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Schoology is a cloud-based Learning Management System designed for K-12 schools and universities. It was first released in 2009 and is now part of PowerSchool.

Schoology helps teachers organize lessons, share resources, assign work, and communicate with students and families all in one place. It’s commonly used in schools that want a platform to support blended learning, digital assignments, and progress tracking.

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Teachers can create and organize materials inside courses using:

• folders and modules
• assignments and quizzes
• discussion boards
• videos and documents

Schoology also has a Public Resources library, where teachers can search for and share lessons created by other educators. This allows teachers across schools or districts to collaborate and reuse materials.

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K-12 Content Management ROI Funding Calculator

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Calculate the time your district spends each year finding, creating, and sharing approved instructional content and see how much you can save with PowerSchool ContentNav.

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One of Schoology's strengths is communication.

Teachers can use the platform to:

• send messages to students
• post announcements
• share class updates
• provide feedback on assignments

Parents can create accounts to monitor student work, view grades, and receive notifications about assignments and classroom activity.

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Regular communication between teachers and families, including parents and guardians, is vital to a student's success. That communication leads to ongoing engagement, and research shows that when parents are involved, students earn higher grades and test scores, are more successful in graduating from high school, and go on to post-secondary education . Plus, when schools nurture family connections and build strong school-family relationships, student absenteeism

What is Teacher & Parent Communication?

Teacher and parent communication is ongoing, two-way engagement. In an effective relationship, teachers, parents, guardians, and family members exchange information and updates to support the student's education and well-being. Parent-teacher communication fosters a collaborative partnership that enhances the student's learning experience and overall development.

Teachers tell parents and guardians what's happening in class, like assignments, grades, assessment results, behavior, and social and emotional learning information. Teachers also share students' strengths, from their perspective, where they may need some help, and overall information relating to the entire class and school.

Parents share how their student is doing at home, any concerns they may have, and ask questions about their student and how they can help the student succeed.

2023 Education Focus Report

Learn what educators and families are saying about communication today

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Why Is It Important for Teachers and Parents to Communicate?

When teachers and parents effectively communicate with each other, they can collaborate and share ideas from different perspectives in the best interest of the student's development and success. Collaboration and partnership combine classroom insights with home observations and provide a holistic view of the whole child , opening up possibilities for personalized education , tailored support, and early interventions.

Parent-teacher communication instigates parent engagement in their student's education and quality of life. Research shows that students succeed when families are involved in the education process.

Benefits of Teacher and Parent Communication

Great things happen when families engage in their student's education. Research shows that when parents are involved, students have higher success in graduating from high school and attending post-secondary education . Plus, when schools nurture family connections and build strong school-family relationships, you can reduce absenteeism by 40%.

Student Benefits

When teachers collaborate with families (including parents and guardians), students benefit with improved academic performance and development. Teachers and parents working together help identify and address educational challenges, learning difficulties, and behavioral issues early on, leading to better student outcomes. A strong connection between school and home can also identify areas of student success and mastery, informing personalized education efforts to help advance the student to meet new challenges.

Parent, Guardian, and Caregiver Benefits

When parents actively engage in their students' education, students perform better academically, have higher self-esteem, and develop a more positive attitude toward school. In a supportive and caring home environment with engaged parents, students are "less likely to become involved in substance abuse, violence, and other problem behaviors," according to an American Psychological Association article .

Parents also benefit from being partners in and contributors to their student's education. In the shared responsibility of educating the student, parents are informed about what their student is learning and experiencing in school. The partnership between parents and schools fosters trust between these contributors, and parents often gain more confidence in the school's ability to provide a quality education.

Educator Benefits

By communicating regularly with parents and guardians, teachers gain better insight into the whole child, including the student's behavior, home life factors, and support system. This additional perspective provides a more comprehensive understanding of the student, leading to more effective teaching.

7 Ways Teachers Can Improve Communications with Parents

Effective communication between teachers and parents is crucial for a student's success and well-being. Here are seven ways teachers can improve their communication with parents:

1. Regular Updates:

Staying in touch regularly is critical to keeping parents informed and engaged. Updates can include classroom activities, assignments, events, and student performance-through applications, online parent portals, text, emails, chat functionality, or newsletters.

2. Open House and Parent-Teacher Conferences:

Open houses and parent-teacher conferences allow parents and guardians to meet their student's teachers and discuss progress, challenges, or growth opportunities . This enables face-to-face interaction and two-way communication.

3. Two-Way Communication:

Teachers should facilitate opportunities and e ncourage parents to share their insights and concerns. Create a welcoming environment where parents feel comfortable discussing their child's academic and behavioral progress.

T echnology is an efficient, effective way to enhance communication and promote continuing engagement. Online platforms, mobile apps, or websites can be used to share updates, assignments, and resources with parents.

Share positive feedback about a student's accomplishments, behavior, or improvements. This fosters a positive relationship and reinforces the idea that teacher-parent collaboration is focused on the child's growth.

Each student is unique , and teachers should tailor communication to address each student's needs and strengths. Personalized communication shows that you value each child's development.

Teachers should ensure communication is clear, easy to understand , and translated into a family's first language when possible. C ommunication methods should be accessible to all parents, including those with disabilities.

What to Consider when Selecting a Classroom Communications Platform

Effective communication between schools, educators, and parents is essential to a child's academic success. The challenge is that there's no shortage of classroom communications solutions available these days, and it can be difficult for schools to choose the right platform that meets their needs.

By understanding the following factors, schools can choose a platform that meets their unique needs and fosters a collaborative environment for students, parents, and educators.

Getting Parents Involved

Parents play a critical role in their child's education, and by keeping them informed and engaged, schools can create a supportive environment that promotes academic success. Increased parent engagement can be achieved through regular updates, accessible communication channels, and easy-to-use tools that allow parents to stay connected and informed about their child's academic progress.

By prioritizing parent engagement, schools can foster a sense of collaboration and partnership that benefits students, parents, and educators and breaks down the barriers to effective communications.

Protecting Data

As the use of education technology accelerates, it's essential to ensure that student data is kept secure and confidential . With many apps for educators to choose from, it can be difficult to understand the risks of using those platforms. By collecting data they shouldn't for these singular platforms, educators could be putting themselves, their school, their district, and parents at risk.

K-12 district leadership has a duty to ensure personally identifiable information (PII) is protected. Schools must choose a platform with strict security protocols to safeguard student, parent, and staff data, including data encryption and regular third-party security audits.

Ultimately, it is best to limit the number of vendors that have access to this type of data and work with platform providers you can trust. By prioritizing data security , schools can create a safer and more secure environment for students and parents, and foster trust and confidence in the platform.

Ensuring Consistency

With a multitude of apps and platforms available, it can be challenging for parents to keep track of everything. A streamlined and user-friendly platform can make it easy for parents to stay connected with their child's education.

By ensuring a consistent experience across all devices and platforms, parents can feel more confident and comfortable using the app and staying engaged with their child's education.

The Right Platform for Specific Needs

In today's digital age, many classroom communication tools are available to facilitate the typical types of classroom communication. Whether schools want to send parents updates on student progress, share photos of classroom activities, or send invitations to join after-school groups, there are plenty of mobile apps, websites, and other services that claim to help with that.

Finding the right classroom communications platform-not just any platform, and not an assortment of random solutions - should be the top goal. Schools can choose a platform that meets their unique needs by considering factors such as parent engagement, data security, and consistency in communication apps. And when the right classroom communications platform is in place, schools can create a learning environment where all students can reach their full potential.

6 Things to Look for in Teacher-Parent Communication Software

When selecting communication and notification software to facilitate interactions between teachers and parents, it's important to consider features that enhance transparency, efficiency, and engagement.

PowerSchool SchoolMessenger is a trusted platform for delivering student support with increased parent and community engagement. SchoolMessenger combines mass communication, emergency messaging, school-specific notifications, digital forms, and attendance management within one easy-to-use platform. This communication system increases student support while saving time and providing more immediate, thorough engagement throughout a school community.

Here are six benefits of SchoolMessenger's teacher and parent communication software:

1) Improve Family Engagement and Convenience:

The platform enables schools and teachers to reach every parent or guardian across voice, text, email, and social media messaging. SchoolMessenger also provides automatic translations for over 100 languages to help break down communication barriers, providing a convenient way for every family, regardless of language, to stay actively engaged.

SchoolMessenger provides schools and districts with trusted mass communication and emergency messaging capabilities. This best-in class tool for parent, community, and classroom engagement and communication capabilities is ready for any crisis schools face.

Software can help e ase the burden on staff by eliminating manual tasks like listening to absence voicemails, combing through various attendance notes and parent emails, or manually calling parents to determine if their child is legitimately absent.

3) Improve Student Outcomes:

SchoolMessenger lets educators send timely and consistent school notifications about upcoming events, assignments, or even issues like school closures, that keep them informed and engaged in their student's education.

4) Enhance Student Safety:

Educators can z ero in on valid unexcused absences and ensure families and schools have immediate awareness of discrepancies in student attendance to allow for prompt action .

5) Increase Security and Compliance:

Digital safety is enhanced with a secure system that works to protect students' and staff's personal information and is compliant with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

6) Provide Classroom Messaging:

SchoolMessenger Chat is a two-way messaging solution to improve parent communication and student success. This feature lets teachers and administrators reach every parent and achieve communications equity , i mprove teacher-parent relationships so parents are engaged and involved , and e nhance performance by helping parents stay connected to their student's education .

10 Questions to Ask Notification Providers

See how PowerSchool can provide tools that promote family engagement when teachers communicate with parents and caregivers.

Get the Guide

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Teacher and Parent Communication: A Guide for Success

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The ultimate guide to understanding teacher-parent communications, why it's important, and how to improve it to help students succeed.

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Canvas is a web‑based learning management system developed by Instructure, an educational technology company founded in 2008 by two graduate students of Brigham Young University, Brian Whitmer and Devlin Daley. Canvas officially launched in 2011 and quickly expanded, reaching over 9 million users by 2013 and adoption in approximately 4,000 institutions worldwide by 2020.

Canvas is available via the web and mobile devices and is used extensively in PK–12 and higher education settings, providing tools for instruction, communication, collaboration, assessment, and course management.

What is Canvas?

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Canvas supports extensive content‑sharing pathways that allow teachers to collaborate locally or across institutions. According to Instructure’s official documentation, instructors can share or distribute content using:

Direct Share (“Send To…” for pages, assignments, discussions, quizzes).

Copy To (copying content straight into another course).

Import/Export Course Content (export entire courses or select components).

Canvas Commons, a repository where teachers can publish, discover, and import shared materials across schools worldwide.

Blueprint Courses for district‑level control, allowing curriculum leads to push template updates into associated courses.

How the sharing process works

For teachers:

1. Create an assignment/page/module/quiz.

2. Use Send To to share with another instructor OR publish to Canvas Commons.

3. Receiving users import the shared content into their course shell.

For districts:

Curriculum leaders create a Blueprint Course and lock or sync key elements (modules, pages, objectives) to maintain instructional consistency across schools.

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Canvas includes multiple built‑in communication features for families. According to Instructure’s K–12 family engagement resources:

Canvas Inbox enables messaging between teachers, students, and guardians without requiring email addresses.

Observer Accounts give parents access to view grades, assignments, feedback, and updates.

Message Students Who + Observers allows teachers to message groups of students/guardians (e.g., missing work).

Account & Course Calendars auto‑sync, letting parents view due dates and events.

Appointment Groups allow teachers to schedule conferences with parents.

Parent portals also support monitoring of progress, viewing assignment details, and receiving notifications.

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Assessment features in Canvas:

Assignments & Speed Grader for submission review and feedback (rubrics, annotations).

Quizzes/Quizzes.Next engine for formative and summative assessments.

MasteryConnect integration for standards‑aligned assessment tracking.

External tools and integrations

Canvas supports hundreds of Learning Tool Integrations, including major edtech platforms. According to Poll Everywhere’s education blog some Canvas‑compatible tools are:

Poll Everywhere: integrates interactive word clouds, surveys, clickable images, and formative response tools.

Octopus: improve communication with parents and share feedback on students engagement. The integration is for K-12 classrooms and higher education learners.

11trees: integrates feedback analytics to support teacher‑student communication.

Canvas also integrates widely with:

Microsoft 365 & Google Workspace for collaborative documents, though institutions often prefer Microsoft integration for stability.

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Pros of using Canvas

1. User-Friendly Interface - user can easy navigate the platform, regardless of technology proficiency.

2. Robust Integration Capabilities - Canvas integrate with a range of educational tools and apps.

3. Comprehensive Communication Tools - Canvas offers a variety of communication. Types of communications in Canvas are: announcements and notifications, discussion forums and direct messaging.

4. Reliable Customer Support - Canvas have the availability of diverse customer support channels like comprehensive online resources, responsive support team and community forums.

5. Regular Updates and Improvements - Canvas have a proactive approach to updates and improvements based on user feedback and technological advancements.

6. Mobile Accessibility - Canvas app offer unparalleled flexibility and convenience to users. The app offer a on-the-Go Learning, it is user-friendly mobile interface and can get notifications and alerts.

7. Customization and Personalization - Cavas allows instructors to tailor the learning environment to their teaching style and the specific needs of their students.

8. Advanced Assessment Features - This feature helps to track and evaluate student performance. These tools provide educators with a comprehensive understanding of student progress and learning outcomes.

9. Cloud-Based Accessibility - Cavas offering high availability and secure data management. This feature ensures that users can access the platform and their data anywhere without worrying about data loss or system downtime.

10. Scalability - Canvas can weather used for a miniature private course or a large university. Efficiently, Cavas can handle varying scales of educational programs.

Cons using Canvas

1. Hard to Learn Advanced Features - Canvas has many tools, but the advanced ones are hard to find and use. Teachers and students may need a lot of time and training to learn how to use everything properly.

2. Too Complicated for Some Users - There are many menus and settings. This can confuse users who want something simple and easy to use.

3. Works Better in Some Browsers Than Others - Canvas does not work the same in all internet browsers. Some features may have problems in Safari but work fine in Chrome, which can frustrate users.

4. Limited Customization in Basic Plans - The basic version of Canvas does not allow much customization. Schools often need to pay more money to add special tools or change how Canvas looks and works.

5. Technical Problems and Bugs - Canvas sometimes has glitches, especially after updates or during busy times like exams. These problems can stop students from accessing lessons or turning in work.

6. Can Be Overwhelming for New Users - New teachers or students may feel overwhelmed because Canvas has so many features. Without training, they may not use the system correctly or fully.

7. Needs Internet to Work Well - Canvas does not work well without internet access. Students in rural areas or places with poor internet may struggle to keep up with their schoolwork.

8. Depends on Other Apps and Tools - Canvas often relies on third‑party tools for things like plagiarism checks or interactive lessons. These tools may cost extra or stop working correctly.

9. Mobile App Is Not as Good as Desktop - The Canvas mobile app does not have all the features of the desktop version. Some students may miss information or struggle to participate if they only use their phones.

10. Data Privacy Concerns - Because Canvas stores student information online, some parents and schools worry about data security and privacy. Data breaches are a possible risk.

Reference: Top 10 Pros And Cons Of Canvas From Instructure

By Daniel Raymond / February 10, 2026

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Schoology includes built-in assessment tools that allow teachers to:

• create quizzes and tests
• assign work with rubrics
• automatically grade certain questions
• track student progress and performance

Schoology can also integrate with other educational tools such as Google Drive, Microsoft tools, and external learning apps. These tools help teachers monitor learning and provide feedback directly inside the platform.

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Some advantages of Schoology include:

• strong communication tools for students and families
• easy sharing of instructional resources
• built-in assessments and grading tools
• supports online, hybrid, and traditional classrooms

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Some challenges schools may experience include:

• teachers may need training during implementation
• some features depend on district setup
• the platform can feel overwhelming for first-time users

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Schoology is a strong LMS option for K-12 schools because it brings several important tools together in one place. The platform makes it easier for teachers to communicate with students and families, share instructional resources, manage assignments, and track student progress. With built-in assessment and grading tools, teachers can provide feedback and monitor learning without needing multiple systems. Because Schoology supports online, hybrid, and traditional classroom environments, it can adapt to different instructional models and school needs. For districts looking for a centralized platform that supports teaching, communication, and assessment, Schoology would be a practical and effective choice.

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If a district wanted to adopt Schoology, the process might include:

1. Conducting a needs assessment with teachers and administrators

2. Piloting the platform with a small group of classrooms

3. Providing professional development for staff

4. Training students and families on how to use the platform

5. Evaluating the results before full implementation

While training and setup take time, the long-term benefit is a centralized platform for teaching, learning, and communication.

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1. PowerSchool. (2024). Schoology learning management system.
https://www.powerschool.com/solutions/schoology-learning/

2. eLearning Industry. (2024). Learning management systems: A buyer’s guide.
https://elearningindustry.com/directory/software-categories/learning-management-systems

3. Research.com. (2024). Best LMS for schools: Top learning management systems.
https://research.com/education/best-lms-for-schools

4. Davis, F. (2023). Learning management systems in K-12 education: Benefits and implementation. Educational Technology Journal.

5. Watson, W. R., & Watson, S. L. (2007). An argument for clarity: What are learning management systems, what are they not, and what should they become? TechTrends, 51(2), 28–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-007-0023-y

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Schoology Learning, part of PowerSchool’s Personalized Learning Cloud, offers an innovative learning management system that enhances personalized education through collaborative tools and course management.

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Introduction

StudySync is not only designed for ELA students 6-12, but it’s a platform that helps students of all ages meet the standards for all subjects taught within the US Common Core curriculum. It was developed by McGraw Hill to enable students to focus on all strands of each subject while catering to student individual needs through differentiation.

Development

It was created by Bookhead Ed Learning LLC (Robert Romano in 2008) before its partnership with McGraw Hill in 2014 and Weld North Education in 2021.

Timeline

It started in 2008, as it’s still being used today.

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The learned content that is being curated and created on the website is shared between the parents, students, management and teachers, but not between schools. In regards to the process everything is easily displayed and selected on the website that has AI prompts, which allow the teachers to create a curriculum that’s tailor made for each student.

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It is not the best platform for parent and teacher communication but there’s room for feedback which is provided by both the teachers and parents in regards to student behaviour and academic performance according to the Common Core standards. The platform does allow face to face, 1:1 online video conferencing (they’re still improving it). Finally, there’s also room for feedback after each recorded webinar and class.

https://www.studysync.com/blog/five-strategies-for-parent-and-guardian-outreach

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StudySync gives you the ability to make your own customized tests for the students. There are benchmark assessments, peer reviews, reports (not report cards yet), standardized tests such as SAT, formative and summative assessments. The students, teachers and the parents have the ability to get feedback on how each assessment went, which is integral for gaining success and improving. What can be connected to StudySync is PowerSchool, which will allow the teachers to grade attendance and create Report Cards.

https://www.mheducation.com.co/studysync-latam#:~:text=Classrooms%20have%20a%20mix%20of,closed%20captioning%2C%20and%20vocabulary%20support

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The pros are that it does take a lot of the guess work out due to its AI prompts. It also is extremely familiar with all of the standards aligned with the Common Core curriculum for each subject. Therefore, it makes it easier for teachers to stay on task in regards to each aligned standard. The Cons are that it’s not easy to track student attendance and do report cards. However, despite that I would still recommend this website because it is the only tool that has almost consolidated everything into 1 platform.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGHI7Q8ILVM

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The process would be extremely easy to install within the current school because it was already discussed within the huge meeting that transpired a few weeks ago. At this point, the school is waiting for the recorded session of the professional development crash course in regards to how to use StudySync and the staff is waiting for upper management to make things official where teachers, students and parents can start using it full-time. There are no challenges and it is advantageous for the school to use in terms of time, effort and investment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRgUjHgwMZ4

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1)    An Introduction To Studysync. https://www.mheducation.com/unitas/school/explore/sites/studysync/studysync-ms-overview-brochure.pdf#:~:text=Catlin%20Tucker%2C%20author%20of%20Balance%20of%20Blended,English%20Language%20Arts%20instruction%20at%20its%20core

2)    Owens, A. (2020, August 1). 5 Strategies For Parent And Guardian Outreach. https://www.studysync.com/blog/five-strategies-for-parent-and-guardian-outreach

3)    (2024). Bring Literature To Life For Every Learner. StudySync Global LATAM. https://www.mheducation.com.co/studysync-latam#:~:text=Classrooms%20have%20a%20mix%20of,closed%20captioning%2C%20and%20vocabulary%20support

4)    Catlin Tucker (2021). StudySync: Use the Building Background Activity to Create a Collaborative Online Research Assignment [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRgUjHgwMZ4

5)    MsGarcia’sLessonPlans (2023). StudySync Overview [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGHI7Q8ILVM

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I recommend Canvas LMS for district‑wide schools and higher education. This platform works best in systems that are ready to invest time in professional training and have strong, reliable internet access.

Canvas is a good choice because it is easy to use once users are trained, and it offers many helpful features. It allows flexible integrations with other learning tools, which helps teachers create better lessons. Canvas also supports scalable administrative tools, making it easier for districts and colleges to manage many schools and courses. The platform is mobile‑friendly, so students and teachers can access learning materials from different devices. In addition, Canvas provides strong parent communication features, helping families stay informed about student progress.

Overall, while Canvas requires time, training, and good internet access, its benefits make it a strong and effective LMS for large school districts and higher education institutions.

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Canvas LMS is a strong platform that works well for district‑wide schools and higher education. It offers good usability, flexible integrations, mobile access, scalable administrative tools, and strong parent communication features. However, Canvas requires time for teacher training, strong internet access, and a financial investment.

In our school’s case, switching to Canvas would be challenging. Schoology is already working well, and it is fully integrated with PowerSchool, which we currently use. Changing to a new LMS would require approval from school administration and corporate leadership, along with retraining staff and moving content.

Canvas is a good LMS, switching from Schoology would not be worth the time, effort, or cost since our current system is effective and already meets our needs.

If proposing any new LMS (such as Canvas) to replace Schoology, the process would be:

1. Present the LMS proposal to administration, including pros, cons, and a clear implementation timeline.

2. Submit the proposal to corporate leadership for final approval (required for charter schools).

3. If approved, provide IT training first to deploy the new LMS and migrate data from the old system.

4. Train administration, then teachers.

5. Provide parent training at the beginning and middle of the school year.

6. Create student lessons or training on how to use the new LMS.

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1. Instructure. (2025). Canvas LMS overview.
https://www.instructure.com/canvas

2. Instructure. (2025). Why Canvas for K–12 education.
https://www.instructure.com/k-12

3. Instructure. (2025). Canvas features and integrations.
https://www.instructure.com/canvas/features

4. Instructure. (2025). Family engagement and parent communication in Canvas.
https://www.instructure.com/resources/blog/three-pillars-family-engagement-k-12-strategies-canvas-lms

5. Research.com. (2026). Canvas LMS review: Features, pros, and cons.
https://research.com/software/reviews/canvas-lms-review

6. 8 EdTech Tools that Work with Canvas LMS to Improve Learning Outcomes. https://blog.polleverywhere.com/edtech-tools-canvas-lms

7. History of Canvas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructure

8. Top 10 Pros And Cons Of Canvas From Instructure https://projectmanagers.net/top-10-pros-and-cons-of-canvas-from-instructure/

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Brightspace is a modular LMS platform developed by D2L, an educational technology company founded in 1999.

It was designed for use in K-12, Higher Education, Business, and Trainiing, so it has a lot of features that are highly configurable but may go beyond the needs of a public school district.

While they boast a user base of over 18 million learners worldwide, it's not clear what percentage of that user base is K-12 and to what extent those learners are actively engaged.

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Brightspace offers a variety of ways course content can be created and managed.

Their system has a permissions and access model that is configurable as well as APIs for integration with external content librarier (such as Google Drive, SharePoint, etc.)

A course can be created from scratch, created from a template, re-used from a previous instance, shared from a library, or copied from a library.

One of the powerful features of Brightspace is that an individual instructor can customize and curate a course offering from a master without editing the master itself, enabling some level of teacher autonomy within a structured curriculum.

Another feature is Brightspace's LOR integration. An LOR, or "Learning Object Repository," allows functional content like assessments and presentations to be stored in their native format with their metadata and shared with other institutions.

So, for example, you could use an LOR to give your AP students an exam from Harvard or Stanford or any other school that also uses an LOR and maskes their content shareable.

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Brightspace offers the expected communication tools with students, including announcements and messages.

With the "Parent & Guardian" module added on, parents can also be invited to see and (if permitted) comment on messages within their student' course.

There is also a robust discussion forum integration where participation and engagement can be tracked at a class or student level. You can see in the image how each student's progress includes a snapshot of completion, a sparkline of grades in individual assignments, and a summary of discussion participation.

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Brightspace does everything you would expect an LMS to do here, and it has some additional features that are noteworthy.

Badges and Leaderboards

Learning content can be connected to badges and leaderboards to encourage completion, drive engagement, and allow students to pursue mastery at their own pace.

Conditional Learning Pathways

Individual learners can have their learning content delivered based upon various conditions, such as completion of a specific skill or performance on an assignment, to help automate differentiation in real time and without manual intervention.

Mastery View Integration

Learnning content can be coupled with skills or standards and tracked at the student level, enabling individual interventions or class-level changes to lesson planning.

Holistic Progress Tracking

As mentioned above, progress tracking can include completion, engagement, and performance metrics in a single view with rollovers for drill-down without requiring an additional click.

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"With great power comes great responsibility."  (Raimi, 2002)

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Brightspace is a highly configurable, powerful, and scalable LMS option that is ideal for forwaqrd-thinking school districts with solid technology, training, and curriculum support.

Pros:

LOR integration and opportunities to partner with Higher Education institutions (educational and trade)

Conditional learning pathways to enable more self-paved learning and real-time differentiation

Mastery view enforces a standards-focused approach to course content and assessment

However, for school districts where technology implementation is low and support is scarce, the configurability would become an onerous chore and many of the innovative features would likely go unused.

Cons:

Modular product suite means many desirbale features would incur additional cost

Low user base means that expertise may be difficult to find and retain at the instructor, administrator, and support/training level

Interface design presumes high bandwidth and high uptime, which is not the reality for underfunded districts

Recomendation:

For my school, I think it would be necessary to invest in a training and support infrastructure, seek a grant, or look for a coporate or university partner to help defray cost and manage onboarding. Given that our district is 95% African-American, good candidates could include the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the United Negro College Fund.

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The foundation of successful implementation would be training. Brightspace has a robust library of tutorials and conducts webinars on key topics, which would allow new and expert users to find the information they need when they need it.

Once a decision was made to pilot or implement Brightspace, our county Intermediate Unit and local District reources would conduct the technology and infrastructure audits and come up with plans for system integration, content migration, and training.

In order to make all of this feasible, I would schedule an in-depth demo and technical Q&A to assess which modules we would implement on what timeline and what systems we might be able to replace or downsize.

The reality is that our building doesn't have A/C, the heat went out this winter, and last year we were held hostage by a hostile state assembly that withhelp our Title I funds until almost November, so all of this sounds a bit like a dream. But without dreams, how do we know how high to fly?

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Pappas, C. (2020, September 16). The Best Learning Management Systems (2020 Update). ELearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/the-best-learning-management-systems-top-list

TalentLMS. (2018). What is an LMS? Definition & use cases of business LMS software. TalentLMS. https://www.talentlms.com/what-is-an-lms

Raimi, S. (Director). (2002). Spider-Man [Film]. Columbia Pictures; Marvel Enterprises.

Learning Object Repository (LOR) (2026). Atomicjolt.com. https://www.atomicjolt.com/glossary/what-is-learning-object-repository-lor

Brightspace. (2026). Gartner.com. https://www.gartner.com/reviews/product/brightspace

Brightspace. (n.d.). D2L. https://www.d2l.com/brightspace/

‌Supporting K-12 Students by Modernizing Teacher Professional Development. (2024, September 20). D2L. https://www.d2l.com/why-d2l/customers/surrey-school-district/

‌Abdulla, R. (2020, October 16). How to maintain communication with your students using Brightspace. D2L. https://www.d2l.com/blog/how-to-maintain-communication-with-your-students-using-brightspace/

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Developers: Founded by Nick Hernandez, Guillaume Alary, and Sebastien Mignot in 2013.

Overview: 360Learning is uniquely positioned as a "Collaborative Learning" platform. While wildly popular in corporate sectors, progressive K-12 networks adopt it strictly for massive, peer-driven staff training.

The SpEd Lens: Special Education is often highly siloed. 360Learning offers an opportunity to break down these walls by allowing veteran SpEd teachers to instantly deploy critical training modules to general education staff and paraprofessionals.

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Developers: Founded by Nick Hernandez, Guillaume Alary, and Sebastien Mignot in 2013.

Overview: 360Learning is uniquely positioned as a "Collaborative Learning" platform. While wildly popular in corporate sectors, progressive K-12 networks adopt it strictly for massive, peer-driven staff training.

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Special Education (SpEd) Alignment

Para Turnover

SpEd relies heavily on paraprofessionals. This mobile-first platform allows them to take quick, on-the-go modules on "De-escalation Techniques" or "Implementing Token Boards" right from their phones.

IEP Compliance

District SpEd coordinators can push mandatory, highly-trackable compliance courses on writing legally defensible IEPs, ensuring the entire district avoids costly due-process litigations.

Supports Universal Design for Learning (UDL). The platform must ensure all user-generated content strictly adheres to WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards to support educators with disabilities.

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Content Creation

It utilizes a bottom-up, decentralized approach where anyone can act as a Subject-Matter Expert (SME).

SpEd Application: An occupational therapist can record a 3-minute video on proper pencil-grip interventions using the AI-powered authoring tool. They can embed an interactive ThingLink and share it district-wide in under 15 minutes.

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Assessment & Analytics

Video Pitch Assessments

Features a unique assessment where learners record themselves via mobile. For SpEd training, a teacher could record themselves modeling a specific behavioral intervention, which is then formally peer-reviewed by the district behavior specialist.

HRIS Compliance Tracking

Connects directly to district HRIS systems via API. SpEd directors can pull automated, real-time reports proving that 100% of staff have successfully passed their annual "Child Find" and "FERPA" knowledge checks.

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Parent/Teacher Communication

A Critical Gap for K-12 Adoption:

360Learning does not offer native Parent portals. There is no FERPA/HIPAA compliant way to share IEP progress reports, therapy schedules, or direct messages with families through this LMS.

Schools must rely entirely on dedicated SpEd software (like Frontline IEP) or standard Student Information Systems (like PowerSchool) to bridge this critical communication gap with families.

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Final Recommendation

Verdict & Strategy

Verdict: I do not recommend 360Learning as a student-facing LMS. However, I highly recommend it as a dedicated Educator PD & SpEd Compliance Engine.

Adoption Pitch: Target District HR and the Director of Special Education. Emphasize that it drastically reduces litigation risk by ensuring every staff member is demonstrably trained on IEP/504 protocols via engaging, peer-driven content rather than traditional, easily forgotten annual seminars.

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References

360Learning. (2026). AI-Powered LMS & collaborative learning platform. https://360learning.com/

360Learning. (n.d.). How IDEA Public Schools empowers 12k staff with expert-driven learning. https://360learning.com/customers/ideapublicschools/

CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

CheckThat.ai. (2025). 360Learning: Details, reviews, pricing, & features. https://checkthat.ai/brands/360learning