Press Category: On the Wire

Chevy Chase, MD August 15, 2025 – BookBreak, a K-12 virtual author talk digital platform, wins 2 EdTech awards this year. AASL and Tech and Learning’s Best of Show at ISTELIVE award committees each evaluated {# of teaching and learning tools} and separately named BookBreak a 2025 Best Digital Tools award for teaching and learning.

After an extensive review of a significant number of teaching and learning tools in the EdTech industry, BookBreak was evaluated on the following criteria:

• Innovation/creativity
• Active participation
• Collaboration
• User-friendly
• Encourages exploration
• Information/reference
• Ease of use
• Value
• Uniqueness in the market
• Makes teachers lives easier
• Supports student achievement

BookBreak is one of only 16 tools awarded this prestigious and competitive award by AASL for engaging young readers and writers. The American Library Association states that BookBreak encourages reading engagement through access to diverse literary content, fostering a culture of literacy in schools and libraries.

According to Committee Chair Molly Dettmann, “This year’s list provides new platforms that are reshaping how students and educators connect, create, and collaborate. From promoting literacy to enhancing critical thinking, these online tools serve as essential resources for educators and learners”.

The significant impact of BookBreak’s online educational tool is recognized, by AASL, among a well-known list of online platforms, such as Canva, Beanstack, Code.org, and Clickview Education.

“Although AI was the most talked-about topic at this year’s ISTE conference, we were impressed by the array of nominated products that continued to support the nuts and bolts of teaching and learning and meaningfully integrated emerging tech,” says Christine Weiser, content director for Tech & Learning. “Our judges chose the products that they believed best supported innovation in the classroom and district. Congratulations to our winners!”

“As former school librarians and teachers, we are honored and incredibly grateful to be recognized by AASL and ISTE for our work in inspiring students around the country to read more, write more, and believe that they too can become authors”, said BookBreak’s Director of Programs, Yapha Mason.

For more information on these awards, visit American Library Association and Tech & Learning.

BookBreak’s virtual author talk program inspires K-12 students to love reading and writing through live streamed events with bestselling and award winning authors to all subscribing schools throughout the school year. Every student has the opportunity to hear from an age-appropriate author at least once per month. Each event is recorded and includes lesson plans and activities tied to curriculum standards, as well as additional resources and short, on demand videos.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Click here for more information on BookBreak’s program, or contact Yapha Mason at: yapha@bookbreaks.org.

About BookBreak

Based in Chevy Chase, Maryland, BookBreak is an innovative online platform for classrooms, created by a team with over 100 years of collective teacher and librarian experience who are in love with reading, and relentlessly focused on crafting experiences and resources that resonate with educators’ and students’ needs.

Media Contact: 

Janice Cutler, Marketing Manager

BookBreak

(919) 454-6303 

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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 14, 2025 — ClassDojo, the leading platform connecting classrooms, families, and school communities, has joined The Education Cooperative’s Standardized Data Privacy Agreement (TEC SDPA), a nationally recognized, multi-state framework that streamlines the contracting process for district leaders to adopt trusted edtech tools. This pre-approved agreement, now active in 14 states and growing, gives districts a ready-to-use, FERPA- and COPPA-aligned pathway to launch ClassDojo quickly, confidently, and at scale — with the highest standards of student data protection from day one.

The TEC SDPA, built on the National Data Privacy Agreement (NDPA), enables thousands of districts to secure compliant, vendor-signed agreements through a shared legal model. Now part of TEC’s network of 1,800+ vetted tools, ClassDojo can be rolled out districtwide across participating states without legal delays or extra negotiation.

“District leaders face constant pressure to balance innovation with responsibility,” said Chad A. Stevens, Ph.D., ClassDojo’s Head of K–12 Engagement. “This agreement gives them both—speed and simplicity in bringing ClassDojo to every school, and the assurance that student data is protected at the highest level. Our goal is to make it easier for districts to focus on what matters most: building connected, thriving school communities.”

A streamlined path to adoption
Through this partnership, districts in TEC states can:
• Access ClassDojo via a multi-state DPA that is FERPA and COPPA aligned
• Avoid one-off legal negotiations
• Reduce administrative burden for legal and IT teams
• ​​Launch districtwide use faster without sacrificing privacy compliance by greenlighting what schools and teachers are already using

“District leaders want to adopt tools that families and teachers love—without compromising on privacy,” said Stacy Hawthorne, Chief Academic Officer of Learn21, a TEC member, and CoSN Board Chair. “This agreement with ClassDojo shows what’s possible when vendors prioritize privacy and proactively partner with the education community.”

Privacy protections built in
The agreement follows months of collaboration between TEC’s legal team and ClassDojo’s compliance and district partnership teams. It reflects both organizations’ shared commitment to helping districts scale secure, trusted digital solutions. With more than 95% of U.S. K–8 schools already using ClassDojo, this partnership opens the door to deeper, districtwide connections without adding compliance hurdles.

What’s next for TEC member districts
Districts in the TEC Alliance can find their ClassDojo agreement in the Student Data Privacy Consortium Resource Registry. No further negotiation is required.

For more on ClassDojo for Districts, visit https://www.classdojo.com/districts

About ClassDojo for Districts

ClassDojo is on a mission to give every child an education they love. Already used by over 45 million families and teachers around the world, ClassDojo helps schools build strong, connected communities. ClassDojo for Districts brings this connection to the whole school system—helping leaders reach every family, reduce absences, improve student behavior, and ensure consistent communication across schools. Districts gain the oversight they need with tools like rostering, SSO, and SIS integration, plus simple ways to celebrate students, share updates, and keep families in the loop—all in a platform teachers already love. And it’s free for teachers, schools, and districts.

About The Education Cooperative

The Education Cooperative (TEC) supports school districts by streamlining access to high-quality, privacy-compliant digital learning tools through its Standardized Data Privacy Agreement (SDPA). Managed by Learn21, the TEC SDPA serves districts in 14 states, enabling secure, efficient adoption of educational technology.

Media Contact:
press@classdojo.com

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BOSTON (Aug. 14, 2025) – A newly released independent evaluation by Marzano Research on behalf of the Idaho State Board of Education has identified Lexia Core5 Reading, a program from Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group brand, as the most effective K–3 literacy program in the state. Among nine digital and blended programs reviewed for the 2025 fiscal year, Core5 earned the highest overall effectiveness score — outperforming well-known tools like i-Ready, Amira and Imagine Learning.

The FY25 Literacy Tools Effectiveness Review, now available on the Idaho State Board of Education website, affirms Lexia’s leadership in early literacy instruction. Core5 stood out among the nine evaluated programs by demonstrating consistently high performance in all four defined effectiveness indicators.

Students across Idaho using Core5 had significant growth in reading proficiency from Fall to Spring, according to results from the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI). Across all grade levels, the majority of Lexia users matched or exceeded statewide average growth, with particularly strong outcomes observed in kindergarten.

Additionally, students who met Lexia’s recommended differentiated usage thresholds achieved even greater gains — especially third graders, who showed marked improvement on the IRI compared to their peers.

Lexia’s results were based on one of the largest student samples in the review, with a 99.5% match rate to state records across more than 10,000 students — reflecting both scale and data quality. Core5 was used in 47 schools across 12 Idaho districts, demonstrating its broad reach and consistent impact.

“At the heart of the effectiveness question is whether spending more time using an intervention helps students become more proficient in their literacy skillset… Lexia usage demonstrated a clear dosage effect. Students with more time in Core5 showed higher proficiency rates by Spring,” the report notes.

Lexia also posted the highest rate of students meeting Idaho’s recommended usage threshold — more than 40% — outpacing the next-highest provider by a factor of three. Among all providers, Lexia was one of just two to earn “High” ratings in both usage and impact — an achievement matched only by a program with a significantly smaller sample from a single district.

Key strengths of Lexia Core5 highlighted in the review include:

• Strong Evidence of Effectiveness: Demonstrated positive literacy outcomes across multiple grade levels.
• Comprehensive Skill Coverage: Supports phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• Data-Driven Personalization: Adaptive learning paths and real-time progress monitoring guide instruction.
• Embedded Professional Learning: Integrated educator support helps schools implement Core5 with fidelity.
• Broad Grade-Level Applicability: Approved for use across K–3 and beyond, supporting consistent districtwide literacy efforts.

Idaho’s emphasis on early literacy and rural education innovation makes the state a bellwether for effective instructional tools. With more than 70% of its districts classified as rural, Idaho has long prioritized scalable, evidence-based programs that meet the unique needs of its students and teachers.

“This third-party recognition validates what thousands of educators see in their classrooms every day,” said Nick Gaehde, President of Lexia. “Core5 is engaging for students everywhere — from urban centers to rural communities — helping them develop the foundational reading skills they need to succeed.”

The full Idaho FY25 Literacy Tools Effectiveness Review is available here: https://boardofed.idaho.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/FY-25-Effectiveness-Review-Report-crt-7-14-25.pdf

About Lexia

Lexia, a Cambium Learning Group brand, is transforming literacy education, driving change in 1 of every 3 school districts across the United States. For more than 40 years, Lexia has been a thought leader in literacy education, delivering award-winning, research-based solutions grounded in the science of reading. With a full spectrum of offerings, including professional learning, curriculum, and embedded assessment tools, Lexia provides educators with Structured Literacy solutions that are proven effective and designed to drive meaningful literacy outcomes. By empowering educators with unparalleled ease of use and the knowledge and tools they need, Lexia helps more students unlock their potential to read, write, and speak with confidence. For more information, visit lexialearning.com.

About Cambium Learning Group

Cambium Learning Group is the education essentials company, providing award-winning education technology and services for K-12 educators and students. With an intentional collection of respected global brands, Cambium serves as a leader, helping millions of educators and students feel more seen, valued, and supported every day. In everything it does, the company focuses on the elements that are most essential to the success of education, delivering simpler, more certain solutions that make a meaningful difference right now. To learn more, visit www.cambiumlearning.com or follow Cambium on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X. The Cambium family of brands includes: Cambium Assessment, Lexia, Learning A-Z, ExploreLearning, and Time4Learning.

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Media Contacts

Sabrina Leon, Lexia PR Manager

sabrina.leon@lexialearning.com

Charlotte Andrist, Nickel Communications

charlotte@nickelcommpr.com

Media Inquiries Only: 770-310-5244

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As school districts nationwide continue to expand Career and Technical Education (CTE) programming to address the looming workforce gap and provide students with career-ready skills, district leaders will inevitably face space constraints—especially when it comes to supporting CTE pathways that require larger equipment and bigger workspaces than a traditional classroom affords. iCEV’s new, downloadable e-book, “Building High-Impact CTE Centers: Lessons from District Leaders,” provides practical insights, advice, and best practices from industry professionals and districts across the country to help fellow district leaders successfully tackle this challenge.

To download the free e-book, visit here.

 “CTE programs evolve very quickly and you always want to make sure you have a space that is equipped to change with them,” said Dusty Moore, CEO of iCEV. “So many districts are looking to open centers and this e-book can help them determine how to create learning spaces that can adapt to what the community needs in the future.”

The e-book features success stories and advice from district leaders across the country and from various types of districts. Districts in the e-book include: Culpeper County Public Schools in Virginia, Littleton Public Schools in Colorado, Montgomery Independent School District in Texas, Payette River Tech Academy in Idaho, and Roanoke City Public Schools in Virginia. It also features insights from industry leaders Dusty Moore, CEO of iCEV, and Chuck Amos, CEO of the Amos Group, which is the parent company of SchoolBondFinder and SchoolNetwork.

“One of the questions to ask when redesigning spaces for a CTE center is how is it going to be different?” said Mike Montgomery, natural resources teacher for Littleton Public Schools’ Explorative Pathways for Innovative Careers “EPIC” Campus. “If it’s just labs they did at their high school, why are students going to come here? It has to be different and you have to identify opportunities to get students out of the classroom and into situations where they’re doing work that is relevant and meaningful.”

This new e-book guides districts through every stage of developing a new CTE center from initial planning and designing to staffing and recruiting, including:

• Funding a CTE Center: Learn how to navigate a variety of funding options such as bonds and grants.
• Building a New CTE Center: Learn about various planning considerations and how to meet the requirements of each CTE pathway, allow for future expansion, and integrate industry-standard technologies.
• Converting an Existing Space into a CTE Center: Understand renovation considerations and how to transform outdated school buildings or old office spaces into modern CTE centers.
• CTE Centers in a Rural or Urban Setting: Recognize planning considerations and how to use out-of-the-box thinking to create successful CTE offerings in unique settings.

“At iCEV, we are constantly visiting CTE centers all over the country and it’s great to see how they are being creative and utilizing different spaces to make programs that students love,” said Moore. “It doesn’t matter if it’s an existing space they’re reconfiguring or a brand-new space, it’s about what they’re actually doing in the space that matters.”

To learn more and download iCEV’s “Building High-Impact CTE Centers: Lessons from District Leaders” e-book, visit here.

About iCEV and Eduthings
iCEV offers Eduthings, a powerful data management platform designed to streamline reporting for key components of Career and Technical Education (CTE), including industry certifications, work-based learning, and participation in Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs).

Since 1984, iCEV has been a trusted leader in CTE, delivering high-quality curriculum and educational resources that empower educators and students alike. As the most comprehensive online platform for CTE, iCEV provides standards-aligned curriculum across a wide range of subject areas, including agricultural science, trade & industrial education, business & marketing, career exploration, family & consumer science, health science, law enforcement and STEM education.

In addition to curriculum, iCEV serves as a certification testing platform for a growing number of recognized industry credentials. Leading companies and organizations choose iCEV to deliver and manage their certification exams. For more information, visit www.icevonline.com.

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LITTLE ROCK, AR, August 6, 2025 – Apptegy, a leading provider of communication and brand management solutions for school districts, today announced Saginaw Intermediate School District (ISD) is using its platform to redefine how school communities share their stories and connect with their communities. 

Saginaw ISD has empowered every staff member to be a storyteller through its innovative Our Story™ initiative. Using Apptegy’s communication platform, staff across Saginaw County have shared more than 5,000 authentic stories, with nearly 300 employee storytellers, since 2023. The initiative has fostered stronger community engagement, improved staff morale, and provided a clearer, more comprehensive view of district life for families and prospective employees.

It began when Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Collier recognized that the district faced a challenge. Despite serving more than 26,000 students, the district’s story was being told by essentially one voice, his own. “I can provide vision and delegate tasks because that’s my job, but if I’m the sole author of our story, well, that’s a pretty thin book,” said Dr. Collier. “We needed a way for the people doing the work every day to tell their authentic stories in their own voices.”

From One Voice to Collective Authorship

Historically, the responsibility of capturing and sharing district stories fell to the superintendent and a small communications team. That approach could not scale across Saginaw ISD’s diverse programs, which span early childhood education, special education, career training, and more.

To address the gap, Saginaw ISD launched Our Story™, a culture-building initiative designed to empower all 700 staff members to become authentic storytellers. Using Apptegy’s platform, staff members can post updates, photos, and videos to the district’s website, mobile app, and social media channels with just one click.

“Apptegy has allowed us to break down barriers,” said Coty Kuschinsky, Saginaw ISD’s Chief of Staff and Communications Supervisor. “Staff can capture moments as they happen, and the platform’s moderation tools ensure we maintain brand consistency without losing authenticity. It’s been a breakthrough for how we connect with our community.”

Measurable Impact

Since the launch of Our Story™, it has seen a significant impact:

• 272 unique authors have contributed stories
• 5,122 authentic stories have been shared
• 272 staff members have earned digital storytelling badges through a tiered certification system
• Staff who share stories consistently report feeling more connected, valued, and aligned with the district’s mission and report higher engagement

The results have been both cultural and strategic. By sharing real, day-to-day moments, staff members are boosting morale internally while giving families and prospective employees a transparent view of life at Saginaw ISD.

Data from Saginaw ISD’s 2025 Gallup Q12 staff engagement survey shows that collective authorship strengthens workplace culture. Employees who shared 50+ stories reported 14% higher engagement and 5% higher satisfaction than the overall average, while those who shared 2–49 stories also experienced meaningful gains. Staff who did not participate showed no improvement.

“Monitoring our social media comments has become one of the most rewarding parts of my day,” Kuschinsky added. “Watching our staff and stakeholders celebrate each other publicly has truly transformed our culture and climate.”

The Our Story™ initiative directly supports the district’s goals of attracting high-quality talent, deepening community engagement, and building organizational culture. “We know positive culture drives retention and recruitment,” Dr. Collier said. “This initiative connects our staff, builds pride, and gives the community a real look at the work happening in every corner of the district.”

Other districts have since partnered with Saginaw ISD and adopted Our Story™ in their districts, including Clare-Gladwin RESD in Michigan and Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Maryland. 

About Apptegy

Trusted by 5,000 districts nationwide, Apptegy empowers school districts to elevate their brands while simplifying their communications strategies. Apptegy’s platform powers district websites, mobile apps, notifications, and teacher-family communication tools. With exceptional client support and intuitive solutions, Apptegy allows educators to focus on what matters most: educating, engaging, and growing their communities. Apptegy transforms how schools connect with their entire school community. Learn more at apptegy.com.

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With school districts nationwide struggling to meet growing special education demands amid staffing shortages and political pressure to prove efficiency, Streamline, a new AI-powered special education management platform created by Better Speech, solves an acute problem for SPED directors and teams. Streamline uses AI to reduce paperwork time by 90%, shrinking IEP preparation time from 3 hours to just 10 minutes. Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) who used Streamline reported seeing a 50% increase in capacity for direct therapy, as well as a 32% improvement in speech-language outcomes through the platform’s integrated AI-enabled SLP Helper^TM.

“Our goal isn’t just to save time—it’s to give educators and therapy providers their purpose back,” said Ranan Lachman, CEO of Better Speech. “We’re using AI to help districts deliver the individualized support students deserve, while improving the retention of the teams providing it.”

An Urgent Need Meets a Scalable Solution 

According to the U.S. Department of Education, more than 7.3 million students currently receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Yet many districts report being overwhelmed by manual paperwork, rising caseloads, and limited visibility into student progress. According to CADRE’s IDEA Dispute Resolution Data, districts have seen a 65% increase in lawsuits related to IDEA noncompliance, indicating that students are not receiving the services they need.

Streamline tackles these challenges head-on with:

• Ensuring 100% compliance – With dashboards that monitor progress at one glance.
• 90% reduction in paperwork time – Leveraging AI to streamline the preparation of evaluation reports, IEP documents, and session notes (gaining 50% more team power, without additional hires)
• SLP Helper^TM – Providing students with personalized speech practice and engaging families.

 “As a speech-language pathologist, I know firsthand how time-consuming paperwork can pull focus from what truly matters—working with students,” said Lenora Edwards, M.S. CCC-SLP, who has provided school-based services for several districts in Pennsylvania. “Streamline gives special education teams the power to reclaim their time, reduce burnout, and deliver individualized support at scale. This isn’t just about compliance—it’s about outcomes and ensuring every child receives the services they need to thrive.”

Streamline is fully AI-powered and automates across a district’s special education workflow—compliance, documentation, analytics, and service delivery. The platform integrates with major SIS systems, adapts to school workflows, and requires minimal training, making it accessible even for small or understaffed districts.

For more information about Streamline, visit www.streamline-SPED.com.

About Streamline 

Streamline is the first AI-powered special education management platform designed to manage compliance, simplify IEP management, and improve student outcomes. Built in partnership with district leaders and educators, Streamline gives special education teams the tool they need to succeed. Streamline is a product of Better Speech, the largest online Speech Therapy provider in the U.S. 

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