Ed-tech companies conducting research often miss critical steps in gathering information about their products’ effectiveness, and the experiences of teachers and students using them.
Pearson Business Strategy Assailed by Investors, Including Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund
Pensions funds for two teachers’ unions–one in Chicago and another in the U.K.–are among shareholders petitioning Pearson PLC to “urgently review” its business strategy in the wake of recent financial setbacks.
K-12 Dealmaking: Knewton Raises $52M; Imagine K12 Merges with Y Combinator
Knewton, SchoolMint and NuuEd announced completion of funding rounds; ed-tech accelerator Imagine K-12 merged with the Y Combinator fund.
ESSA, Personalized Learning to Bring ‘Reset’ to Education, School Leaders Predict
School superintendents at a nationwide summit discussed the implications that the new ESSA law, and increasing demands for “personalized learning,” will have in their districts.
District Building a Balance Between Open Resources and Purchased Content
Matthew Henshaw of the Spokane, Wash., district says open resources are filling some curriculum gaps, but they are “not the answer for all our needs.”
K-12 Dealmaking: Sesame Workshop Launches VC Arm; PowerSchool Buys Interactive Achievement
Sesame Workshop will invest in start-ups that support children’s education, PowerSchool acquired Interactive Achievement, and McGraw-Hill Education India partnered with IGNITOR to offer digital textbooks.
K-12 Dealmaking: Apple Acquires LearnSprout; Pearson, Knewton Turn to Adaptive Math
Apple has snapped up Learnspout, Pearson and Knewton partner to work on math using adaptive-learning, and Excelligence Learning acquires the classroom-products marketer Really Good Stuff.
States Setting Higher Expectations for Their Tests
Many states have made their tests more challenging, a toughening of expectations that coincides with the passage of the common-core standards, and tests aligned to them.
Jefferson Education Accelerator Chooses Agile Mind as Partner
The Jefferson Education Accelerator, a commercial entity that invests in ed-tech companies, has announced it will support Agile Mind, a provider of digital curriculum.
K-12 Venture Capital in 2016: Data Analytics, Virtual Reality Could Make Gains
Analysts expect investors to seek out companies that help districts use big data, gain deeper understanding of school systems, and focus on special populations in 2016.