Our collaborative work with educators, families, & administrators leads to a team roadmap for students with complex learning challenges to reach their full potential.
We are excited to share the significant enhancements and evolution of The Functional Academics Program here. If you would like to learn more about SDES or The Functional Academics Program, please reach out!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2024
Introducing FLIGHT, the first and only automated, online data collection system that links directly to the comprehensive Functional Academics Curriculum designed to propel special education IEP progress monitoring and reporting to an unprecedented level
Thought leaders in the Special Education space, Specially Designed Education Services (SDES) is thrilled to announce the addition of the cutting-edge, cloud-based progress tracking and real-time reporting system called FLIGHT (Functional Learning Insights Guiding & Helping Teachers), which makes IEP tracking teacher-friendly and truly data-driven. The new platform was designed from the ground up based on deep collaboration with special educators, parents, and administrators from around the country. Extensive platform testing and optimization have been completed to ensure the data is useful, meaningful, and exceptionally intuitive to the entire learning support team.
SDES is always whole-student focused, and this revolutionary addition to The Functional Academics Program makes it the only evidence-based solution that enables teachers to educate centered on each child’s present level of performance in a one-to-one or small group setting. Additionally, the inclusion of Functional Science, Functional Social Studies, Executive Functioning, and double the number of lessons, make The Functional Academics Program the only student-based special education curriculum that addresses the State Standards in a truly functional and meaningful way.
“We are so grateful for the significant involvement of the special education community in the development of FLIGHT. They have provided incredibly valuable insights while rigorously testing the Program to ensure it delivers a comprehensive solution in a user-friendly way, to aid in the success of their classrooms,” expressed Suzanne Fitzgerald, former Special Education Teacher turned President and CEO of Specially Designed Education Services. “Their contributions have enabled us to develop the first-of-its-kind ‘digital team roadmap’—directly linked to the Curriculum—that empowers students with moderate to severe disabilities to achieve their maximum potential and foster independence. Designed exclusively by experts with hands-on classroom experience, we’re not just aiming higher—we’re propelling students to take off and soar!”
You Asked. We Listened. It’s Here! Special Education leaders who were directly involved in the functionality and testing of the new online addition to The Functional Academics Program are beyond excited about this addition. “I have absolutely loved getting to know the FLIGHT online data collection suite that Functional Academics has created,” said Jennifer O’Neill, Secondary Special Education Instructional Specialist at Broken Arrow Public Schools. “Progress monitoring student learning is such an important part of special education and the platform that Functional Academics has created truly makes inputting data and monitoring student progress simple! Intentional use of meaningful data is exactly what we need to help maximize the educational and functional advancement of our students. The reports are user-friendly and give us the information we need to support teachers and students in using The Functional Academics Program.”
This release is a major update, built on a decade of feedback from all levels of the classroom. The Functional Academics Program aims to stay simple and user-friendly without compromising what students need. The final product masterfully simplifies complex variables, making instruction easy to administer and seamless to use while staying student-focused. The same philosophy applies to this new FLIGHT data collection software—designed to be as straightforward as possible while maintaining the integrity of program implementation.
And this is only the beginning! As adoption grows, SDES is dedicated to their community and will be constantly collecting feedback for ongoing enhancements, keeping “Students and teachers first!” as their core value.
About The Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services
The real standard for teaching functional academics. Developed by teachers for teachers, The Functional Academics Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap with a scope and sequence designed to empower students with complex learning challenges to increase their independence and reach their full potential. By providing a clear and actionable framework for educators to address the unique needs of the students in their classroom in a structured and meaningful way, for the first time, districts can expect fidelity of use providing the much-needed consistency across grade levels. Thought leaders in the special education realm, SDES has created a game-changing data-driven program that includes all the tools to enable educators to create concrete data-based reporting necessary to drive real accountability. Their ongoing collaborative work with educators, students, families, and administrators provides an unprecedented connection and in-depth understanding of the learning community they serve, which sets them apart from others. SDES participates in iKeepSafe’s Safe Harbor Program and the Functional Academics FLIGHT data collection software has been independently verified and certified to ensure the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of personal information is kept private. For more information about the Program: Please contact Specially Designed Education Services at 425.820.5855, info@sdesworks.com, visit SDESworks.com, or connect on LinkedIn. Investor Relation questions: Please reach out to investor.relations@sdesworks.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2024
A brand new transformative Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services (SDES) now includes Functional Science, Functional Social Studies, Executive Functioning, and more, making it the only student-based functional academics curriculum that addresses State Standards – linked to the first and only automated, online data collection system.
In this truly revolutionary new edition, The Functional Academics Program by SDES has added Functional Science, Functional Social Studies, Executive Functioning, and doubled the number of lessons included with the Program, uniquely meeting State Standards for Special Education. Utilized by hundreds of school districts around the world, The Functional Academics Program is a comprehensive scope and sequence roadmap that enables students with moderate to severe disabilities to improve their ability to live independently and show meaningful growth both academically and personally, while creating accountability with data-driven, evidence-based results.
Former Special Education teacher turned President and CEO of the certified woman-owned company Suzanne Fitzgerald is excited to share this transformation of the Program with the Special Education community. “We are so thankful for the incredible special educators who have been actively informing exactly what they need to be successful in their classrooms and school districts.” Suzanne goes on to share, “Our collaborative work with educators, students, families, and administrators is exactly how we were able to dramatically expand and improve the Program to create this ‘team roadmap’ for students with complex learning challenges to reach their full potential. We are always whole student-focused, and our education system is truly functional and meaningful to ensure we are supporting students to become as independent as possible.”
You Asked. We Listened. It’s Here! In addition to the significant advancements in the curriculum, SDES is also introducing FLIGHT (Functional Learning Insights Guiding & Helping Teachers), the first-to-market automated, teacher-friendly, innovative online data collection system directly linked to the comprehensive Curriculum, elevating ongoing progress tracking and real-time reporting to an unprecedented new level.
With these significant enhancements, The Functional Academics Program is now the only evidence-based solution that enables teachers to educate centered on each child’s present level of performance in one-to-one or small group settings. With built-in data collection tools, FLIGHT now makes it simple for educators to easily and consistently evaluate progress and produce data-driven IEP reports for parents and school administrators, giving the IEP team the necessary tools to adjust programs as needed to increase student success.
White glove teacher support! The incredible training team—composed of 100% Special Educators—works hand-in-hand with the entire teaching team to implement the Program with complete fidelity. This is just a start! As adoption increases, Specially Designed Education Services will consistently collaborate with their community of educators to gather feedback for ongoing improvements. By integrating new-age technology and tools into FLIGHT, the team at SDES is able to push new updates, resources, and materials out to their educators instantly. Teachers receive an email highlighting what was added and connecting them directly to the new resource.
This release is no small update as it is the culmination of a decade’s worth of feedback from all levels within the classroom. The ultimate goal of The Functional Academics Program is to keep things as simple and as user-friendly as they can be, while never sacrificing the integrity of what students need. The final product showcases the art of taking deeply complex variables and providing easy-to-administer instruction in making everything work as effortlessly as possible. The same goes for our newly minted FLIGHT data collection software—custom built with the sole purpose of keeping things as simple as possible while ensuring fidelity of program implementation.
Special Education leaders using the Program are thrilled. “Truly a game-changing program for students with moderate to severe disabilities! Functional Academics has the content areas and data collection systems that I needed as a special education teacher. Students are finding great success both inside the schools and generalizing skills to their community; it provides a great opportunity to support students toward independent living after they leave the school system,” said Barb Beck, Special Education Teacher & Mentor.
From the heart, for teachers, now it’s your turn to take FLIGHT to a whole new stratosphere!
About The Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services
The real standard for teaching functional academics. Developed by teachers for teachers, The Functional Academics Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap with a scope and sequence designed to empower students with complex learning challenges to increase their independence and reach their full potential. By providing a clear and actionable framework for educators to address the unique needs of the students in their classroom in a structured and meaningful way, for the first time, districts can expect fidelity of use providing the much-needed consistency across grade levels. Thought leaders in the special education realm, SDES has created a game-changing data-driven program that includes all the tools to enable educators to create concrete data-based reporting necessary to drive real accountability. Their ongoing collaborative work with educators, students, families, and administrators provides an unprecedented connection and in-depth understanding of the learning community they serve, which sets them apart from others. SDES participates in iKeepSafe’s Safe Harbor Program and the Functional Academics FLIGHT data collection software has been independently verified and certified to ensure the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of personal information is kept private. For more information about the Program: Please contact Specially Designed Education Services at 425.820.5855, info@sdesworks.com, visit SDESworks.com, or connect on LinkedIn. Investor Relation questions: Please reach out to investor.relations@sdesworks.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 3, 2024
The Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services Earns iKeepSafe COPPA Safe Harbor and FERPA Certifications
iKeepSafe is pleased to announce that the Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services has earned the iKeepSafe COPPA Safe Harbor and FERPA Certifications. These certifications signify that the program has been proactively and independently assessed by iKeepSafe, an experienced privacy protection organization.
iKeepSafe Privacy Certifications simplify privacy compliance for education technology vendors and make it easy for schools to identify websites, apps, data management platforms, and other technology products that follow various privacy laws governing student data. Products that carry the iKeepSafe badge provide educators and parents with the assurance that the product meets iKeepSafe’s standards in the areas of privacy, safety, and security.
The Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services is a comprehensive scope and sequence roadmap that enables students with moderate to severe disabilities to improve their ability to live independently and show meaningful growth both academically and personally, while creating accountability with data-driven, evidence-based results. Developed by special education teachers for teachers, the Program is a student-focused special education curriculum that uniquely addresses state standards. The Program enables teachers to educate based on each child’s present level of performance in a one-to-one or small group setting.
With built-in data collection tools, FLIGHT – (Functional Learning Insights Guiding & Helping Teachers) is the first and only automated, online data collection system that links directly to the comprehensive Functional Academics Curriculum making it simple for educators to produce data-driven IEP reports to parents and school administrators.
Special Educator, Founder and CEO of Specially Designed Education Services Suzanne Fitzgerald is thrilled to have her program achieve this valued certification. “Protecting and empowering our community of special education students is at the heart of everything I believe in. It is with great pride that we have been able to add this level of protection to our Functional Academic Program data collection system FLIGHT. At SDES we are committed to recognizing and valuing everyone’s journey. We are avid students of life who are passionately listening, learning, and finding new ways to push the status quo to enable every person to reach their true potential. We care passionately about the well-being of the community we serve and strive to improve the lives of people with disabilities in measurable and meaningful ways. This certification is the highest level of protection available to keep our students safe and we are honored to have met the program requirements.”
“We congratulate the Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services on earning the iKeepSafe COPPA Safe Harbor and FERPA Certifications! Their commitment to this process clearly shows their dedication to safeguarding student data,” said iKeepSafe President Amber Lindsay.
About The Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services
The real standard for teaching functional academics. Developed by teachers for teachers, The Functional Academics Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap with a scope and sequence designed to empower students with complex learning challenges to increase their independence and reach their full potential. By providing a clear and actionable framework for educators to address the unique needs of the students in their classroom in a structured and meaningful way, for the first time, districts can expect fidelity of use providing the much-needed consistency across grade levels. Thought leaders in the special education realm, SDES has created a game-changing data-driven program that includes all the tools to enable educators to create concrete data-based reporting necessary to drive real accountability. Their ongoing collaborative work with educators, students, families, and administrators provides an unprecedented connection and in-depth understanding of the learning community they serve, which sets them apart from others. SDES participates in iKeepSafe’s Safe Harbor Program and the Functional Academics FLIGHT data collection software has been independently verified and certified to ensure the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of personal information is kept private. For more information about the Program: Please contact Specially Designed Education Services at 425.820.5855, info@sdesworks.com, visit SDESworks.com, or connect on LinkedIn. Investor Relation questions: Please reach out to investor.relations@sdesworks.com.
ABOUT IKEEPSAFE
The Internet Keep Safe Coalition (iKeepSafe) certifies digital products as compliant with state and federal requirements for handling protected personal information. We help organizations achieve and maintain compliance through product assessments, monthly monitoring, annual training, and assistance with remediation. To view iKeepSafe’s list of assessed products, visit https://ikeepsafe.org/products/.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 27, 2024
EdTech for Special Education: The Results of Digitizing Functional Academics with SDES
FLIGHT launched to 20 beta customers mid-Spring 2024 and saw consistent engagement from that cohort of users for the remainder of the school year. SDES is currently incorporating the digital platform into their sales strategy and plans to pilot with a number of school districts in Fall 2024.
The partnership between SDES and Uptech exemplifies how innovative technology and user-focused design can transform educational experiences. By introducing a modern platform, staying laser focused on the user experience, and ensuring secure data management, Uptech helped SDES achieve their mission of providing exceptional, personalized education to students with unique learning needs.
“Our experience with Uptech Studio has been nothing but exceptional. The entire team is not only invested in what we are creating, but they genuinely care. They took the time to learn about us, our program, what we want to accomplish and then most importantly, who we are designing this platform for. Their level of investment and understanding of our goals often led them to anticipate what we needed before we even asked for it. They created a detailed schedule and delivered the agreed upon features when they said they would. Having worked with another software company in the past, we can honestly say that the team at Uptech Studio goes above and beyond. From the beautiful, user-friendly interface, to the functionality of the digital platform, we couldn’t be happier!”
– Suzanne Fitzgerald, President & CEO
About The Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services
The real standard for teaching functional academics. Developed by teachers for teachers, The Functional Academics Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap with a scope and sequence designed to empower students with complex learning challenges to increase their independence and reach their full potential. By providing a clear and actionable framework for educators to address the unique needs of the students in their classroom in a structured and meaningful way, for the first time, districts can expect fidelity of use providing the much-needed consistency across grade levels. Thought leaders in the special education realm, SDES has created a game-changing data-driven program that includes all the tools to enable educators to create concrete data-based reporting necessary to drive real accountability. Their ongoing collaborative work with educators, students, families, and administrators provides an unprecedented connection and in-depth understanding of the learning community they serve, which sets them apart from others. For more information about the Program: Please contact Specially Designed Education Services at 425.820.5855, info@sdesworks.com, visit SDESworks.com, or connect on LinkedIn. Investor Relation questions: Please reach out to investor.relations@sdesworks.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2024
Empowering the Underserved: Suzanne Fitzgerald’s Groundbreaking Program in Special Education
After adapting to the challenges of COVID-19, navigating the evolving landscape of special education, and responding to teacher requests for updates and enhancements to the Functional Academics Program, Suzanne is eager to return to her passion project: “Beyond Expectations.” This specialized program is designed for students with the most complex (severe-profound) disabilities, and it holds deep personal significance for Suzanne. “Beyond Expectations” is her tribute to those students who are often left out of typical special education curricula, which too often fail to address the distinct needs of this population. As Suzanne explains, “We are committed to giving students with the most complex disabilities the education they truly deserve. We want the world to see what these students are capable of when educators have the knowledge and tools to reach every child—regardless of their disability.”
When asked what inspired her to create this program, Suzanne offers a powerful reflection:
“Imagine someone telling you the following about your life:
Sadly, this is the reality for many students with multiple disabilities. However, Suzanne believes that by imagining, dreaming, and thinking outside the box, educators can change this narrative. They can help bridge the gap between a life of isolation and one filled with purpose and activity. “Beyond Expectations” was created with this goal in mind: to enhance the quality of life for those most affected. The curriculum draws on a wealth of strategies, developed through collaboration with specialists and consultants, extensive research, and the author’s own experiences as special education teachers.
Students with multiple disabilities face extraordinary challenges, including difficulties with fundamental concepts, communication, mobility, academics, social interactions, and practical living skills. These obstacles often lead to stress, frustration, and feelings of isolation. Teachers, too, confront significant challenges when working with students with such complex needs. The demands are immense, time is limited, and it can be difficult to step outside of one’s own perspective to create an environment that truly meets each student’s unique needs. Balancing the facilitation of social opportunities, adapting instruction, and knowing how best to serve these students can feel overwhelming, particularly when compounded by the pressures of daily teaching.
“Beyond Expectations” addresses these challenges by offering tools and methodologies that empower both students and educators. The program provides the most significantly impacted students with the tailored education they deserve. Suzanne reflects, “As educators, we’ve seen firsthand how the strategies in “Beyond Expectations” have transformed the lives of our students. It is because of these profound impacts that we’ve worked tirelessly to compile these strategies into an accessible framework that teachers can easily learn from and implement. We hope that when you integrate these methods into your practice, you will witness your students evolve from passive observers to active participants in their own learning.”
The student assessment component of “Beyond Expectations” has already been completed and successfully piloted in multiple districts and facilities. With feedback in hand, the team will now turn to the detailed work of developing, field-testing, and refining the Curriculum portion of the program. The official release of “Beyond Expectations” is scheduled for 2026.
About The Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services
The real standard for teaching functional academics. Developed by teachers for teachers, The Functional Academics Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap with a scope and sequence designed to empower students with complex learning challenges to increase their independence and reach their full potential. By providing a clear and actionable framework for educators to address the unique needs of the students in their classroom in a structured and meaningful way, for the first time, districts can expect fidelity of use providing the much-needed consistency across grade levels. Thought leaders in the special education realm, SDES has created a game-changing data-driven program that includes all the tools to enable educators to create concrete data-based reporting necessary to drive real accountability. Their ongoing collaborative work with educators, students, families, and administrators provides an unprecedented connection and in-depth understanding of the learning community they serve, which sets them apart from others. Specially Designed Education Services is in the final stages of the iKeepSafe Safe Harbor Program certification to ensure that the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of personal information is kept private. For more information about the Program: Please contact Specially Designed Education Services at 425.820.5855, info@sdesworks.com, visit SDESworks.com, or connect on LinkedIn. Investor Relation questions: Please reach out to investor.relations@sdesworks.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2023
Specially Designed Education Services (SDES) is thrilled to announce its collaboration with author and content creator, Barbara (Barb) Beck, M. Ed., of MyKey Plans
Today marks the start of an exciting journey as SDES partners with industry thought leader, Barbara Beck, to enhance tools and solutions that facilitate the transition from high school to the young adulthood transition space. With over 30 years of experience as a tenured IEP Transition Specialist and Special Education Teacher, Barbara brings a wealth of expertise to the team. Her strong advocacy background and holistic approach to serving the special needs community align seamlessly with the core values of SDES founder and CEO Suzanne Fitzgerald. Together, they will form a formidable alliance dedicated to creating meaningful change!
In the beginning, Barb will focus on developing content for SDES’s innovative hybrid Functional Academics Program. As action plans solidify and content is produced, a resource library of training materials will be growing. Additionally, Suzanne and Barb plan to revamp Barb’s existing work, “My Transition Portfolio,” for re-release as “My Keys To High School And Beyond,” under the Functional Academics umbrella, with a launch scheduled for Fall/Winter 2024.
“My Keys to High School and Beyond” will be an engaging online series of workbooks designed to empower students as they transition to adulthood through self-advocacy and personalized planning. Rooted in Universal Design for Learning (UDL), this comprehensive program offers diverse learning opportunities that cater to each student’s unique needs.
Key Features of My Keys To High School And Beyond:
My Keys to High School and Beyond” will be more than just a collection of workbooks; it will be a transformative journey that nurtures student expressive communication and equips them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to advocate for themselves as they transition into adulthood. The ultimate aim is to unlock the potential of self-advocacy and watch students take flight toward a successful future.
Watch for SDES’s formal Press Release of “My Keys to High School and Beyond,” Fall/Winter 2024!
About The Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services
The real standard for teaching functional academics. Developed by teachers for teachers, The Functional Academics Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap with a scope and sequence designed to empower students with complex learning challenges to increase their independence and reach their full potential. By providing a clear and actionable framework for educators to address the unique needs of the students in their classroom in a structured and meaningful way, for the first time, districts can expect fidelity of use providing the much-needed consistency across grade levels. Thought leaders in the special education realm, SDES has created a game-changing data-driven program that includes all the tools to enable educators to create concrete data-based reporting necessary to drive real accountability. Their ongoing collaborative work with educators, students, families, and administrators provides an unprecedented connection and in-depth understanding of the learning community they serve, which sets them apart from others. Specially Designed Education Services is in the final stages of the iKeepSafe Safe Harbor Program certification to ensure that the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of personal information is kept private. For more information about the Program: Please contact Specially Designed Education Services at 425.820.5855, info@sdesworks.com, visit SDESworks.com, or connect on LinkedIn. Investor Relation questions: Please reach out to investor.relations@sdesworks.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 15, 2023
Specialized Designed Education Services (SDES) Levels Up Their Printing Partnership for Upcoming Functional Academics Program Launch
Specially Designed Education Services (SDES) is delighted to announce an upgraded partnership in printing services ahead of the highly anticipated launch of the transformed Functional Academics Program planned for Fall 2024.
In an era increasingly dominated by digital platforms, SDES remains steadfast in its commitment to providing physical print materials—an option specifically requested by educators. While many organizations may lean towards online delivery for its perceived efficiencies, the leadership team at SDES recognizes the significant value of tangible resources for the frontline special education community. As former special educators, they understand the necessity of having “guides in hand,” which is why they continue to advocate for print options in the Program.
The Functional Academics Program is designed to be exceptionally comprehensive, and feedback has underscored the critical importance of hard copies for educators. One educator recently remarked, “Thank goodness you guys still sell hard copies of your program!” Such sentiments reinforce their dedication to maintaining physical materials, even as they navigate the complexities of print production.
In alignment with this commitment, SDES made the difficult decision to conclude their longstanding partnership with Pacific Copy & Print (PacCopy), and have transitioned to PrintWest, located in Woodinville, WA, as their new printing partner.
Suzanne Fitzgerald, President and CEO of SDES, expressed her gratitude for PacCopy’s dedicated service over the years: “I cannot thank PacCopy enough for their support and diligence. Their contributions have been instrumental in ensuring our physical print program remains high-quality and timely. The effort and man-hours required for our print program are considerable, and PacCopy has consistently delivered with professionalism.”
The decision to partner with PrintWest was made after careful consideration of the Program’s future needs, including print size, material enhancements, and projected volumes for The Functional Academics Program. Together, they acknowledged that SDES has outgrown the capabilities that PacCopy could sustainably provide, and their openness during discussions facilitated a smoother transition.
Changing printing partners is a significant endeavor, as numerous factors contribute to establishing a trusted relationship in this sector. Therefore, SDES is implementing this change more than a year in advance of the new program launch. Building a partnership with PrintWest is essential to ensuring quality, consistency, and efficiency in the printing processes.
After an extensive RFP process, PrintWest emerged as the clear choice, offering superior finished products in a facility that is over ten times the size of PacCopy’s and equipped with modern printing technology. Their commitment to personalized service, combined with their advanced capabilities, distinguishes them from other options the team explored.
SDES is genuinely excited about this new partnership with PrintWest, believing it represents a mutually beneficial alignment. They are confident that this collaboration is timely and consistent with the mission to provide educators with the best resources available.
About The Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services
The real standard for teaching functional academics. Developed by teachers for teachers, The Functional Academics Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap with a scope and sequence designed to empower students with complex learning challenges to increase their independence and reach their full potential. By providing a clear and actionable framework for educators to address the unique needs of the students in their classroom in a structured and meaningful way, for the first time, districts can expect fidelity of use providing the much-needed consistency across grade levels. Thought leaders in the special education realm, SDES has created a game-changing data-driven program that includes all the tools to enable educators to create concrete data-based reporting necessary to drive real accountability. Their ongoing collaborative work with educators, students, families, and administrators provides an unprecedented connection and in-depth understanding of the learning community they serve, which sets them apart from others. For more information about the Program: Please contact Specially Designed Education Services at 425.820.5855, info@sdesworks.com, visit SDESworks.com, or connect on LinkedIn. Investor Relation questions: Please reach out to investor.relations@sdesworks.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2023
EdTech for Special Ed: Digitizing Functional Academics with SDES
SDES approached Uptech with a critical mission: to transform their offline, paper-based Functional Academics Program into a digital platform that would better serve Special Education teachers, aides, students, and parents. While the idea of leveraging technology to replace the inefficiencies of paper sounds straightforward, at Uptech Studio they understood that paper has its advantages and that special ed classrooms present unique challenges for integrating technology solutions. The team at Uptech knew that to be successfully adopted by teachers, the software would have to make teachers’ lives easier and better and designed with the context of use in mind. Just “eliminating paper” wouldn’t be compelling in itself.
To address these challenges, Uptech focuses on close collaboration with real users to deeply understand their needs throughout the design and development process:
Discovery: The Uptech Studio team delves deep with the SDES team to understand the complexity of their existing products, the business goals they hope to achieve by digitizing their tools, and the landscape of users.
User Research & Persona Development. They continue by mapping out the relationships of everyone who touches (or is served by) The Functional Academics Program. They interview a number of people and create personas for the key constituents. The primary focus is to understand the needs and goals of teachers, their aides, and administrators. They also consider the concerns of students & parents as served personas.
Concept Testing: Before getting too far along with development, they create simple prototypes in Figma of some of the key software interactions to get early feedback and identify gaps in the approach.
Full-stack development with an iterative approach. Uptech Studio works collaboratively with SDES to identify both the table stakes features (for example, administrative features to manage user accounts) and the highest impact areas of the software to build and release first (progress tracking and real-time reporting). They then build out the infrastructure, back-end services, and front-end UI to make it happen.
Validation and refinement: As features are added, they pilot them with real users to understand and work out the kinks. No two special education students, teachers, or classrooms are the same, so it is critical to validate the platform has built in the right amount of power and flexibility into the system.
A modern, scalable platform. The digital transformation of The Functional Academics Program is focused on just one area of the program, but over time it is important to be scalable both in supporting additional capabilities and to handle the thousands of school districts serving millions of special ed students.
A clear user interface. By working closely with the primary users (teachers), Uptech ensures that the software is usable, useful, and a delight to use.
Secure data handling. Ensuring the security and privacy for minor students, including their sensitive health information, is of paramount importance throughout the project.
Flexibility. The system needs to accommodate the dynamic environment of the classroom and the differing needs and approaches of different teachers, to ensure teachers have the most flexible tool available to them.
About The Functional Academics Program by Specially Designed Education Services
The real standard for teaching functional academics. Developed by teachers for teachers, The Functional Academics Program is a comprehensive, evidence-based roadmap with a scope and sequence designed to empower students with complex learning challenges to increase their independence and reach their full potential. By providing a clear and actionable framework for educators to address the unique needs of the students in their classroom in a structured and meaningful way, for the first time, districts can expect fidelity of use providing the much-needed consistency across grade levels. Thought leaders in the special education realm, SDES has created a game-changing data-driven program that includes all the tools to enable educators to create concrete data-based reporting necessary to drive real accountability. Their ongoing collaborative work with educators, students, families, and administrators provides an unprecedented connection and in-depth understanding of the learning community they serve, which sets them apart from others. For more information about the Program: Please contact Specially Designed Education Services at 425.820.5855, info@sdesworks.com, visit SDESworks.com, or connect on LinkedIn. Investor Relation questions: Please reach out to investor.relations@sdesworks.com.
