Dan Carroll

🎙 New podcast episode alert. 💥 I'm happy to share the newest episode of the Going the Distance Podcast. In this episode, I hosted a very special guest, Andrew Drinkwater, MBA, Co-Founder & President at Plaid Analytics. 👉 Want to learn more about Plaid Analytics and how they help Higher Ed institutions with their data and institutional planning? 👉 Thinking of taking the leap and starting your own business? 👉 Looking for some pointers on how to break into Higher Education consulting? Then this episode is for you. Link to my podcast homepage is in my bio. You can also find all of the episodes on major streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts. #podcast #highereducation #raveneye

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Fostering democracy? Not exactly the mission I had in mind getting into higher ed tech. But when I joined The Chronicle of Higher Education's webinar on First-Year Student Success last week, I was amazed to see so many attendees asking about strategies for getting out the vote this fall with first-year students. Since November is less than 5 months away, here are 5 ideas that anyone can use to get out the vote with Mongoose's Cadence (or whichever messaging tool you have): 1. 🎂 DOB < 11/6/06 (Now) - Remind them they can vote this year with a link to details, whether or not they're enrolled with you yet! 2. Absentee Info Poll❓(Sep) - Find students to follow up with information on requesting absentee ballots from home with a quick "Yes/No" Smart Message 3. ^Send the Nos an ⚡️auto-reply with more details on getting registered to vote/voting locally! 4. 🏅Challenge Stats (Nov) - Send out a blast text the morning of Election Day to let everyone where to go to get their "I voted" pin to help set a new campus record. 5. It's Not Too Late! (Nov) - ⏰ Schedule a text to go out on election day in the late afternoon reminding them that polls are still open! 6. BONUS - Stuck on the message? 🪄Ask your AI Assistant to add some ✨ splash to make it stick out to your students. Let’s help our first-year (and all-year) students make their voices heard, and participate in this Great American Experiment! 👇Add your ideas in the comments below!!👇 #HigherEd #StudentSuccess #VoterRegistration #FirstYearExperience #EdTech #MongooseCadence #MakeEveryMessageCount

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My district cancelled a subscription with a well known edtech company this week. Why? ❌ Not cost ❌ Not a lack of training and support ❌ Not even underutilization ✅ The product only integrates with one rostering and SSO provider, and it isn't the one we use. Our teachers expect a seamless digital ecosystem, and they shouldn't have to roster things themselves. The teachers were the ones who gave the ok to cancel the subscription! Having two systems for the same process is confusing for teachers, students, and families, not to mention taking on the risk of having all of that student data stored with two separate providers of the same service. Interoperability and data standards matter in purchasing decisions!

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💰 About $7.5 billion of ARPA education funds have been invested in providing tutoring services—evidence of the prominent role it has played in addressing pandemic learning loss. 🏫 Many schools have turned to third-party vendors to provide these services. Ignite is one such provider showing impressive results in building literacy. 🎙️ I spoke with Ignite’s co-founder and CEO, Jessica Sliwerski, about their work, and she shared the five elements of their model that have driven their results. 1. Training and performance accountability for tutors that is rigorous and ongoing 2. Differentiated instruction fit to the personal needs of students 3. One-on-one instruction that enables ample “at-bats” for students 4. Human relationships that foster student engagement and joy 5. Staff dedicated to partnering with schools and integrating tutoring with in-school learning 📘 Ignite focuses on reading instruction and the “science of reading,” but these struck me as applicable across subjects. 👉 You can find the full episode with more insights on tutoring here - And let us know what you have learned about how to get the most from tutoring.

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10 years ago I wrote a white paper about how school districts aren’t effectively leveraging data. And they're still not. Despite years of ideating about which processes create positive, replicable impacts for students, many schools are still struggling to connect the dots between data and real student outcomes. For teachers and parents alike, it’s frustrating to see that most school districts can’t confidently say how their investments in programs or processes are directly benefiting students. And this failure isn’t because of teachers. Not every educator needs to be a data expert; their job is to teach, not sift through spreadsheets. Instead, district leaders and administrators need to ask the right questions: What do we need to know to improve outcomes? How can we focus our data collection on the things that truly matter? We need to stop expecting teachers to make sense of disconnected data… And start providing them with actionable insights that lead to better student outcomes.

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“Don’t make assumptions about what people will do. Just try it.” Lowell W.’s advice on using AI at the 2nd online meet up of EdTech Fellowship. Nine of us gathered to compare notes on practical ways that AI is being used to power EdTech products. Lowell provided some rich stimulus for conversation by sharing how Apolitical are experimenting to help extend and localise their training for civil servants. I found the range of examples and insights that folks have gained from their experiments fascinating. They brought to life the potential for AI and the need for thoughtful implementation in EdTech. For example, whilst an AI tutor can play a role and can be an effective role play sparing partner you still need humans for proper accountability. Thanks to Lowell W., Carla Wyburn, Alex Walters, Kathryn Skelton, Christophe Walder, Alexandra Caccavo, Allen Sanchez, Aleyda Rocha, MSc and Marion Trigodet for a stimulating conversation. If you’re interested in joining our fledging community of learning change makers, you can find out more and join the waiting list by following the link in the comments.

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Thanks to TechCrunch and Rebecca Szkutak for hosting Campus founder and chancellor Tade Oyerinde for an episode of their Found podcast. Great conversation on the challenges and opportunities in higher education and how Campus is reimagining the college experience. Read the full article and check out the episode here, https://lnkd.in/ehCAij-M #HigherEducation #EdTech #Innovation #College #Podcast

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Tomorrow, I’ll be working with Superintendents and Principals at Region 6 ESC to explore the seismic impact AI is having on education. We’ve discussed, analyzed, and even reimagined education for years, yet even the pandemic couldn’t reshape our learning systems permanently. But AI is doing that—and whether we’re ready or not, it already has. Consider this: if 86% of students are using AI to complete homework, what’s the purpose of traditional homework now? Are your teachers equipped to design assignments that are “uncheatable”? Do your students truly understand the why behind their work, or are they simply going through the motions? The time for incremental change is over. The reality is: we have no choice but to adapt. If you’re ready to navigate this AI-driven shift and explore actionable solutions, let’s connect. Schedule an AI Solutions Briefing today: https://lnkd.in/ghaxYbBB #AIinEducation #EducationLeadership #FutureOfLearning #EdTech #SchoolLeaders #AI #EducationTransformation #Principals #Superintendents #Region6ESC #EdInnovation #HomeworkRevolution #UncheatableAssignments #LearningImpact #AIDrivenChange #EdTechSolutions #AIImpact #EducationalChange

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Here's why working with a recruiter who focuses on a very specific industry, in this case Early Childhood Education (ECE), is helpful: ✅ Hire Up Recruiting has a huge database of candidates that we've been building since 2021 that are ALL in the ECE industry. On top of that database, we've connected with thousands of ECE professionals via LinkedIn. This is all about building a strong network! ✅ When a new client comes online, we reach out to the candidates in their market to see if they're open to exploring a new ECE opportunity - we don't have to start our search at square one! ✅ We don't forget the unicorn candidates we've had conversations with and we do everything we can to find the right school for them. A perfect example happened just this week - we brought on a new client in Rockland, MA that is looking for a strong Director. Back in July 2024, I spoke with perhaps the BEST Director candidate I have ever spoken with and the school where he interviewed thought he was great, they just went with someone else who had a little more flexibility in their schedule. So, I reached out to him this morning about the opportunity in Rockland and he's extremely interested in interviewing. Again, I didn't have to start my search at square one. I have an incredible candidate and this might just be the perfect fit for him! The call took 5-minutes and I already have a strong submittal for the owners to consider. They have been online with us for exactly 2-days. ✅ ECE schools are all competing for the same qualified candidates and more schools are being built everyday. If you aren't able to react quickly to a candidate's interest in your position, you'll most likely lose them to the school down the street. If you're competing against Hire Up Recruiting, I can promise you that you can't react faster than we can, because this is ALL. WE. DO.

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As we approach elections next week, this article talks about how math understanding is a civil rights issue - 1. Marginalized students lack access to quality math experiences, which perpetuates a cycle of inequality. 2. Lack of understanding of math affects a society's ability to understand, critique, and use data in solving our most pressing challenges - from elections, to healthcare, to climate, to many others that affect daily life. Too many people fear and avoid math at all costs, and we as an American society are ok or indifferent with this notion. Do we know the actual cost for not having a math literate society? Thanks Luis Duany for sharing this article with me!

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What a timely playbook

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Thanks for compiling this comprehensive comparison. Sharing with my network. #educationpolicy #accountabilitysystems

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I think it’s safe to say that we’re one of the first ai edtech companies where k-12 students can earn rewards like gaming systems, sneakers and gift cards for learning new skills and attending school. We onboarded another 1,000 students this week to Knowlej 🤯🤯🤯 We’re the leading edtech company pioneering learn to earn in K-12 education. Leveraging ai as well as providing blockchain education!!!🚀🚀🚀

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Since the rise of AI, tons of folks in K-12 education have become fixated on the potential and promise of ed tech. It's not that surprising. Educator burnout is at an all-time high, and the needs of students are increasingly diverse, so it is only logical to assume that AI has a key role to play in improving the teaching profession and optimizing learning environments. Or at least I think we all want it to. But we should all be really skeptical about the magnitude and pace of impact. Most AI solutions you see today run into two big issues: 1. Student-facing AI solutions frequently lead to tech-heavy, siloed learning and rely on students with high motivation. This means these solutions can only be leveraged in small doses or fit better as supplemental tools rather than as a solution to improving core instruction. 2. Teacher-facing AI solutions are less useful than they appear. This means educators, who are already spread thin, don't actually have the time to internalize their use case and add it to their daily routines such that they are adding value. These issues don't apply to all solutions out there, but a deceptively high % of them. And K-12 education is REALLY good at buying products that hit a massive implementation gap, leading to wasted dollars and teacher time.

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🎙️ Reflecting on my March appearance on The AI Education Conversation podcast with Daniel A. López: In light of recent events like the LAUSD situation, my call for transparency in EdTech rings truer than ever. Key takeaway: District leadership and stakeholders must go beyond surface-level compliance. Scrutinize those terms of service and demand clear answers about data usage and potential consequences. Let's prioritize student privacy and make informed decisions in our AI-driven educational landscape.

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A detailed review of college closures by Higher Ed Dive. The current crisis has been a long time coming, but even now there are several steps schools can take to avoid adding to the pile... 1) Leverage AI to determine and execute best donor engagement 2) Dramatically invest in work-integrated learning opportunities, and brand, brand, brand for Admissions 3) Increase thought leadership on national media by pitching story producers 4) Downscale facility usage in favor of shared space and remote work 5) Proceduralize EVERYTHING and reduce, refine, and increase productivity 6) Create shared service compacts with colleges of similar culture

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Exciting to see an increase in micro-creds....let's talk about this, anyone see an increase in microcredentials at your institutions for Fall or 2025? Those in my network--give shouts out to what you are doing. I know many of you are expanding in this area. #microcredentials #highereducation #changeiscoming Students pursue microcredentials in the liberal arts (insidehighered.com)

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Investing in AI within a system constrained by Centrally Planned Education and its P-20 Job-Oriented Curriculum Pyramid is like pouring water into a leaky bucket—potential benefits are lost, and innovation is stifled. The AI principle of "garbage in, garbage out" underscores the limited value of data from such systems, which often lack relevance and adaptability for meaningful student growth. The solution lies in the First Principles of Education: shifting from traditional, top-down education rights to learning rights based on individualized learning, free will, and ownership. Imagine an AI system enabling authentic learning through relationships and valuing learning outcomes as assets. Students complete one authentic task and receive assessments aligned with U.S. state and global benchmarks—a concept practiced in 2017. This system delivers both localized and global perspectives. Would you consider partnering to drive this AI-powered school reform? Learn more at https://xchallenges.com/, especially on learning outcomes as valuable assets.

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