PowerSchool, the leading provider of cloud-based software for K-12 education, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kickboard, a leading provider of K-12 education behavior management solutions that helps educators effectively manage social-emotional learning (SEL) and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to help improve student well-being, school culture, and achieve more equitable outcomes. Adding Kickboard to PowerSchool’s award-winning Unified Classroom™ will enable educators to securely input and analyze student behaviors, interactions, and outcomes by connecting one of K-12’s leading behavior management solutions, including the only evidence-based, behavior management platform that meets federal standards, such as Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Level II, with industry-leading student information, learning management, professional learning, and data analytics systems.
The need for SEL-focused support has been on the rise even prior to the pandemic with 70% of principals identifying it as a priority in 2019 – up from 43% just two years earlier. And, as teachers strive to address unfinished learning while simultaneously helping students re-adjust to in-person instruction, the need for solutions that support students’ social-emotional needs is greater than ever before, as highlighted in a recent Department of Education report.
“Addressing students’ social emotional well-being and mental health is critical, not just for schools and districts, but for our families and communities, and as the industry leader in K-12 education technology, we’re committed to providing the best solutions to support them,” said Hardeep Gulati, CEO of PowerSchool. “Millions of teachers and students use our solutions every day and by combining Kickboard’s behavior management solutions for K-12 education, we’re taking an important step to providing real, comprehensive insights that give educators a complete view of the whole student.”
When combined with PowerSchool solutions, educators will benefit from further integration that allows them to adopt a more comprehensive approach to assessing and analyzing student behavior in the moment. Specifically, educators that use both PowerSchool and Kickboard can benefit in the following ways:
- Centralize all behavior management and reporting: Educators can keep track of all student-focused initiatives including SEL, positive behavior intervention and support (PBIS), MTSS, overall student performance, and professional development programs in one place.
- Full and clear visibility to the whole child: With a comprehensive view of social emotional well-being and mental health data, combined with student performance, academic outcomes, demographic data, and attendance, educators will be able to better support their students’ overall achievement, and preparation for life after high school.
- Save teachers’ time with integration between behavior management and their PowerSchool solutions: Single-sign-on (SSO) from PowerSchool Unified Classroom™ Schoology Learning makes it easier for educators to influence and track their interactions with students. Data integration with PowerSchool SIS and PowerSchool Unified Classroom™ Performance Matters ensures data quality and removes the need for manual data imports and exports.
PowerSchool and Kickboard will continue to operate separately until an official close has been announced.
Source: Businesswire
