TALENT DEVELOPMENT
TALENT DEVELOPMENT news | May 12, 2023
Learning technology company HMH today announced the acquisition of Quebec-based education technology company, Classcraft. The acquisition will bring to HMH a best-in-class engineering team and innovative functionality that improves the customer experience, empowering educators and supporting student engagement.
"HMH looks forward to welcoming the talented team from Classcraft into the HMH community," says Peter George, Chief Technology Officer at HMH. "Montreal is already home to an HMH technology Center of Excellence, and we are thrilled to begin working together to bring innovative learning experiences to even more students and educators."
Known for creating unique, dynamic, learning processes to support student engagement, achievement, and motivation, Classcraft uses science-based motivational principles to support learning.
"At Classcraft, we seek to make school more relevant and meaningful by creating playful and collaborative learning experiences that teach the whole child," says Shawn Young, CEO at Classcraft. "We know HMH shares that goal and we're excited to join them in supporting millions of educators and students."
Current Classcraft users will continue to have access to Classcraft for the '23-24 school year in its existing form and contracts with schools and districts will be honored.
HMH is a portfolio company of Veritas Capital ("Veritas"), a leading investor at the intersection of technology and government.
About HMH
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is a learning technology company committed to delivering connected solutions that engage learners, empower educators and improve student outcomes. As a leading provider of K–12 core curriculum, supplemental and intervention solutions, and professional learning services, HMH partners with educators and school districts to uncover solutions that unlock students' potential and extend teachers' capabilities. HMH serves more than 50 million students and 4 million educators in 150 countries.
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TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Businesswire | April 06, 2023
Apogee, the trusted strategic managed technology services partner to higher education, is pleased to announce the expansion of its Executive Advisory Services to meet the evolving needs of higher education clients. Apogee Executive Advisory Services embeds former campus leaders within college and university cabinet-level teams to lead the assessment, modernization, and transformation of campus IT services.
Apogee’s recognized team of experts can serve as full-time or fractional leaders for long-term engagements or during high demand periods due to vacant or nascent IT leadership. Led by higher education and technology veteran David Hinson, Apogee executive advisors are seasoned chief technology officers (CTO), chief information officers (CIO), chief information security officers (CISO), and chief operation officers (COO) or vice presidents of administration who have years of cabinet-level experience at colleges and state systems.
Fifteen disciplines now round out the offering, including IT infrastructure, networking, cybersecurity, and compliance assessments and strategies. Advisory services are provided over weeks of remote and on-premises observations. Every engagement is tailored for the institution, and insights are codified into actionable strategic and tactical technology plans for campus leadership.
“I am excited about our enhanced advisory services practice, the world-class experts on our team, and the opportunities ahead to meet colleges and universities where they are as they navigate the post-pandemic world and confront the looming enrollment cliff,” said Hinson. “Whether an institution is facing vacant IT leadership, new IT leadership trying to quickly get its arms around pressing issues and priorities, or mature leadership looking to take campus technology service delivery to the next level, we craft engagements that enable clients to understand the current state of IT, remediate urgent issues, measure meaningful progress on long-term projects, and inculcate best practices for effective and strategic technology management.”
Situated in Winston-Salem, N.C., Salem Academy and College traces its history to 1772 and is the oldest educational institution for girls and women in America. Today, the institution is an intimate learning community of 1,100 women from all over the world and is one of the country's most distinguished private liberal arts colleges.
“Like many small colleges in the U.S., Salem Academy and College experienced shortages and gaps in IT leadership, staff, and expertise coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Dr. Summer McGee, Salem Academy and College president. “David Hinson assessed our IT organization, infrastructure, and abilities and put us on a path to not only get back to business as usual, but also to set up a roadmap for us to align our technology investments to our institutional mission. Our engagement with Apogee has helped ensure that we are better prepared technologically to deliver on our promise to develop the full potential of our students and prepare them to change the world.”
With nearly a quarter century of experience exclusively in managed technology services to higher education, Apogee has built the expertise to deliver advisory services in the following disciplines:
• Strategic Planning and Documentation
• Business and Information Technology Resilience Planning
• Cybersecurity Controls and Audit
• Cybersecurity Program Management and Operations
• Vendor Management
• Financial Capacities Discovery
• Staffing and Organization Sizing Needs Analysis
• Coaching and Professional Development Pathways
• Governance, Compliance, and Internal Policy Development, including compliance with federal, state, and contractual cybersecurity obligations such a Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), as well as privacy policies and compliance such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), and Consumer Data Protection Regulation (CDPR)
• Infrastructure Analysis and Planning
• Technology and Cybersecurity Risk Assessment and Management
• Budget Analysis and Preparation
• Leadership Succession Planning
• Cabinet Leadership Strategies and Methodologies
• Formal Technology Plan and Accreditation Support
About Apogee
Established in Austin in 1999, Apogee is a leading provider of managed technology services that enable colleges and universities to innovate to enrich the campus experience and foster student vitality. Uniquely positioned to serve higher education, Apogee supports a community of more than 1 million students and administrators at nearly 400 colleges and universities nationwide. The company’s comprehensive portfolio includes Managed Campus (networks and managed IT and cloud services), ResNet (residential networks), campus engagement and digital signage, and video services.
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CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS
PRnewswire | May 05, 2023
StrongMind announced a new generation of digital courses for K-5 students today. StrongMind responded to the increased demand for digital courses for the youngest students during the pandemic by releasing a complete suite of K-5 courses in summer 2021, completing their K-12 digital solution. After listening to course users and careful analysis of feedback, StrongMind determined enhancements were needed to keep up with the still increasing need for high-quality digital courses in the early grades.
The new version of digital courses includes robust enhancements for even higher-quality English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies courses and a user experience designed to delight young learners. Enhancements include:
• Deeper alignment to state standards, including state specific content for select courses and states
• An enhanced approach to phonics instruction for K-2
• Expanded rich media and interactivity throughout each course
• New grading supports for teachers, including grading notes and rubrics
"At StrongMind, we firmly believe that a standards-aligned K-5 curriculum that follows the science of reading is crucial for setting our students up for academic success. By providing engaging and rigorous instruction in the early years, we can inspire a love of learning and empower our students with the skills they need to thrive in all aspects of their lives," said Mori Creamer, Chief Academic Officer.
The newest K-5 digital courses will be available for back-to-school fall 2023 for existing and new customers who have a need for flexible digital courses that will meet the needs for online and blended learning throughout different programs in a school or district. More information about the courses is available at strongmind.com/K-5/, and details about other StrongMind products, including courses for grades 6-12 and social emotional learning (SEL) is available at strongmind.com.
About StrongMind:
StrongMind partners with schools and districts to develop forward-thinking solutions that address unique school challenges. With a consultative approach, engaging digital curriculum, a suite of edtech tools, a range of services, and clear insights, we maximize student achievement and help schools thrive. A recent recipient of multiple Digital Promise Research-Design certifications and winner of more than 60 awards, StrongMind innovates into the future of education.
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