blackboard connect 5 for k12

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Easy Does It: Introducing Blackboard Connect 5

Mario JoySVP Client Care Blackboard Connect

Tim HensleyFloyd County Board of Education, GA

Diane Turner and Karen SaundersFederal Way Public Schools, WA

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What Have we Been up to?

20112009-2010

Integrated AlertNow and

txttools

Strengthenedmessaging architecture

Delivered 1B+ messages

Developed new features

• FB/Twitter

integration• HTML emails

• Email attachments

• Weather Alerts• Language

Translations

Set new record: 19M+ messages in a single day

Launched new applications

Connect for Teachers

Connect Integration Toolkit

for Learn

2009545M voice calls

153M emails4M SMS

2010639M voice calls

191M emails8M SMS

Connect 5.0

Connect 5.2

Connect 5.1

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What IS Connect 5?

• A significant upgrade for Connect and AlertNow clients

• A proven and flexible messaging infrastructure

• New online environments for organization leaders and the audiences they serve

• Dozens of enhancements designed to make communications more effective and parents, students and staff more responsive

Proven Capacity to Deliver

Same Connect Capacity and Flexibility

Connecting Leadership and Communities

• 4.4 million voice messages per hour• 3 million emails per hour• 2 million text messages per hour

Proven Capacity to Deliver

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Who Has Been Talking to Us…

“Maintaining contact info is a huge burden on our schools. A parent portal would be a HUGE benefit.”

“I want parents to have the ability to set a time to receive outreach messages and attendance calls.”

“I need my administrators to be able to manage complex access levels and sites.”

“I think a smartphone app would be a perfect addition to your program”

K-12 client in Arizona

K-12 client in Kentucky

K-12 client in Wyoming

K-12 client in Massachusetts

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InterfaceSimpler, more intuitive interface. Enhances ease-of-use and decreases training.

TemplatesStreamlined message workflow and pre-set scenario templates

Access PortalPortal to help you deliver a more customized user experience

Geo-mappingMessage targeting with enhanced geo-mapping and subscriptions

ReportingReal-time reports provide better visibility into message delivery

iPhone AppiPhone® app allows you to send messages from anywhere

What’s New in Connect 5?

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Let’s Take a Walk Through Connect 5

A Georgia Charter System

Improving Communication Through Mass Notification

Systems

Tim Hensley

Assistant to the Superintendent

Floyd County Schools

A Georgia Charter System

Overview

About Floyd County Schools

Communications Strategies

Accomplishments with Mass Notification

Anticipated Improvements with Connect 5

Questions

A Georgia Charter System

Our Mission “Floyd County Schools will

provide a quality education for

a quality life.”

A Georgia Charter System

About US

10,000 Students

1,800 Employees

11 Elementary Schools, 4 Middle, 4 High Schools

Located in Northwest Georgia

57% Free/Reduced Lunch

A Georgia Charter System

Communication Strategy

Our goal is to build a strong relationship bond between our school system and the many publics in the community by using proven, two-way communications strategies to inform them about the system and listen to the hopes and dreams they have for our schools, children and the community.

A Georgia Charter SystemHow we use Mass Notification

Used Mass Notification since 1991

Emergency Notification

General School Announcements

Attendance

Past Due Lunch Accounts

Surveys

Elections for middle and high schools

A Georgia Charter System

Connect 5 Enhancements

Best of both worlds (Connect Ed and AlertNow)

Again utilize system for past due lunch notices

Social Media connectivity

iPhone app

Ease of use

Easy transition of the Parent Portal

Increasing Parental Involvement to Improve Student Achievement

Diane Turner - Chief Communications Officer

Karen Saunders - Community Relations

District Information Located outside Seattle, WA

District Size = 37 Schools

Student Enrollment = 22,271

Staff = 2,693

54% Free and Reduced Lunch

Diverse Population

Hispanic-Latino

Korean

Ukrainian - Russian

Mission - Academic Achievement for ALL Students

What is Necessary for Student Success? Maintaining Good Grades

Parental Involvement

Parent/Guardian/Teacher Communication

Good Attendance

Reducing Language Barriers

What We Communicate

Accurate/timely information in native languages

Emergency, school closure and safety messages

Grade Threshold Calls - Students not meeting standards

Attendance and outreach messages

District information

Grade Threshold Program

G rades O nline C alls School

Parent/G uardian

B lackboard C onnect

Technology

G rade B ook

District Improvements

Increased efficiencies throughout district

Communication w/ non-English speaking families

Expanded ability to contact and engage parents

Improved student achievement – grade threshold

Federal Way and Connect 5

We’re excited for more!

Automatic translations

Will not have to create multiple messages

Parent Portal

Easier interface with one main window

Excited about the iPhone app.

Federal Way and Connect 5

Blackboard Connect 5 will…

Decrease number of calls from parents to remove #s

Record single multi-language messages in emergencies

Reduce the number of calls made

Give message options to parents (i.e. email, text

message, voice)

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Q&A

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Thank you for attending!

Contact Info for Federal WayDiane Turner – dturner@fwps.org Karen Saunders – ksaunder@fwps.org

Contact Info for Floyd BOETim Hensley - thensley@floyboe.net

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Please contact us to upgrade to Connect 5: (888) 599-2720

Not a part of the Bb Family? Join Today:(800) 424-9299