K-12 and higher education entities require different perspectives on their IT strategy compared to IT strategies for corporate campuses. However, there are common themes and major technology trends that create similar IT challenges for both.
The proliferation of personal internet
connected devices (primarily in the form of cell phones and other gadgets) and
new web applications have caused various tectonic shifts that require similar
fundamental changes in the security posture and campus connectivity strategies.
Corporations have tried to resist the use of personal connected devices within the office network environments and have tried to block the use of other unauthorized web applications even when used to serve some business need. This was an unfruitful strategy and the hidden shadow IT, as it is sometimes called, won this grassroots driven trend. For example, employees started using the freely available file sharing apps (such as Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.) when their corporate offered alternative lacked in features and ease-of-use.
Similarly, employees continued to use their personal cell phones for business use cases when it was more convenient. Corporate IT had no choice but to embrace the fact that their employees would bring their own devices and in some cases adopt their preferred applications to solve their specific needs. This set of challenges also goes the other way with corporate provided connected devices finding their uses in personal use cases such as corporate provided laptops being used at homes.
The solution for corporations is to modify their security posture and rethink their connectivity architectures to be able to support the new reality. These changing trends have meant a shift towards a no-trust security posture versus solely relying on a on premise-based firewalling approach. It also meant starting to adopt software defined network architectures, namely, SD-WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Networking), for managing and controlling bandwidth in their campuses.
Educational entities are in a similar situation
when it comes to the proliferation of connected devices and the use of student-driven
applications that can stress the wide area network bandwidth if not properly planned
for. Therefore, it makes sense to look at some of the corporate solutions to
these very same challenges to figure out how to handle the changing security
environment and the increased pressures on bandwidth requirements.
Educational entities and campuses should also
modify their security posture to have a zero-trust model whereby it is
understood that solely protecting the perimeter of the network, although
certainly required, is not enough for a completely secure network design. Unauthorized
and uncontrolled devices (such as personal cell phones) will be present with
all of their malware that may have collected over time and can create a threat
from the inside of the network. Short of keeping these devices off of the
network (which we know is not a practical solution) the next best option is to
carve out and segregate the bandwidth available for such devices out of the
network that the institution uses. By definition, all the sensitive data and
resources will therefore be isolated and protected from any potential malware
that may be on the personal devices.
This approach, which can be achieved with
modern cognitive networking solutions in a highly cost-effective manner, will
also provide the much-needed control of WAN bandwidth usage for both networks.
Once a software-defined approach is adopted, IT
teams can take advantage of various other features that these modern technologies
offer depending on the needs of their networks. For example, multi-WAN
aggregation for additional capacity, adding premises-based or cloud-delivered
UTM (unified threat management) security solutions and various others are some
of the features that can be leveraged.
Even though at a high level corporate networks
and networks of educational institutions are highly different with respect to
their role, the important commonalities in the challenges both environments
face allows both IT teams to learn and adopt solutions that the other has tried
and tested.
Blackboard Inc. has announced the availability of its Blackboard Data developer tier, giving eligible institutions direct access to information to help manage and differentiate their learning ecosystem. Blackboard worked with more than 130 client developers at more than 75 institutions through global engagement events to co-develop the first Blackboard Data platform release.
The announcement was made at BbWorld 2019, Blackboard’s annual users conference that brings together educators, administrators and thought leaders, taking place July 23 through 25 in Austin, Texas.
The first release on the Blackboard Data platform, known as the Blackboard Reporting Stack Developer Tier, will provide clients with direct access to data sets through a Snowflake data warehouse integration. Clients will also have access to the Blackboard Data User Interface, which includes a comprehensive data dictionary and integrated privacy guidance.
The goal, the company said, is to help developers and researchers answer questions to support common educational business goals. Data and tools in the Reporting Stack are now available for eligible clients using the Software as a Service (SaaS) deployment of Blackboard Learn at no additional fee.
“We have placed Blackboard Data right in the heart of our platform both architecturally and operationally,” said Rachel Scherer, senior director of analytics at Blackboard. “This means that not only can we pull data together in one single place, but we can also push it back into the learning ecosystem to make it richer with reliable in-workflow insights. Altogether, the Blackboard Data approach lets us contextualize information and provide insights to the right stakeholders at the right time.”
Blackboard Data is architected to combine activity and usage data across Blackboard’s Teaching and Learning solutions within its SaaS EdTech platform including cloud deployments of Learn, Open LMS, Collaborate, Safe Assign, Ally and the Blackboard app, with more to follow. The data is optimized for reporting and stored in a cloud data warehouse. Customers benefit from an industry-leading interface and simple integration with common business intelligence tools.
This is the first release for the Blackboard Data platform and over time the company will roll out more solutions, it said in the state announcing the launch. Following a SaaS continuous delivery model, Blackboard will expand eligibility across the company’s suite of SaaS-based products and add capabilities for more personas.
To introduce clients to Blackboard Data, Blackboard is launching the 21 Days of Blackboard Data challenge and encouraging all clients to join. Participants will have access to a demo data set with the same user interface as the Developer Tier. Interested clients may learn more and register at https://21days.blackboard.com/.
PowerSchool, a provider of K-12 education technology solutions, announced that it will host its second annual customer event, PowerSchool EDGE, bringing together a community of educators, thought leaders and experts who are passionate about education and the technology that powers it. The 2020 event, scheduled for March 30 – April 1 in Orlando, is expected to be bigger than the 2019 inaugural event.
PowerSchool’s flagship customer event brings together K-12 leaders to connect, learn and grow to improve education and student outcomes. It offers two full days of insights and training to lead students, teachers, schools, and districts to success, or four days for EDGE University, which features extended, in-depth, deep-dive product training.
“PowerSchool’s inaugural EDGE hosted around 1,000 attendees from 48 states, seven countries, and more than half of Canada’s provinces, bringing major K-12 stakeholders together to discuss the most critical topics in education today,” said Anthony Miller, PowerSchool’s chief marketing officer. “Building on the success of our inaugural event, EDGE 2020 promises to be even better—with more in-depth sessions, more certification courses covering more products, and more value for every educator.”
EDGE provides practical training, best practices and industry-leading thought leadership insights for all levels of K-12 roles including curriculum, instruction, technology, HR and finance, as well as administrators, principals and superintendents. PowerSchool EDGE general sessions are focused on company updates, inspirational speakers and education leadership panels. Breakout sessions are broken into four main categories, including thought leadership, best practices, classes and certified training in deep-dive product courses.
Attendees can expect to hear from leaders in more than 40 engaging breakout sessions on today’s key K-12 topics. Gain experience and expertise with hands-on learning, best practices and networking opportunities to grow and develop careers, as well as a deeper understanding of the PowerSchool road map and vision for the future.
Registration is now open at www.powerschool.com/edge. Launch pricing and early-bird discounts are available, starting at $499 for EDGE and $1,900 for EDGE plus EDGE University.
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) is working with Ellucian to clarify the previous alert from July 17, 2019. Some of the issues mentioned in the alert may be unrelated to the vulnerability (Vulnerability) for which Ellucian released a patch on May 14, 2019. The Department and Ellucian have no reason to suspect that a breach has occurred as a result of this vulnerability.
Ellucian has found that there are two separate and distinct issues that bear immediate attention:
The Ellucian Banner vulnerability
Fraudulent admissions applications
The Ellucian Banner Vulnerability
Who is Impacted: The vulnerability only occurs in Ellucian Banner Web Tailor versions 8.8.3, 8.8.4, and Banner Enterprise Identity Services versions 8.3, 8.3.1, 8.3.2, and 8.4. Although Banner Web Tailor 8.9 was previously listed as impacted, it is a roll-up software release that contains all patches and releases since 8.8 and is not affected. Customers not using these software versions are not impacted by this vulnerability.
Actions for Institutions Using Ellucian Banner System: Patches for this vulnerability were issued by Ellucian on May 14, 2019 and are included in all subsequent roll-up software releases. There is no indication that student or institutional data has been compromised. The patched vulnerability is extremely difficult to exploit and unlikely to occur outside of a laboratory setting. Institutions running Ellucian Banner Web Tailor versions 8.8.3, 8.8.4 or Banner Enterprise Identity Services versions 8.3, 8.3.1, 8.3.2, and 8.4 should immediately apply the previously release patches.
Fraudulent Admissions Applications:
Although it was reported that attackers can leverage the vulnerability discussed above to create accounts, Ellucian believes this is not correct. The issue described in the alert is not believed to be related to the previously patched Ellucian Banner System vulnerability and is not exclusive to institutions using Ellucian products. Attackers are utilizing bots to submit fraudulent admissions applications and obtain institution email addresses through admission application portals.
Ellucian recommends adding reCAPTCHA capabilities to the admission process to reduce the likelihood of experiencing fraudulent applications for admissions, even if institutions are not currently experiencing this issue.
For More Information:
Ellucian and the Department will continue to review this matter and update stakeholders as necessary. Additional information is available at Ellucian’s Customer Center and in Ellucian’s FAQ document.News TypeAnnouncements
Edupoint Educational Systems, creator of Synergy Education Platform for K-12 student information and learning management, has won the 2019 EdTech Breakthrough Awards “Student Information System Solution of the Year” for its Synergy Student Information System (SIS). EdTech Breakthrough is a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies and solutions in the global educational technology market.
“The student information system award category is hyper-competitive, and Synergy ‘breaks through’ with its deep focus on enriching the educational experience both in and out of the classroom with an incredibly robust feature set,” said James Johnson, managing director for EdTech Breakthrough. “With Synergy’s powerful student data management capabilities and full suite of mobile apps, we see the platform truly facilitating greater effectiveness, productivity, engagement, and learning. We are thrilled to recognize Edupoint as a 2019 EdTech Breakthrough Award winner.”
The EdTech Breakthrough Awards honor excellence and recognize innovation, hard work, and success in a range of educational technology categories, including Student Engagement, School Administration, Adaptive Learning, STEM Education, e-Learning, Career Preparation and many more. This year’s program attracted over 1,500 nominations from over 12 different countries worldwide.
Synergy SIS “breaks through” the field of K-12 student information systems by working as part of a comprehensive data management ecosystem, Synergy Education Platform, which is designed to work as a single, seamless solution. This major market innovation solves the data movement and integrity challenges districts face with systems assembled from disparate components.
Partner districts can easily add modules and extend functionality – including a robust gradebook and the management of online registration, curriculum, content, assessment, response to intervention, special education, and analytics – with data flowing throughout the system in real time. Synergy SIS also includes a unique suite of native, role-based mobile apps that liberate student data management from office, desk, and classroom.
Rob Wilson
“We are thrilled and honored to accept this award from EdTech Breakthrough for our Synergy Student Information System,” said Rob Wilson, president and chief innovation officer at Edupoint. “We believe that a truly robust and supportive student information system must empower educators to interact with the highest quality, real-time data when and where they need it. Everything we do at Edupoint is directed at providing innovative solutions that create real value for partner districts, and we look forward to introducing ongoing innovations within Synergy SIS to meet their evolving needs.”
PowerSchool, a leading provider of K-12 education technology solutions, announces that its award-winning student information system, PowerSchool SIS, has been selected by the Organization for Educational Technology and Curriculum (OETC) to power their member school districts in California, Washington, and Alaska with secure, flexible, and easy-to-use technology that plays a central role in K-12 education.
Following a rigorous competitive bid process, OETC chose PowerSchool SIS as a recommended option for members, which they can begin implementing now.
OETC Consortium is made up of more than 1,100 educational institutions across three western states. They expertly negotiate contracts on behalf of their members and make purchasing technology convenient, legal, accessible, and affordable for educational institutions. OETC’s selection makes it easier for their members to adopt PowerSchool’s reliable technology without the need to establish a competitive bid process.
“We’re delighted to be able to offer a competitively-bid PowerSchool contract to our more than 1,100 member districts, who can now experience award-winning unified solutions with a leading provider of K-12 education technology,” said Thomas Richards, executive director of OETC. “Although an SIS has been an important part of the educational marketplace for years now, more and more schools are discovering how to use that data to help students. By gaining real-time insight and pinpointing areas of weakness, schools can see enormous gains in attendance and performance.”
With PowerSchool’s industry-leading SIS at the heart of the educational ecosystem, administrators have access to all the tools they need to make sure their district or board runs smoothly. Educators experience simple scheduling, attendance, state reporting, data management, faculty management, enrollment, and more. And they can ensure their data is secure with Microsoft Azure-backed cloud hosting and adherence to the highest security standards. PowerSchool also offers the largest and most active customer community of hundreds and thousands of users for networking, learning, and best practices.
Hardeep Gulati
“PowerSchool SIS supports tens of millions of students globally and is the solution OETC members can trust to provide a fully flexible, configurable, and scalable student information system that will serve as the backbone of their education technology, and our team is committed to working with districts through every step to ensure their success at every level,” said PowerSchool CEO Hardeep Gulati. “We’re proud to work with OETC and look forward to powering their member districts with modern, integrated technology that helps educators and students realize their potential, in their way.”
Blackboard Inc., a leading education technology company for teaching, learning and student engagement, announces the winners of the 2019 Blackboard Catalyst Awards.
Founded in 2005, the annual Catalyst Awards recognize and honor innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice, where millions of educators and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology. Winners are selected by a cross-functional team of Blackboard experts. The honorees from across the globe will be recognized during Blackboard’s annual user conference BbWorld, to be held July 23-25, 2019 in Austin, TX.
“We’re thrilled to honor this year’s Blackboard Catalyst Award winners for their commitment to improving the educational experience for all learners through EdTech and sharing these insights with the broader community,” said Lee Blakemore, chief client officer and president, global markets at Blackboard. “Clients like these inspire us to accelerate innovation that drives student success and we’re proud to be a part of their story.”
Below are the winners, listed by category:
Leading Change: This award recognizes institutions that have developed practices and/or technologies that have had a measurable effect on learning outcomes, student performance, or academic progression. The winners are:
Command & General Staff College, US Army, Kansas, U.S., Dr. Michelle Miller
Higher Colleges of Technology, United Arab Emirates, Dr. Abdullatif Alshamsi
North Dakota University System, North Dakota, U.S., Core Technology Services Team
Sam Houston State University Online, Texas, U.S., Dr. Ruth Chisum, Jacob Spradlin, Thomas Sosebee, Ray Scheel, Daniel Walker, Kendall Tew, Ricki Hodges, Madelyn Kilgore
Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Peru, Digital Learning Team
Wake Technical Community College, North Carolina, U.S., Project COMPASS Team
Community Engagement: This award recognizes clients who are improving student achievement by fostering a connection between school districts, institutions, educators, students, and their communities. The winners are:
Florida Virtual School, Orlando, U.S., Marketing & Communications Team
Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Peru, Digital Learning Team
Teaching & Learning: This award recognizes those who have adopted flexible, distance and online delivery, including using mobile technologies to positively impact the educational experience. The winners are:
Boise State University, Idaho, U.S., Dr. Krishna Pakala
Davidson Academy Online, Nevada, U.S., Course Design Team
Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky, U.S., Dr. Margaret Zoellers, Dr. Alison Connell, Dr. Angela Wood, Dr. Brenda Caudill, and Mr. Chris Daniel
Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky, U.S., Dr. April Blakely, Ms. Esther Tattershall
Indian River State College, Florida, U.S., Criminal Justice Department and Virtual Campus Learning Teams
Universidad CNCI, Mexico, Arely Martinez, Ericka Oaxaca, Anai Cano. Sophia Villanueva
University of St. Thomas, Houston, Texas, U.S., Dr. Catherine Barber, Dr. Janet McCollum
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas, U.S., Dr. Ramiro de la Rosa
Inclusive Education: This award honors those institutions whose methods have ensured their pedagogy, content, technology, and educational services are fully inclusive and supportive of all learners with disabilities. The winners are:
Medical University of South Carolina, South Carolina, U.S., Instructional Technology Team
The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas, U.S., Center for Instructional Design Team
Optimizing Student Experience: This award honors those institutions whose educational and administrative innovations have markedly improved the total learner experience. The winners are:
Grand Valley State University, Michigan, U.S., Dr. Szymon Machajewski
Norfolk State University, Virginia, U.S., Shelley Scott-Johnson
Northwest Florida State College, Florida, U.S., NWF Online
Zayed University, United Arab Emirates, Dr. Adam Marks
Training & Professional Development: This award recognizes those who use Blackboard programs to support and enhance professional development within or outside of their organization. The winners are:
Angelo State University, Texas, U.S., Learning Technology Support Team
Instituto Tecnologico de Buenos Aires, Argentina, Juan Manuel Pachon Jimenez
National University, California, U.S., Heather Leslie, Alejandra Lizardo, Ashley Kovacs
Sam Houston State University Texas, U.S., Online Operations Team
The University of Texas at El Paso, Texas, U.S., Academic Technologies Team
Washtenaw Community College, Michigan, U.S., Nancy Collison, Patricia Campbell, Sean Thomas
Student Success: This award recognizes individuals and/or institutions whose creative program application has led to increased retention, increased completion, and/or improved outcomes. The winners are:
Grupo Ser Educacional S.A., Brazil, Distance Learning Education Team
IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Spain, Miquel Hernández, Angel Pallares
Keiser University, Florida, U.S., Online Division Team
Tools4ever, the leading provider of identity and access management solutions in education, announces a new partnership with Blackboard Inc. The partnership brings together two market-driving education solution providers, offering mutual customers an integration of Blackboard’s flagship Learning Management Solution (LMS) Blackboard Learn Tools4ever’s two flagship solutions namely, their Identity and Access Management product (IAM) and their IDaaS product HelloID. The integration facilitates user lifecycle management across the LMS, SIS, and applications, from a single point of entry.
“We are thrilled to partner with Blackboard to offer our many mutual customers seamless integration between our products,” said Dean Wiech, managing director of Tools4ever. “For more than 20 years, we have built a stronghold in the education industry so it is critical that we partner with other market leaders, such as Blackboard, who offer an exceptional education experience for students and staff.”
Blackboard Learn and IAM
Blackboard Learn is a powerful virtual teaching and learning environment. Its capabilities extend beyond those of a traditional learning management system (LMS) by expanding online learning, increasing employee engagement and optimizing learning outcomes. IAM connects the Student Information System (SIS) and the user accounts in the network with other systems to automate user provisioning, self-service access management, helpdesk delegation and access governance processes.
The integration will allow mutual customers to extract information from any Student Information System (SIS) and synchronize it with Blackboard Learn. For example, when a student record is created, updated, or deleted in the SIS, IAM detects the change and shares this information with Blackboard Learn. This connection prevents duplicate records, ensures information in Blackboard Learn is always up-to-date, reduces risk of error, and increases efficiency by saving the IT team valuable time.
Blackboard Learn and HelloID
The integration with Blackboard Learn also extends to Tools4ever’s cloud-based Single Sign-On (SSO) product, HelloID. Both Blackboard Learn and HelloID are deployed on the cloud, offering customers a streamlined user experience.
HelloID is a customizable and user-friendly dashboard where students and staff can access all approved teaching and learning applications, including Blackboard Learn. HelloID’s dashboard can be securely accessed from anywhere, on any device, at any time. If a student does not have access to Blackboard Learn, they can request access via the dashboard with HelloID’s Service Automation functionality. The data owner can approve this request which automatically registers in the IT infrastructure, granting the student immediate access.
Are K–12 schools fully prepared for today’s digital and physical emergencies? According to a recent federal report, schools are becoming safer, partially through the proactive use of technology. Skyward, an administrative software provider committed to a better experience for every user, is helping lead improvements by encouraging school leaders to leverage an existing tool, their student information systems, to amp up security and ensure protection of their sensitive data.
Although statistics suggest schools are becoming safer, a recent poll indicates parents feel schools are less safe today than they were 20 years ago. Skyward’s SIS aims to alleviate those concerns by giving parents the ability to provide student information such as protection orders against unwanted visitors and reunification instructions to ensure students are paired with the correct guardian in the event of an emergency. Parents can also enter vital health information regarding student allergies and medications, which school staff can view and act on during medical emergencies.
“Skyward continues to help us keep students safe with speed and accuracy—the two most important factors during an emergency,” said Jacque Deckard, data management coordinator at Mooresville School Corporation in Indiana.
Skyward’s SIS also provides a real-time notification system, which can send important messages to students, parents, and staff during an emergency. Additionally, school leaders can set up an anonymous tip line within the notification system, offering individuals the opportunity to report incidents such as bullying, self-harm, and possible threats to the school.
“It’s important for our students, parents, and faculty to be heard and feel comfortable. Thanks to Skyward, this is possible because they can remain anonymous and still voice safety concerns,” said Lora Lovelace, data management coordinator at Center Grove Community Schools in Indiana.
While physical threats are at the forefront of security concerns, Skyward is continuing to protect districts against data breaches as well. In 2019, dozens of cybersecurity incidents have affected K-12 schools, and 122 similar breaches occurred at schools in 2018. By partnering with ISCorp, a hosting solution, Skyward offers districts the opportunity to host their sensitive information on a secure cloud service, which provides 24/7 monitoring and fail-safe backups.
“When students and faculty walk through school doors, they deserve to feel safe and confident their information is protected,” said Scott Glinski, CEO of Skyward. “As a system that many districts use, we recognize our role as part of the solution, which is why we will continue evolving our software to defend against all threats, both digital and physical.”
Educators, technology experts and industry leaders from around the world will gather in Austin, Texas, on July 22 though 25 for BbWorld and DevCon 2019. With more than 150 sessions, the four-day event will provide an unparalleled opportunity for attendees to share knowledge, promote best practices and network with peers.
During BbWorld, K-12, higher education, business and government clients will hear the latest on Blackboard’s unique EdTech platform approach and learn how the company is driving the next wave of innovation in EdTech. In addition to the main sessions, the conference will feature DevCon, a day-and-a-half meeting aimed at developers and system administrators.
BbWorld will also feature the Executive Leadership Summit, an invitation-only event specifically designed for university leaders. Driven by leaders in education and technology, the summit will give participants unique insights and perspectives on how to prepare their institutions to be more responsive in a constantly changing world.
Key highlights include:
More than 150 sessions focused on enhancing the teaching and learning experience; fostering inclusive education; supporting the learner beyond the classroom; preparing and leading institutional change; engaging professional development and using analytics to drive learner success.
Keynotes delivered byRobert Reich, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at The University of California at Berkeleyand former U.S. Labor Secretary; Kimberly Bryant, Founder & Executive Director of Black Girls CODE and Aspen Institute Fellow; and Bill Ballhaus, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President at Blackboard.
Executive Leadership Summit, a unique gathering for university leaders to explore the evolving education landscape and how its changes affect institutions, students and policy.
DevCon meeting, with more than 30 sessions focused on Blackboard Data, REST APIs, integrations with SaaS and Ultra, SIS Framework, and dedicated keynotes delivered by Angie Jones, Senior Developer Advocate and Master Inventor, and Tim Tomlinson, Chief Product Officer at Blackboard.
A new Hackboard:Data to provide developers with technical insights and hands-on experience of Blackboard Data.
The Community LIVE, an area for clients to engage with Blackboard, get their questions answered, and network with colleagues. The Community LIVE will offer eight thematic stations, including Knowledge Bar, Ally Lounge, Community Program and Lightning Talks.
The Ultra Lounge, where clients will be able to see Learn Ultra demos, speak with Ultra product experts and discuss their path to Learn Ultra.
Attendees from over 25 countries across Europe, Africa, Latin America, Middle East, Asia, and Australia.
“I am thrilled about this year’s BbWorld as we will showcase how we are accelerating innovation and laying the foundation for the next wave of innovation in education technology,” said Bill Ballhaus, Chairman, CEO, and President at Blackboard. “BbWorld is also a unique opportunity for our client community from around the world to come together, share knowledge and discuss opportunities.”
