and district level.  #Data by Advancing K12 Staff

The Quest for Parent Portal Buy-In Parent portals give teachers a central location to manage communication. But do parents really log in to continue the conversation? If not, how can teachers and school leaders encourage them to do so? #Technology by Erin Werra

How Can We Fix Professional Development? Two years removed from one of the most eye-opening professional development studies ever published, what's changed? #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

Keeping Top Teachers in the Classroom Are teachers left with little choice but to “outgrow” the classroom to pursue admin roles? Find out how to identify and invest in your district’s future leaders. #Leadership by Erin Werra

8 Great Data-Sharing Districts Data shapes the day-to-day operations of schools. How can you improve and clarify the conversation? Check out 8 great examples of data visibility. #Leadership by Erin Werra

The School Culture Survey Template Want to take the pulse of your district's culture? Start from this free, research-based template. #Culture by Casey Thompson

The 3 Places Your Candidates are Looking Job seekers are doing the bulk of their research online before reaching the application stage. What does your digital presence say about your school district? #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

Is This the End of Grades? Classrooms, schools, and districts are abandoning the traditional method of grading with letters and percentages. Find out why and learn what's next for gauging student success.  #Achievement by Erin Werra

The Self-Fulfilling School Culture What do the lessons in Outliers tell us about the self-perpetuating cycle taking root in the education job market? #Culture by Casey Thompson

5 Signs of a Tech-Friendly District How does one identify which districts have taken steps to modernize and improve the experience of their stakeholders? Here are 5 processes worth looking at.  #Culture by Advancing K12 Staff

Design Thinking for School Leaders What does it mean to be a "visionary" leader? Here's what happens when we apply design thinking to three common school scenarios. #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

Making Budgets Beautiful School finances can be complicated, but savvy school business leaders are using design to present information in a way that makes better sense. Check out our sample budget infographic for inspiration! #Business by Casey Thompson

School Districts for Ransom Prevention is the name of the game when it comes to battling ransomware. Cover your bases by securing effective backups, training (and retraining) your staff, and considering secure cloud storage.    #Data by Casey Thompson

The Future-Ready Teachers Badge Group We've teamed up with our friends at Badge List to offer a unique professional development opportunity for teachers. It's fun, it's free, and it's ready! #Culture by Advancing K12 Staff

EdTech Playbook: Parent Portals The parent portal is one of the most valuable tools in your edtech arsenal. In this four-part playbook, find out how administrators, school PR pros, teachers, and parents can all get more out of it. #Technology by Advancing K12 Staff

The Evolution of SIS Purchasing Your district is unique, and your SIS should be, too. Spec lists are only part of the story – consider these 5 non-traditional aspects of modern SIS purchasing.   #Business by Advancing K12 Staff

When Teachers Don't Take Attendance Will future generations still be able to relate to the concept of roll call? Not if positive attendance continues to flourish. #Culture by Advancing K12 Staff

Security Drill: 3 Threats to Watch For When you get proactive about security, you’re protecting more than just your network. Learn how to stay protected against phishing attacks, share Google documents safely, and reduce the risks of local data storage by password-protecting your folders. #Leadership by Casey Thompson

5 Ways to Get Better RFP Results I responded to K12 enterprise software RFPs for more than a year. Here's what I learned. #Business by Advancing K12 Staff

3 Ways to Up Your EdTech Game The people who get the most out of their edtech investments are the same people who refuse to play the role of passive consumer. Here's how they're doing it. #Technology by Advancing K12 Staff

Guest Post: Demystifying PCI DSS Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) is a business framework designed to protect cardholder data. Learn about 5 important points for PCI DSS compliance. #Business by Ann Dunaway

Wanted: Soft Skills for Tech Jobs Hard skills might get you in the door, but soft skills help high performers shine. Here’s a look at 5 tech jobs and the soft skills necessary for success in each. #Achievement by Advancing K12 Staff

How Much Tech is Too Much Tech? More isn't always better. We've got 3 steps for tech leaders looking to set and maintain healthy boundaries on tech use in your schools. #Technology by Advancing K12 Staff

Guest Post: A Different Approach to IT Leadership Excellent leaders are essential. In this guest post, Klein ISD’s Vicki James shares her unconventional path to IT leadership and how a student-centered culture shift is making a difference. #Leadership by Vicki James

The Future of Mentoring: Say Hello to Hybrid Mentoring isn’t an all-or-nothing, in-person endeavor. The future of mentoring is hybrid – learn about the tech tools that enable continuous support while still allowing relationships to take center stage. #Culture by Advancing K12 Staff

5 Themes for STEAM A move to STEAM doesn’t have to mean a complete schedule change or curriculum overhaul. Here’s a look at 5 interdisciplinary topics you could infuse into classes that exist today. #Achievement by Lauren Gilchrist

8 Social Media Accounts to Learn From Social media is no gimmick; it's a direct line to audiences you wouldn't otherwise reach and mediums better served to deliver your message than any traditional approach. These districts are getting it right.  #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

The New Business Office Can you bridge the divide between the old guard and the new and future version of the school business office? Make time for what keeps you closer to the mission and the reason for your work. #Business by Advancing K12 Staff

4 Ways to Save Money in EdTech Purchasing Edtech purchasers are tasked with getting the most bang for the district's buck. These four strategies are tried and true. #Business by Advancing K12 Staff

3 Smartphone Uses for Administrators From district leadership to building principals, there's an app (or several) for all levels of administration. Learn to simplify approvals, automate notifications, and move evaluations to the cloud.    #Leadership by Lauren Gilchrist

The Top 10 Literacies in Education Today Literacy encompasses a lot more than just reading and writing. How does your school district nurture the top 10 literacies in education today? #Achievement by Advancing K12 Staff

EdTech Battle Lines: Specs vs. UX Is it time to look beyond features and functionality? When making smarter edtech purchases, user experience is the best place to begin. #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

10 School District Websites to Learn From The web may be a place of constant change, but most district websites are frozen in time. As digital presence becomes a higher priority for administrators, take a page from these ten, ahead-of-the-curve districts. #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

EdTech Playbook: The District Website The worlds of marketing and education have never been as closely entwined as they are today. School choice, family mobility, and a growing need to attract and retain high performers are just some of the reasons why. #Technology by Casey Thompson

Technology is Transforming Special Education From custom-designed solutions to common devices, technology empowers students in special education to reach new heights... #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

Guest Post: Communications Done Right The School District of Milton's commitment to comms excellence can be traced back to the collaboration of its leadership team. Here's an inside look at how they got there. #Leadership by School District of Milton

The New Role of the School Counselor Today's school counselors touch almost every corner of the school system. How is their role changing, and what can leadership teams do to support these invaluable district resources? #Achievement by Advancing K12 Staff

EdTech Playbook: Digital Badging We're pleased to introduce this multimedia launch kit for digital badging. Included: A four-part video series on how to launch your badging program, an infographic featuring nine badges you can implement today, and a downloadable library of badge designs to help you get started. #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

The Carrot and the Stick: 2 Treatments for Absenteeism With a carrot-and-stick approach, you can attack your district’s absenteeism problem from more than one angle. #Achievement by Lindsey Canny

Weighing the Benefits of Project-Based Learning The benefits of project-based learning start in the classroom and spread throughout the community and beyond. If you haven’t considered this alternative learning approach yet, take some time to explore its potential. #Achievement by Advancing K12 Staff

3 Conversations to Follow in 2017 With 2016 coming to a close, here’s a look at three topics that will feature in education conversations in 2017.   #Culture by Lauren Gilchrist

Can Encouragement be Quantified? Too many qualified students are missing out on college due to a lack of support. Research has helped us understand the correlation between encouragement and college enrollment, but what can you do to start a new cycle of college success? #Achievement by Advancing K12 Staff

Guest Post: Why We Do What We Do in the School Business Office The business office and the classroom might seem miles apart, but they are united by a shared purpose. Read about one school business leader's quest to rediscover meaning in his day-to-day work. #Business by Brian Adesso

Where is the Middle Leadership in Our Schools? How could another level of leadership between principals and teachers change our schools? Middle leadership is catching on in high-performing schools around the world, and it can lead to big benefits in student achievement and staff effectiveness. #Leadership by Lindsey Canny

Get to the Heart of Disruptive Behavior Even though most administrators and educators agree that behavioral issues impede learning, few are consistently recording and analyzing behavioral data. In this article, we explore the strategies that will help you get to the heart of disruptive behavior. #Data by Leah Kruger

Libraries: The New Epicenters of Technology It’s time to turn the page on the library as we know it. Here are some tips for turning your school libraries into the heart and soul of your technology initiatives. #Leadership by Lauren Gilchrist

Is Email Dying? If email is on its way out, what is taking its place? Here's a look at four communication tools vying to fill the gap.  #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

Flex Mod Scheduling Makes a Comeback Looking for an alternative to the 7- or 8-period daily schedule? We’re taking a closer look at the Flex Mod schedule and the possibilities and challenges of this growing scheduling trend. #Achievement by Advancing K12 Staff

How to Win a Millennial’s Loyalty Your millennials want to be your biggest cheerleaders. We want to wear your t-shirts, puff out our chests, and say, "Yeah, I work there." How can we find common ground on a workplace culture we can all live with? #Culture by Lindsey Canny

Where Have All the Subs Gone? Schools around the country are facing a dire shortage of substitute teachers, and the causes are as diverse as the solutions. #Culture by Leslie Strong

The Mobile Health Office Are you thinking about breaking free from brick-and-mortar school health offices? Do budget concerns or a lack of nurses have you looking for alternatives? Let's take a ride on the school health bus! #Technology by Leah Kruger

Would Beethoven Shine in Your District? Are you doing enough to keep your advanced students invested in their education? Gifted and talented supports are making a comeback, and the research looks promising. Try out some of these alternative approaches to discover and nurture the genius in every kid. #Achievement by Leah Kruger

Is College Success a K-12 Problem? There's no denying the fact that college readiness is a K-12 concern, but what about college success? Leaders rise to this challenge not just out of a sense of duty, but also because they're committed to the success of students after graduation. #Achievement by Advancing K12 Staff

The Future of Onboarding: Say Goodbye to Sink or Swim Will they sink…or will they swim? Once you’ve hired the right candidates, it's important to make them comfortable and get them up to speed. Research shows that your onboarding approach makes all the difference.    #Business by Lindsey Canny

Hand-Picked: Tips for Hiring Ah, the hiring process... It can be time consuming, difficult, and inconvenient. But it’s also one of the most important elements of a successful school district. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you look to fill those open positions for next year.  #Business by Leslie Strong

1974: A Brief History of Student Data Privacy A lot can change in 40 years, but the guiding piece of legislation protecting the privacy of student education records remains the same. Do you have a clear understanding of FERPA? How about the rest of your team? Get caught up in less than five minutes with this video. #Data by Advancing K12 Staff

3 Proven Ways to Defeat Fraud Imagine discovering that while you've been agonizing over pennies in the budget, hundreds or thousands of dollars were being inaccurately reported or rerouted with malicious intent. It happens all the time. But it doesn't have to. #Business by Advancing K12 Staff

Depth Charts and the District Office It's the year of the backup. Just as NFL teams have been forced to deal a slew of star player injuries, so too do school district offices struggle to stay competitive when turnover strikes their MVPs. Cue the Employee Disaster Recovery Plan. Includes infographic. #Leadership by Ray Ackerlund

3 Conversations to Watch in 2016 With another year coming to a close, it’s time to look ahead. Here are three topics that will dominate the education circuit in the coming year.  #Leadership by Lauren Gilchrist

3 Easy Ways for Your District to Go Green As you ring in the New Year, look for ways to go green and save your district time and money. Get started by electronically distributing W-2s, employee offer letters, and custom forms. #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

Defined Autonomy: A Proven Approach to EdLeadership Are school district administrators an undervalued source of leadership or a bureaucratic roadblock on the way to progress? According to one study, the answer lies in the leader's approach. #Leadership by Ray Ackerlund

5 Education TED Talks You Should See TED talks have taken the world by storm. But what are they and how can they benefit you? We’ve got the answers. Plus we’ve included five can’t-miss edu-related talks to kickoff your TED endeavors. #Culture by Lauren Gilchrist

Is "Discipline" an Outdated Word? Discipline continues to be a tenuous topic in education discussions. Some semblance of order has to be maintained, but at what cost? Are suspensions actually helping students get on the right track, or speeding up the inevitable transition to the court system? Meanwhile, countless studies are showing the powerful effects of positive behavior management. #Achievement by Leah Kruger

Standards-Based Grading: The New Benchmark Have you considered how weighted averages can result in the inaccurate reporting of comprehension levels? Or how less-than-rigorous extra credit opportunities might actually be hampering achievement? Our obsession with points, percentages, and letter grades appears to be on its way out thanks to the rise of standards-based grading at the secondary level.  #Achievement by Leah Kruger

Too Much Access: The FERPA Compliance Gap What does the "legitimate educational interest" clause of FERPA have to do with your SIS? Here's how you can avoid the kind of audit failures that have plagued school districts throughout the country. #Data by Advancing K12 Staff

Videos: The New Standard for PD It's well past time to reimagine professional development. From internal tech training to deep pedagogical growth, video is proving to be a more efficient, convenient, and economical avenue for the development and collaboration of educators.  #Culture by Lauren Gilchrist

Test Scores: The RBI of Student Data For the first 100+ years of baseball's existence, the run-batted-in (RBI) stood in the pantheon of baseball card statistics. Only recently did we come to the realization that the RBI was more a product of luck, environment and opportunity than a definining attribute of a hitter. Sound familiar? #Data by Casey Thompson

The Golden Minute: Reduce Dropout Rates in One Easy Step Can spending one additional minute each week on parent-teacher communication really have a profound impact on student outcomes? Researchers from Harvard and Brown universities think so...  #Achievement by Leah Kruger

Improve Community Outreach over the Summer in 4 Easy Steps As competition for enrollment increases, community relations continue to be a key component of successful school districts. The summer months offer a great opportunity to get proactive with your outreach programs - here are 4 ways to improve your public perception while students are out.  #Leadership by Ray Ackerlund

A Future Ready Primer for Superintendents One of the major takeaways from the 2014-15 school year was the Future Ready Schools initiative, led by the U.S. Department of Education and Alliance for Excellent Education. #Leadership by Advancing K12 Staff

10 Questions for a Leading Superintendent Superintendents play a critical role in establishing school district leadership strategies and pursuing achievement goals. We talked to Dr. Joseph Burns about some emerging K-12 trends and the specific steps he has taken to position his district for long-term success. #Leadership by Dr. Joseph Burns

Is Your Budgeting Process Overly Complicated? As your budget begins to take shape for the upcoming fiscal year, take a moment to consider the process itself. Are you able to focus your time and effort on making sure that everything is adequately funded without getting bogged down in logistics?  #Business by Advancing K12 Staff

Hot Take: Automated Classrooms Instructional hours have always been at a premium, but never more so than today. Here's a look at how new advancements in technology can help school districts cut operating costs and keep students safe.  #Technology by Advancing K12 Staff

3 Ways to Improve Community Relations in Your District School districts and their communities are too often at odds with each other despite the shared goal of helping students achieve success. Here are three emerging strategies that you can use to promote partnership over confrontation by nurturing the symbiotic relationship between district and community...  #Leadership by Ray Ackerlund

The Possibilities of Blended Hiring Blended learning has taken off in classrooms, and the same elements being used to support instruction can also be applied to district hiring. In this article, we examine 5 steps to help you attract and identify better teacher candidates through a combination of strategy and technology.  #Business by Advancing K12 Staff


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