In the News
Tools of the Trade
Edweek labels Spectrum K12’s EXCEED/RTI as a "more comprehensive, districtwide management suite. Such programs can aggregate and track data from a variety of assessment tools and sources, as well as monitor interventions and tiers and perform complex statistical-analysis task."
The article in Edweek’s Spring 2010 Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook discusses the amount of RTI-related software programs currently available and how schools need to make purchasing choices carefully.
Read the full article from Edweek
RTI Goes Mainstream
Spectrum K12 and Chief Marketing Officer Scott Cary are included in the District Administration article RTI Goes Mainstream.
The article focuses on how increased education funding and new software and products are motivating more districts to buy in to Response-to-Intervention.
To read the full article, visit District Administration
RTI: Not just for special education
Data-driven approach to instruction is finding its way into general education, too
The article from eSchool News contains information on multiple technology programs available for use with Response to Intervention, including Spectrum K12’s EXCEED RTI. Spectrum K12’s Cheif Technology Officer was quoted in the story:
"Until recently, the special-education community was much more aware of RTI than most people in the general education community, said Steve Benfield, Spectrum K12’s chief technology officer and vice president of product strategy. Spectrum holds focus groups with superintendents every six months, and Benfield said he noticed that RTI has gone from a concept that few superintendents knew of to something that was taking hold in their day-to-day meetings."
"We think of RTI as a mini-education plan—what are we going to do to help this child succeed based on what we see," he said. "RTI is really hot now, and it’s a process—it’s systematizing something we should have been doing all along, and it’s something that good teachers probably have been doing."
To read the entire article, go to eSchool News. (Free registration required)
Spectrum K12 VP Re-elected to SIIA Education Division Board of Directors
Carmi Paris re-elected to SIIA Education Division Board of Directors
Washington, D.C. (Nov. 3, 2009) - The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) today announced its new Education Division Board of Directors. These newly elected and appointed executives from SIIA member companies will help provide the education technology industry with leadership, advocacy and critical market information in the crucial months and years ahead.
In addition, these individuals will come together to represent more than 150 SIIA Education Division member firms that provide software, digital content and other technologies for educational needs. Recently, eight executives have been elected to serve two-year terms and six representatives have been appointed to serve one-year terms. As members of the Education Board of Directors, all of the newly elected executives will develop and prioritize the Division’s initiatives and determine the projects, activities and events to be imminently undertaken.
Newly elected board members serving two-year terms are:
- - Ellen Bialo, President, Interactive Educational Systems Design, Inc.
- - Todd Brekhus, President, Capstone Digital
- - Meg Fisher, Senior Manager, Digital Content, Apple, Inc
- - Scott Kirkpatrick, Executive Vice President, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- - Janet Matricciani, SVP, Corporate Development, K12 Inc.
- - Carmi Paris, Vice President of Corporate Development, Spectrum K12
- - David Samuelson, President, Global Schools, Pearson
- - Mark Tullis, VP Strategic Relations, Learning.com
Board members appointed to one-year terms include:
- - Mark Hammer, VP Marketing, Compass Learning
- - Robert Iskander, Founder and CEO, VIP Tone, Inc
- - Liz Riley-Young, Manager, Product Management, SAS
- - Farimah Schuerman, Managing Partner, Academic Business Advisors, LLC
- - Deborah Joy Smith, Chief Development Officer, Florida Virtual School
- - Pat Walkington, President, Pat Walkington Sales and Marketing
Serving one more year of their elected two-year terms are:
- - George Cigale, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Tutor.com
- - Eileen Lento, SLED Strategist, Intel
- - Bridget Foster, Consultant
- - Jeffrey Schultz, VP, Higher Education, The McGraw-Hill Companies
- - Duncan Young, VP, Scholastic Education Services, Scholastic, Inc
- - Steve Siegel, VP eContent Markets, TSIG, Follett Digital Resources
"The strength of the SIIA Education Division is in our membership, and it’s most apparent in the strength of our Board of Directors," noted Ken Wasch, SIIA President. "The commitment made by these leaders in the education technology industry allows SIIA to draw more companies into our community and grow in our influence on the education market and the broader technology sector."
Karen Billings, SIIA Education Division Vice President, added: "The quality of executives and leaders in the education technology industry is unmatched, and we are proud to reflect that quality in the people serving on our Board of Directors. They provide industry perspective, serve as the voice for our member companies, and help SIIA to advance the growth of technology as a driver in the education of people of all ages."
About SIIA
The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industries. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection to more than 500 leading software and information companies. For further information, visit: www.siia.net.
About SIIA Education Division
SIIA’s Education Division serves and represents more than 150 member companies that provide software, digital content and other technologies that address educational needs. The division shapes and supports the industry by providing leadership, advocacy, business development opportunities and critical market information. SIIA provides a neutral business forum for its members to understand business models, technological advancements, market trends, and best practices. With the leadership of the Division Board and collaborative efforts with educators and other stakeholders, the division undertakes initiatives to enhance the use of educational technology and the overall success of SIIA members.
Spectrum K12 School Solutions helps manage student progress
Article in TechJournal South on Spectrum K12 School Solutions
http://www.techjournalsouth.com/news/article.html?item_id=7000
District Administration Magazine December 2008
Achievement Today Special Report: Moving RTI from Theory to Practice
Achievement Today is a quarterly supplement to District Administration magazine, sponsored by Spectrum K12 School Solutions, focusing on trends in Response to Intervention (RTI), special education and at-risk student management.
Register to download the PDF to read the following articles appearing in Achievement Today:
Issue: Winter 2008
- Welcome to Achievement Today
- Questions for Superintendents
- Three years into RTI, an urban district begins its move to data management
- Teaching children of differing abilities changes with use of RTI
- Early success with RTI leaves district looking for data solution
- State-level RTI initiatives seen as a path to streamlined implementations
- Response to Intervention: Improving achievement for all children
District Administration Magazine September 2008
Achievement Today Special Report: Making RTI Successful
Visit the Achievement Today website
Spectrum K12’s EXCEED/RTI named as Best of NECC 2008
Techlearning.com named Spectrum K12’s EXCEED/RTI solution in their Best of NECC article.
Excerpt from Best of NECC 2008 article:
Spectrum K12 School Solutions launched EXCEED/RTI to manage daily activities, meetings, interventions, and student outcomes. The tools within EXCEED include: student- centric progress monitoring, differentiated instruction, return on intervention, and fidelity assurance.
Read the entire Best of NECC 2008
District Administration Magazine June 2008
Achievement Today Special Report: A New Model of Intervention
Download the PDF: www.spectrumk12.com//uploads/file/DA_Spectrum_0608.pdf
From the Horses Mouth: A Conversation with the Winners: Awards and Recognition…Why Bother?
Interview with Spectrum K12 CEO, Jim Marshall, and other 2008 and 2007 CODiE Award winners
On the heels of the education industry’s most prestigious awards ceremonies, the SIIA CODiEs, Glen McCandless got front-line perspective from the 2008 and 2007 winners. Jim Marshall, President of Spectrum K12 (2008 Best Education Solution); Donna McMullin, VP Marketing, Thinkronize (2007 Best Education Solution); and Bruce Friend, Manager of Curriculum Pathways, SAS (2008 Best K12 Instructional Solution).
Read the interview at SellingtoSchools.com
Achievement Today publication website
Achievement Today is a quarterly supplement to District Administration magazine focusing on trends in special education and at-risk student management.
http://www.districtadministration.com/custompublishing/index.aspx?publisher=spectrumk12
District Administration Magazine March 2008
Achievement Today Special Report: Turning Adversaries into Allies
Download PDF: www.districtadministration.com/uploaded/pdfs/DA_Spectrum_308.pdf
SIIA Upgrade Magazine December 2007-January 2008
Return on Learning (ROL) is the new ROI
By Jim Marshall, Spectrum K12 School Solutions
techLEARNING, January 2008
Grant Writing for Beginners
Dr. Douglas Brooks, a professor in the School of Education, Health and Society at Miami University, has joined with Spectrum K12 to develop GrantSuccess - an easy to use, repeatable process that gives school districts an effective way to train personnel to write successful grants. He provides some grant writing insights, skills and tips for beginners in techLEARNING.
Education Industry Association, December 2006
Spectrum K12 School Solutions: Addressing Student Needs in a Spirit of Partnership
District Administration, June 2006
Special Ed’s Greatest Challenges and Solutions: Here are the top five special ed issues that affect school administrators, with resolutions for each
By Pamela Wheaton Shorr
Thirty years ago, Congress announced that more than half of American children with disabilities were not receiving appropriate educational services. Today, American schools have a world-class system for differentiating instruction for all students, regardless of cognitive, emotional or physical limitations. That’s quite an accomplishment, and something about which educators should be proud.
Scholastic Administrator, January 2006
Ending the IEP Paper Chase: Invest in the technology you need to best serve your special education teachers and students, says Walter Amprey, former superintendent of the Baltimore City Public School System
By Walter G. Amprey
In today’s economic climate, technology can be a tough sell. Educators tend to view tech expenditures as yet another operating expense that squeezes more money from strained budgets and heaps more work on already overworked staff. In the corporate world, on the other hand, technology is viewed as an investment that will pay for itself and possibly improve revenues by replacing inefficient systems and increasing productivity.
School Business Affairs, November 2005
Evaluating a New Technology System’s Impact on the Bottom Line
This article originally appeared in the November 2005 School Business Affairs magazine and is reprinted with permission of the Association of School Business Officials International (www.asbointl.org). The text herein does not necessarily represent the views or policies of ASBO International, and use of this imprint does not imply any endorsement or recognition by ASBO International and its officers or affiliates.
The Heller Reports, September 2005
The Heller Reports Announces EdNET 2005 Industry Award Recipients; Four Organizations Recognized for their Positive Impact on Education and Important Contributions to the Educational Technology Industry
DENVER (Sept. 13, 2005) - The Heller Reports, a QED company and leading provider of education market news and events, today announced the EdNET 2005 Industry Award recipients. The finalists and winners were honored for their positive work in education at a luncheon ceremony today during the 17th Annual EdNET Conference at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla in San Diego.
AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice, September 2005
Addressing the Special Education Crisis
District Administration, June 2005
Solutions in Special Education: Smart districts use tech-based approaches to keep special education requirements from draining staff and budgets
By Lisa Fratt
Quick—think special education. The typical district leader groans at high costs, paperwork and inefficiency. The assessment is frighteningly accurate, but a few districts are bucking the status quo by embracing technology.
Special education can eat districts alive, confirms Clark Easter, founder and chairman of 4GL School Solutions, Inc. It devours 20 percent to 25 percent of the average district’s budget with only 11 percent to 12 percent of students. Many special education teachers spend nearly half of the day buried under piles of paper. Inequitable resource allocation, staff burnout and turnover and near-zealous focus on compliance rather than instruction further complicate the scene.
American School Board Journal, May 2005
Data and Dollars: How one school district saved millions on its special education program
By Sam Dempsey
Every year, it seems, school districts are expected to do more with less. That’s not an easy task, given the complexity of public education and the tight budgets facing many districts. Yet, despite these obstacles, there is a way schools can save millions of dollars—without slashing spending or cutting personnel.