Latest news with #educationtechnology
Associated Press
a day ago
- Business
- Associated Press
PRIVACY ALERT: Kokomo Solutions, Inc. Under Investigation for Data Breach of Student Records
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP is investigating a data breach that led to unauthorized access of the sensitive information of Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) students that was in the possession of Illinois-based education technology company Kokomo Solutions, Inc. (aka Kokomo 24/7). On December 11, 2024, Kokomo Solutions, Inc. discovered that an unauthorized third party accessed files from its systems. These files included information provided to (1) the Los Angeles Anonymous School Reporting app Kokomo Solutions, Inc. developed for LAUSD, and (2) the telehealth program Kokomo Solutions, Inc. manages on behalf of LAUSD. Kokomo Solutions, Inc. has not publicly disclosed what information was accessed. Although the breach occurred in December 2024, Kokomo Solutions, Inc. did not begin notifying affected individuals until on or around August 5, 2025, which may have violated state and federal laws. If your personal information was impacted by this incident, you may be at risk of identity theft and other serious violations of your privacy. As a result, you may be entitled to money damages and an injunction requiring changes to Kokomo Solutions, Inc.'s cybersecurity practices. If you received notification of this data breach or are a LAUSD student or parent who has used Kokomo Solutions, Inc.'s services and wish to obtain additional information about your legal rights, please contact us today or visit our website at About Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe represents shareholders, employees, and consumers in class actions against corporate defendants, as well as shareholders in derivative actions against their officers and directors. The firm is based in San Francisco, and with the help of co-counsel, litigates cases nationwide. Contact Sonum Dixit Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP [email protected] Tel: 415-299-8207 View original content: SOURCE Schubert Jonckheer & Kolbe LLP
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Ed Tech Co. That Provides Telehealth to L.A. Students Experiences Data Breach
An education technology company that built an app for Los Angeles students to receive telehealth services during the school day has fallen victim to a data breach that puts students' sensitive information in jeopardy, a disclosure to state regulators reveals. The company, Kokomo Solutions, also hosts an anonymous tip line where Los Angeles community members can report suspicious activity, safety threats and mental health crises to the school district's police department. In an Aug. 5 data breach notice filed with the California attorney general's office, the company disclosed that an unspecified number of individuals' personal information was compromised after an 'unauthorized third party' accessed its computer network and the exposed files pertained to the Los Angeles Unified School District. Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter The company, also known as Kokomo24/7, says it discovered the unauthorized access on Dec. 11, 2024, nearly eight months before it disclosed what happened to victims. The district has not issued any public statements alerting students and families that their sensitive information may have been compromised. Related While many details about the breach remain unknown, including the specific types of information that were compromised and whether the breach was the result of a cyberattack, the incident raises red flags because 'there's no question that [Kokomo is] managing exceptionally sensitive information' about campus safety issues and students' medical information, school cybersecurity expert Doug Levin said. 'This is another example of schools outsourcing the collection and management of exceptionally sensitive data on school communities which, if abused, could affect the health and safety of the school community,' said Levin, the co-founder and national director of the K12 Security Information eXchange. 'We definitely would benefit from knowing more about how they were compromised and how they're going to fix it.' The district didn't respond to requests for comment. Neither did Kokomo24/7, which has apparently scrubbed its website over the last few days of references to its work with the nation's second-largest district. Get the most critical news and information about students' rights, safety and well-being delivered straight to your inbox. Launched in 2023, the Los Angeles Schools Anonymous Reporting app allows students, parents and others in the community to report 'suspicious activity, mental health incidents, drug consumption, drug trafficking, vandalism and safety issues' to the district's 268-member police department. That same year, L.A. schools contracted with Kokomo — along with the Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Hazel Health — to launch new district telehealth services. The $800,000 program, funded by federal pandemic relief money, is designed to provide app-based mental and physical health care to students, including at school. Hazel Health provides virtual mental health services, according to the district's website, while Kokomo24/7's services focus on physical health issues, including minor injuries, allergies and headaches. In a letter to parents last updated in July, the district describes its Kokomo24/7-managed telehealth program as an option for students 'to access healthcare when not feeling well during school hours' with the supervision of a school nurse 'while remaining in school and focusing on learning.' Kokomo founder and CEO Daniel Lee wrote a blog post last year lauding the company's ability to 'transform' L.A. Unified's COVID-tracking and health data system in a year after the school system's previous tool became 'clunky, difficult to customize and expensive to maintain.' The post notes the company's role in creating the anonymous reporting application and the district's Incident System Tracking Accountability Report, an internal tool to document injuries, medical emergencies and campus threats. The Kokomo24/7 breach is the latest in a series of data privacy incidents affecting L.A. schools, including a high-profile ransomware attack in 2022 that led to the exposure of thousands of students' mental health records. Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho at first categorically denied that students' psychological evaluations had been exposed but then had to acknowledge that they were after The 74's investigation revealed the records' existence on the dark web. Meanwhile, the district's rollout last year of a highly touted AI chatbot named 'Ed' was derailed after AllHere, the ed tech company hired to develop the $6 million project, shuttered abruptly and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. The company's founder and CEO, Joanna Smith-Griffin, was then indicted on charges she defrauded investors of some $10 million. A company whistleblower told The 74 AllHere's student data security practices violated both industry standards and the district's own policies. Related The L.A. district considered three companies for the chatbot bid — including Kokomo24/7 — before awarding the contract to AllHere. Both the bankruptcy and criminal cases are pending. In July, a school district spokesperson told The 74 that Ed 'remains on hold.' The Kokomo24/7 website lists a wide suite of products, primarily in physical security including building access control systems, emergency alarms and visitor management tools. It also names large companies among its customers, including The Oscars — the company was the 'health and safety software provider' for the 2022 Academy Awards — United Airlines' subsidiary United Express and Fifth Third Bank. But the Illinois-based company has a relatively small footprint in the education sector, according to records in the GovSpend government procurement database. Among the handful of its school district clients is the Hartford, Connecticut, school system where educators spent more than $60,000 between 2020 and 2023 for licenses to the company's Covid-19 Tracker to screen students' temperatures, track infections and conduct contact tracing. Glendale Unified, a neighboring district to Los Angeles, is also listed as a client on the company's website. Kokomo24/7's connections to the L.A. district were widely featured on the company's website until this week. In fact, a timeline about the company's 2018 founding listed four foundational events, including the 2023 launch of the 'anonymous reporting app for students and an emergency alert system for staff' for the L.A. district. The reference to the school district was removed from the company timeline this week, as was a banner attributing a quote to Carvalho, a picture of district police officers and the district police department's logo. Press releases announcing Kokomo's work with the L.A. district appear to have also been scrubbed from the internet. The since-removed Carvalho quote called the district rollout of its anonymous reporting app 'critically important.' Though slightly misstated, the remark comes from a March 2023 school board meeting where Carvalho boasted of people's ability to 'relay in an anonymous way — or not — potential threats' to a student or a school. The Los Angeles Schools Anonymous Reporting app hasn't been universally praised, and last year became the subject of litigation filed by anti-surveillance activists who alleged the tool created 'a culture of mass suspicion' and bolstered police interactions between students of color and those with disabilities. The Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, which filed the lawsuit seeking records about the app, claimed it enabled students, parents and community members 'to surveil each other' on behalf of school police and to file reports that don't require evidence. It also questioned why the community was being encouraged to file reports on people in mental health crises as part of a broader effort to investigate 'suspicious activity.' 'The app criminalizes mental health, perpetuating the idea that if someone has a mental illness they are inherently a threat to others,' the activist group wrote in a September 2023 report. Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
30-06-2025
- Forbes
The Future Of AI In Learning: What EdTech Companies Need To Consider
AyoOluwa Nihinlola, Chief Content Officer at The uLesson Group, building future-forward learning products across Africa. Historically, children's educational opportunities have depended heavily on their socioeconomic status, including their neighborhood, available schools and surrounding educational assets. For years, many educators and policymakers have tried to eliminate obstacles by building schools and training teachers with the goal of increasing educational accessibility. However, limitations still exist. But from my view, helping lead an education technology company with a focus on AI, I believe we could be finding ourselves at the start of a new era. More educational institutions are implementing AI tools to help address long-standing learning constraints and support more human-centered, personalized learning. How AI Is Used To Support Personalized Learning In my view, the traditional classroom operated much like a factory assembly line: It maintained uniform curriculum content alongside consistent teaching speed and expected results from all students. However, educational approaches cannot be standardized. Every student brings their unique story, personal way of understanding and pace of discovery to the learning experience. This is where I see AI's potential to transform education. Some programs are using adaptive learning technologies to customize lessons to fit each student's needs instead of making them fit into a rigid system. Students who need additional time, for example, can receive more individualized assistance, while quick learners can be presented with fresh challenges that reflect their skill level. I believe individualized learning goes beyond personalization because it acknowledges the essential worth of each person and demonstrates a powerful truth: Your existence is significant, and your unique way of learning matters. Additionally, natural language processing enables AI systems to understand both the questions students ask and how they ask them. AI systems can detect uncertainty in hesitant questions, recognize frustration during repeated attempts and identify when students achieve comprehension. Moreover, text-to-speech technology can help students who find traditional text difficult, while speech-to-text can help students with disabilities or those speaking different languages. This can convert them from passive participants into active discussion members. Meanwhile, some educators are using AI to assist with some administrative tasks as well, such as grading. As a result, teachers long buried under mountains of papers can find themselves with more time to do what only humans can do: inspire students, act as mentors and build authentic relationships. The Weight Of Responsibility: Lessons For Developers Ultimately, I believe AI can help eliminate conventional limitations within educational systems. Learning can escape classroom walls and strict schedules to become a permanent part of students' daily existence. However, realizing this potential demands extraordinary responsibility. There are a number of lessons companies developing these tools need to keep in mind. First, AI educational system development requires careful consideration to ensure tools serve the varied groups they're intended to benefit. It's critical that companies take steps to prevent algorithmic bias from reintroducing inequalities you're aiming to eradicate. This requires implementing diverse training datasets that represent students across different demographics, learning styles and cultural backgrounds, as well as establishing regular bias audits conducted by interdisciplinary teams. Privacy protection and upholding human agency are also essential. AI educational systems collect intimate learning data, from comprehension patterns to emotional responses, which can create significant privacy vulnerabilities if mishandled. Companies should implement privacy-by-design principles with transparent data governance policies and give users meaningful control over their information. An overreliance on AI recommendations could inadvertently diminish students' critical thinking skills and teachers' professional judgment, potentially creating passive learners dependent on algorithmic guidance. This means companies should also ensure they're designing AI tools that are collaborative and enhance—rather than replace—human decision-making. At the same time, successfully implementing AI in educational settings depends on careful teamwork among educators, technologists and policymakers. As such, companies' approach should also involve careful planning and strict ethical standards while prioritizing human learning. Moreover, keep in mind that the transition to AI-powered education can present significant financial and operational hurdles. Initial implementation costs can be substantial, requiring schools to invest in new infrastructure while many institutions operate on tight budgets. There's also often a steep learning curve for educators and students. Companies can help schools address these challenges by offering flexible pricing models, comprehensive training programs, ongoing technical support and intuitive user interfaces. Partnering with educational institutions for pilot programs and demonstrating clear returns on investments through improved learning outcomes can help build confidence and justify investments. The Greatest Gift As I see it, AI's impact on education cannot be measured by complex algorithms or impressive results. Instead, I believe it's AI's ability to restore something we've always known but some seem to have forgotten: Every person has the right and ability to learn and grow, regardless of background or learning style. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Associated Press
06-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Bethel Park School District Selects Focus School Software to Replace Legacy SIS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Focus School Software is pleased to announce that Bethel Park School District, located in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has selected Focus to replace its legacy student information system (SIS), eSchoolPlus. Following a rigorous evaluation process involving four SIS vendors, Bethel Park chose Focus for its secure, modern platform, exceptional flexibility, and strong implementation support. The district, which serves approximately 4,000 students, prioritized a solution that could align with its operational needs while improving the digital experience for staff, students, and families. 'After a thorough evaluation and selection process, we chose Focus School Software as our new SIS because of its unparalleled ability to adapt to our district's unique needs and processes, ensuring a seamless and efficient experience for our staff, students, and families,' said Chris Bolin, Director of Technology & Innovation at Bethel Park School District. Why Focus Was Selected: 'We are honored to partner with Bethel Park School District,' said Andrew Schmadeke, CEO of Focus School Software. 'Their vision of a responsive, district-aligned SIS reflects exactly why we built Focus—to deliver powerful, flexible technology that empowers schools to do their best work.' The partnership with Bethel Park adds to Focus's growing footprint in Pennsylvania and underscores its reputation as a trusted SIS partner for forward-thinking districts. About Bethel Park School District Bethel Park School District is a public K-12 district located in suburban Pittsburgh, PA. The district serves approximately 4,000 students and has been recognized as both a National Blue Ribbon School and a Great Pennsylvania School, with a strong focus on student safety, academic excellence, and inclusive learning environments. Learn more at About Focus School Software Focus School Software is a national leader in enterprise-level student information systems, serving over 3.5 million students across 14 states. With a configurable K-12 SIS platform and extended support for CTE, Adult Ed, Special Student Services, and ERP functionality, Focus helps public school districts modernize and unify their data systems. Learn more at Media Contact: Chuck Pickens Focus School Software Email: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Focus School Software
