7 Technologies Schools Need in the COVID Era + Data Recs
Distance learning, while an unanticipated response to mandated COVID-19 school closures since March, will likely be a fundamental component of schooling for the foreseeable future. We expect distance learning to be employed in various regimens as the virus ebbs and flows and social distancing requirements prevent the traditional school day schedule at different times over the next year. It can also be a tool for delivering additional instruction during breaks and weekends.
The purpose of this blog post is to provide distance learning recommendations to schools from a data-driven perspective. These recommendations include technologies schools should plan for right now if they do not already have them, a four-month implementation timeline example, data collection and protocol that can support effective summer or fall restart planning.
Seven Technologies Needed for Successful Distance Learning
Student information system (SIS): All schools already have a student information system, but not all have a modern SIS that is Ed-Fi compliant, preferably Ed-Fi certified, allowing seamless integration with the other technologies needed to power successful distance learning. PowerSchool and Infinite Campus are the commonly used SIS providers in DC that are fully Ed-Fi certified.
Learning management system (LMS): These online learning platforms automatically connect to the courses and students from your SIS to create online learning environments that teachers can manage. This is where they can post assignments, maintain message boards, and upload additional class content. Students login to follow an online schedule of events, upload their completed assignments, and stay organized. PC Mag has a good overview and review of LMS's. Some of the most popular ones in DC are Canvas, Google Classroom, Moodle, Edmodo, Microsoft Teams for Education, and Schoology. Make sure the system you choose allows you to download student usage and engagement reports that you can analyze alongside other datasets like assessment and demographics.
Single sign-on (SSO): Between the LMS and every blended learning and assessment tool site (further described below), students have lots of places they need to login. A SSO will help students remember just one password and instantly access all of their content apps securely. The most common SSO for schools is Clever. There is also ClassLink, Wonde, and Enboard.
Blended learning and online assessment platforms: Most schools already use one or more blended learning software tools that delivery lessons to students. Common examples include Khan Academy, Newsela, Lexia, IXL, ST Math, i-Ready, Imagine Math, Dreambox, Achieve3000, Edgenuity, and many more. Separate from blended learning platforms that deliver lesson content, there are also online assessment tools like NWEA MAP, Renaissance Star, Illuminate Education, and Achievement Network to round out your distance learning portfolio. Using a SSO, students login once to access their class LMS content and then click over to school-sponsored blended learning online apps as assigned by teachers. Data from these platforms should be saved in the school's data warehouse (see below) so that educators can analyze student information in one place, ensuring equitable outcomes for all students.
Web-based video conferencing: To host classes and meet with students by video, schools need to manage this centrally for security and protection. Tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams (integrated into Teams for Education), and Google Hangouts (integrated into Google Classroom) allow for video conferencing. We recommend schools buy a corporate license to the video tool of their choice so they can access meeting participation data in one place and ensure enhanced security protocol to avoid situations like "zoom bombing."
Contact logs: In addition to the technology needed for instructional purposes, there is the information schools must log to ensure student safety and social-emotional health. Some SIS providers have custom contact logs that teachers can use to track student contact data, while some schools are using a web-based form (e.g. Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, Dean's List, etc.) that allow teachers to efficiently log student interactions. Whatever tool is used, it should be designed so that logs are tied to a unique student ID in the SIS. This can be accomplished by uploading student information to the tool instead of having teachers hand-enter student information.
Data warehouse and dashboards: More than ever, schools will have data living in different places that they will want to access in one area for dashboarding and analysis. Warehouses are structured databases that update daily by pulling information from multiple locations into one place. Interactive data dashboards live "on top" of the warehouse to bring to life all of the information in one location. Reach out to EmpowerK12 to learn more about how this works.
Distance Learning Tech Implementation Timeline
If your school does not have one of the 7 technologies listed above, the time to get started on the search is NOW for a summer or fall 2020-21 implementation roll-out.
The process can be broken down into four general steps:
Needs Assessment: Do not start by looking at the products, identify your needs first. Talk to the right stakeholders from the beginning so that the product meets everyone's needs for stronger buy-in and implementation down the line. This is the time to reach out to other schools to make sure your needs assessment is gap-free and to understand how peers have addressed the same challenges you face. (2-4 weeks)
Choosing: Once you know the team's needs, you can look at products with confidence and avoid sales pitch distractions. Arrange demos to see how the product works with key stakeholders and survey a broader set of stakeholders for their pros and cons of key stakeholders' top choices. Most importantly, use an objective process such as a rubric to evaluate each option based on your highest priority needs. (2-4 weeks - can overlap with the needs assessment if time is tight)
Procurement: Depending on system costs, you may need to follow a formal RFP process. While this step is logistically straightforward, it can take over a month to complete. Even if you do not need an RFP, your organization's internal processes for reviewing, negotiating, and approving contracts may take several weeks so this step is critical in estimating your total project implementation timeline. (1-8 weeks)
Implementation: Communicating the choice of system, integrating, training, piloting, broadly rolling out, and monitoring implementation are just a few important steps to helping your new technology acquisition live up to its potential. Many of the more involved systems, like a new SIS or LMS can be implemented in phases, but nonetheless a strong implementation process can take a couple of months. (1-4 months)
As you can see, there is a wide variety of timelines. Some choices, like an SSO provider can take a few weeks or less. Larger technology platforms like student information systems, learning management systems, and data warehouses require more strategic alignment and so take more time to select and implement. No matter what new system you are rolling out, make sure to think through the timeline before starting and prioritize it appropriately.
Spring, Summer, and Fall Data Recommendations
We realize this is a trying time for students and educators with lots of energy spent dealing with the immediate responses necessary to keep personal and professional lives going. Collecting data on student outcomes from a distance may seem like a challenge too daunting to tackle or potentially developmentally inappropriate. However, we feel the following questions are important to have some solid answers going into restart planning using appropriate tools:
As the 2019-20 school year draws to a distance learning close, how was this year's typical annual student growth compared to other years?
Is there significant unanticipated learning regression for specific grades or student groups we should plan around now as it would be harder to change direction midstream based on new data as we assess students once school restarts?
Have students retained the social-emotional and co-academic skill sets teachers worked hard to improve during the in-person school year or will we need to plan for significant levels of additional instructional time on helping students apply those skills to both the in-person and remote school settings?
We expect the 2020-21 schooling picture to clear up by about mid-June, soon after distance learning ends. School leaders and teachers will spend the summer planning for the most unique school year in modern history. Even in the best of distance learning circumstances, educators should expect significant student regression, both academically and social-emotionally. Leaders will have to make tough decisions like teacher-student looping and scheduling, and educators will have to adjust their typical school year curriculum pacing map.
Such decisions will benefit from some assessment sampling of student progress before putting a bow on this most abnormal of school years at the end of May/mid-June. Student survey data of social-emotional competencies might indicate that students could benefit from summer mental health exercises. They might even need a "reorientation to school week" that focuses on team-building and social-emotional activities when they are able to return to school buildings.
For math and ELA, some assessment information is better than none. We do not think any assessments administered in the home environment should be used to make individual student decisions. However, a robust sampling of student data at the aggregate grade and school levels can help provide critical information about learning (compared to a typical year) that will help schools make better decisions about next steps.
How large does my sample size need to have enough actionable information for analysis?
We recommend a sample size of at least 25 students or 10% of the student population (whichever is larger) for every layer you want to be able to analyze. As an example, for a 1,400 student multi-campus LEA, that amounts to140 total students across 6 schools, aiming for 25 students per grade level.
What assessment tools are appropriate?
We think educators are the best individuals to answer this question. However, nationally-normed assessments like NWEA MAP and STAR could be good, so too are more formative assessments like Fountas & Pinnell, DIBELS/TRC, and Illuminate. The Panorama student survey is a tool for assessing student social-emotional constructs. Basically, any assessment that covers a broad set of standards or skills in the given topic area that was used this past fall or last year in the spring can work. Applying robust predictive modelling tools, data managers can tease out how this year's results differ from expected based on similar students from prior years. We are happy to provide more guidance here as well. Feel free to contact your EmpowerK12 rep.