Alexandria, Va.  (March 21, 2017) – The National School Boards Association (NSBA) announced today the four companies selected for its annual Technology Innovation Showcase.

“NSBA has a long history of serving as a bridge between the entrepreneurial community and the school leaders charged with making critical decisions,” said Thomas J. Gentzel, Executive Director & CEO, National School Boards Association. “The Technology Innovation Showcase highlights how new solutions have the potential to address critical challenges in education just as innovations have transformed other industries from entertainment to transportation.”

The 2017 Technology Innovation Showcase includes the following companies:

Allovue
Allovue, a K-12 education finance technology company, empowers educators to strategically and equitably allocate resources. Their software platform, Balance, integrates seamlessly with existing accounting and data systems to help educators budget, manage, and evaluate spending.

FreshGrade
FreshGrade, a portfolio and assessment platform for teachers, students, and parents, brings a new level of transparency to the classroom. The suite of mobile and browser-based applications provide solutions that include modern assessment practices to support personalized learning.

k12itc
k12itc, founded by a former district director of technology, allows educators to focus on learning while the company manages the unique technology challenges and pressures, identifies cost-saving efficiencies and helps districts remain on the cutting edge of innovation.

LivingTree
LivingTree has revolutionized how educators and families connect, collaborate, and coordinate by leveraging the power of their private and safe social network specifically designed for the K-12 education system.

Submissions were solicited from start-up companies providing new approaches to challenges across the K-12 curriculum, administrative operations, and communication channels. Reviewers included educators from NSBA’s “20 to Watch,” a recognition program that honors emerging education technology leaders.

“The nation’s 90,000 school board members work with their local communities and district administrators to create a shared vision for learning and align resources that involve the intersection of education policy and technology practice,” said Ann Flynn, NSBA’s Director of Education Innovation. The Technology Innovation Showcase offers a forum for school leaders to explore new technologies and think through the tough questions they need to ask before embracing any new entrant to the K-12 marketplace.

The 2017 class will be featured in an exclusive area of the exhibition and participate in a Tech Innovation Showcase panel during the NSBA Annual Conference in Denver, March 25-27, 2017. Later this summer, they will be featured in NSBA’s magazine for school leaders, American School Board Journal, and participate in a webinar hosted by NSBA’s Technology Leadership Network (TLN).

TLN, launched in 1985 by NSBA and its state school boards associations, helps advance the wise use of technology in K-12 education to support learning, operations, and communications.

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The National School Boards Association (NSBA) is the leading advocate for public education and supports equity and excellence in public education through school board leadership. NSBA believes public education is a civil right necessary to the dignity and freedom of the American people, and all children should have equal access to an education that maximizes his or her individual potential. The association represents state school boards associations and their more than 90,000 local school board members throughout the U.S. www.nsba.org