The New K-12 Mental Health Landscape

Even as things across the country start to feel more normal, many of us are still dealing with the mental health effects of the pandemic. Whether we’re feeling anxious about returning to the office or attending crowded events, it’s understandable to be a little apprehensive. This anxiety isn’t just for adults, however, with children and teenagers across the country still reeling from the frequent changes to their learning environment.

The silver lining? It’s now much clearer how big of a role schools play in the mental health of children. Let’s take a closer look at the importance of mental health resources in K-12 schools and the challenges they face to help students be their best.

More Than a Lesson Plan

Most of us know that school isn’t just about the subjects we study. It’s vital for socialization and provides students with the opportunity to interact with their peers and learn important life skills. Educators have recognized the importance of this aspect of school, emphasizing social emotional learning (SEL) in the classroom. Through SEL, students develop healthy identities, manage emotions, show empathy, establish supportive relationships, and make responsible decisions – all contributing to overall better mental health.

This increase in SEL in schools is critical, as strengthening social and emotional skills is crucial for academic success. Mental health is directly related to learning; students struggling with depression or anxiety simply can’t process new information the same as other students. Schools also serve as “first responders” in terms of student mental health issues, explains NPR. Teachers and staff can quickly note changes in behavior that could point to mental illness and provide resources for their students. This became a lot harder when classes when virtual, however, adding another challenge for both teachers and students.

K-12 Mental Health Pre-COVID

Unfortunately, mental health concerns have been rising in K-12 schools even before COVID-19, with the number of students reporting symptoms of depression on the rise since the early 2000s. While the recent US Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health explains that the pandemic worsened the situation, other factors like academic pressure and social media have been in play for years. On the bright side, rising numbers may also be attributed to students being more willing to discuss the once taboo topic of mental health.

While we’re all familiar with staff shortages by now, K-12 schools have always struggled to maintain recommended mental-health specialist to student ratio. The American School Counselor Association recommends one school counselor per every 250 children, but the current average in schools is around 427 students for every counselor. School psychologist ratios are even worse, with some states approaching a ratio of 1:5000, far exceeding the recommended one school psychologist per 500 students recommended by the National Association of School Psychologists.

This means that teachers are often left shouldering mental health care in addition to their long list of other responsibilities, even when they’re not trained to provide the support needed. At the same time, staff shortages have meant that even when school counselors are on campus, they may be drafted to teach classes or substitute instead of providing dedicated mental health services. These problems have only been exacerbated by the pandemic – which has been reflected in the mental health of students.

The Effects of COVID-19

With so much change, it’s understandable that the negative mental health effects of COVID-19 were evident in students early in the pandemic. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported an increase in pediatric mental health-related emergency department visits starting in April 2020, remaining elevated through October 2020. Compared to 2019, mental health-related visits rose by 24% for children aged 5-11 and 31% for children aged 12-17. By the fall, a trio of children’s mental health organizations declared an emergency in child and adolescent mental health.

Unfortunately, numbers didn’t improve in 2021 as the pandemic continued. The Children’s Hospital Association reports that from January to September of 2021, the number of mental health visits to emergency departments at children’s hospitals was 14% higher than pre-pandemic numbers. Some hospitals even reported a 40% increase in mental health visits from 2020. Students across the country reported feeling symptoms of depression and anxiety as they struggled with social isolation, followed by an abrupt return to in-person school.

K-12 school mental health professionals also report that schools are dealing with more grief than ever before, with an estimated 175,000 children losing a parent or caregiver to COVID-19. This is especially troubling when coupled with the fact that according to an Education Week analysis of federal data, nearly 40% of all school districts across the nation did not have a school psychologist on staff during the first full year of the pandemic.

Returning to the Classroom

While students have largely returned to in-person learning, K-12 schools still face challenges. Many educators report that students lack social skills and seem less mature, with high schoolers behaving like middle school students and younger students forgetting basic classroom rules and expectations. This is especially true for younger students that have spent most of their formal school experience learning from home.

In an interview with NPR in early 2022, Dr. Tami Benton, psychiatrist-in-chief for Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia explains that during the pandemic, students missed the chance to develop the social skills they normally would in the classroom. Now that students are back in school, they’re being forced to catch up in unusual circumstances. Accordingly, teachers have had to re-learn things too, like the time management required to teach while working through these social growing pains.

The Way Forward

Even though it may seem disheartening to think of the mental health struggles students are still facing post-pandemic, schools have made great strides to address these concerns head on. Funds from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, as well as other pandemic relief funds, amounted to over $190 billion in education and health grants – some of which can be spent on mental health.

Schools are taking advantage of this, with PEW reporting that states like Arizona, Maryland, and Georgia are using federal relief funds to hire more counselors, nurses, and social workers to improve their student to mental health professional ratios. States are also enacting laws to support these efforts, including statutes in eight states that allow K-12 students to miss a certain amount of school days for mental health reasons. Furthermore, over 16 states now require K-12 school staff and teachers to take courses on identifying mental distress in their students.

Some states have taken a grassroots approach to mental health, with states like California, Illinois, and Utah enacting laws recommending high school students take mental health training themselves and learn to spot early signs of problems in their peers. Popular options include Mental Health First Aid’s training designed to help teens recognize and respond to mental illness and Aevidum chapters, school clubs which help raise suicide awareness and reduce mental illness stigma. With students speaking up and facing mental health challenges head on, there’s reason to be optimistic for a brighter future.

To learn more about how FACTS Ed can help your school create a personalized professional development program that prepares your teachers for the challenges of the modern classroom, including utilizing SEL to improve teacher turnover, click here.

We know that educators handle much more than their lesson plans. From supervising extracurriculars to getting students in and out of the classroom every day, teachers have a lot of jobs to juggle. Both teachers and parents will agree, however, that school dismissal can be especially stressful – with long lines of cars, confused students, and tired staff staying on campus far too late.

Luckily, there’s a platform to simplify this process. Our partner Pikmykid offers a school safety and dismissal solution that keeps students safe and saves times for parents and teachers. If you’ve never considered using technology to make your dismissal process a breeze, keep reading for some of the top reasons to invest in dismissal software like Pikmykid.

1. It Reduces Staff Fatigue.

Before students even step foot into the classroom, your staff need to organize how they arrive and get home, and hopefully ensure their safety along the way. To reduce staff fatigue, it’s important to minimize redundant steps. Answering phone calls from parents who want to make dismissal changes can take hours of your staff’s time.

Instead, you can provide a way for parents to make instant dismissal changes by utilizing dismissal software with a mobile app. This gives your office staff time to focus on other tasks and have access to reports to safely account for every student.

2. It Allows Teachers to Focus on Teaching.

Most teachers didn’t get their degree in education to use walkie talkies and deal with frustrated parents in the parking lot. They love educating students. Using a dismissal software like Pikmykid streamlines the entire dismissal process, allowing your school to get rid of unnecessary tasks and reduce the number of staff needed to run dismissal.

As the car line speeds up, you can give each teacher back an average of 75 minutes per week. They can redirect this time into their passion – helping students succeed. They’ll also have more time for planning and rest, which can help improve their mental health as well, reducing burnout.

3. It Makes It Easier for Substitute Teachers to Jump In.

When a teacher is preparing a lesson plan for a substitute, they often have to dedicate a large section of their instructions to the school’s overly complicated dismissal process. This not only adds more work for the teacher but can also create a lot of confusion for the substitute.

Dismissal software empowers you to run dismissal with tools that make it so easy, your staff can train a substitute teacher in their sleep. An added bonus? Since there are less staff necessary for dismissal, it’s less likely a substitute will be needed for dismissal in the first place.

4. It Equips Staff Better for Emergencies.

During a busy school day, the last thing you want teachers to experience is heightened anxiety over confusing emergency protocols. While many of us immediately think of worst-case scenarios, like an intruder on campus, the reality is that a myriad of smaller emergencies (like changes in pickup times due to inclement weather) happen more frequently.

The current processes often leave staff unsure of how to act in the moment, especially when they only have a few seconds to react. A school safety and dismissal platform like Pikmykid takes out the anxiety-inducing guess work by giving schools the ability to clearly communicate their protocol and direct staff to take appropriate actions in the instant they’re needed.

With Pikmykid, you can prepare staff to act quickly and confidently with a suite of tools on the devices they already have in their pockets. They’ll have access to initiate emergency or last-minute notifications through a panic button, receive staff instructions to their cell phone, and enable location services to ensure staff and student safety.

5. It Allows You to Eliminate Unnecessary Tasks.

Running back and forth between the front office, classroom, and parking lot is an outdated and inefficient way for staff to use their time. In a world where you can have meals delivered via app and robots mowing your lawn, school staff shouldn’t be stuck using walkie talkies, sticky notes, and overwhelming Google sheets to coordinate the everyday process of student dismissal.

By giving your staff technology that uses devices they already have, you can eliminate dozens of monotonous tasks for them. They’ll feel respected as you acknowledge their level of education and empower them to redirect their time towards the things only they can uniquely do as staff and teachers.

Even better? Many schools have used their grant money to implement Pikmykid – and their teachers are loving it. There are more than 8 grants and funding options available for you to start with, so don’t wait until August to get started.

Request a demo to learn more and get Pikmykid set up and ready to go!

Spring is a time for graduating students and their families to start planning how they will pay for higher education in the coming fall. This is incredibly important, as being educated on these types of finances can be crucial in reducing poor financial outcomes. As the end of the school year nears, we here at FACTS thought this would be an excellent time to shed a light on the importance of financial literacy – and why the sooner students start learning about it, the better.

The Importance of Understanding Finances

Today’s high school students feel unprepared about managing their finances according to a recent survey by EVERFI. The US Department of Education (ED) shares that students who receive personal finance education in line with their goals may be more likely to retain the information and use it to make informed financial decisions. Introducing the concepts of financial literacy may need to begin before students are admitted or preparing to obtain their higher education. Research from FutureSmart, a program by the MassMutual Foundation, shows strong evidence that financial education is effective – and necessary – for students as young as middle schoolers. Additionally, Champlain College suggests personal finance education should be a cumulative process, with age-appropriate topics taught each school year. Even if it seems early to start teaching these concepts, it’s important to provide substantive personal finance education throughout elementary school and into high school.

The Case for Financial Literacy in Schools

It goes without saying that learning about financial literacy is important, as personal finance education provides students with the knowledge and skills to manage financial resources effectively for a lifetime of financial well-being. It’s equally important, however, that this education be offered at school. A 2017 T. Rowe Price Survey noted that 69 percent of parents have some reluctance about discussing financial matters with their kids, so offering students financial literacy education at school is an ideal solution.

Additionally, research has shown that far too few students — especially those from low-income backgrounds — receive any personal finance education during high school, yet are expected to make financial decisions with long-lasting impacts about student loans and budgeting immediately after graduation. Even though today’s students have the benefits of technology and instant access to information, that doesn’t necessarily translate to financial literacy skills. Having access to that information during their formative years, especially in the form of resources like classes and learning materials, can set a firm foundation for their future financial stability.

If a student withdraws from your school, FACTS recommends following specific steps in Tuition Management to ensure your customer records and reports are accurate. These steps may vary depending on your institution’s withdrawal policy, internal processes, or accounting practices. (A note for Premier Integration users: If your school is using Premier Integration, you will need to complete additional steps in the SIS when withdrawing a student. The following information is specific to handling the financial portion of a student withdrawal).

Information Needed About the Student Withdrawing

1. Is there a balance still owed or a refund due? If a balance is owed, you will need to determine how much is remaining from the balance on their FACTS account.
   • If a refund is due, you will record an institution issued refund as part of the withdrawal process.
   • If a refund is due for the student withdrawing and there is an additional student with a balance still owed, you also have the option to transfer the funds to the balance owed for the remaining student.
2. Do the credits and charges on the account need to be removed or reduced (prorated)? Credits include any multi-child discounts, scholarships, etc.
   • If the credits or charges need to be removed or reduced, you will perform corrections to the transactions on the account as part of the withdrawal process.

 

Navigation

• Click Roster on the top navigation bar.
• Click Select next to the appropriate customer.
• Click Service Agreement.

 

If you are not sure which transactions are on the record for the student, you can review the charges, credits, payments, and balances on the Customer Profile before selecting Service Agreement. The Balances with Adjustment Detail Report is also helpful when trying to review the student’s balance details.

 

Recommended Steps

1. Determine if a refund is owed. If yes, record the refund or transfer the funds to a remaining balance owed for additional sibling(s) on the account.
   • Select Record an Institution Issued Refund or Transfer Funds from the service options.
   • Recording a refund on the system updates your FACTS reports, but you will still need to issue a check to the family. Refunds decrease the amount paid, which will increase the remaining balance. You may need to perform corrections to remove the balance if it is not owed.
2. After recording the refund or transferring funds (when applicable), correct credits and charges.
   • Select Correction from the service options. It’s a best practice to correct all credits first, then charges.
3. Once the student has withdrawn and any remaining balance has been paid in full, terminate the agreement. Termination of the agreement is final. Once terminated, the agreement cannot be reactivated.
   • Select Change Agreement Status from the service options or select Change Status from the customer profile.
   • If a balance is still owed, do not terminate the agreement. Terminating it will stop all scheduled payments from processing.
4. Once the agreement has been terminated you will also want to inactivate the student or customer so they no longer appear in the roster.
   • On the Customer Profile, select the student’s name, then change their status to Inactive. If there are no remaining students at your school, you can select the customer’s name instead and change their status to inactive. Inactivating the customer will inactivate all students on their record.

If Using Incidental Billing or Prepay Accounts

You can use the Service Billing option or Service Prepays option to record a refund, transfer funds, or perform corrections to the Incidental Billing or Prepay transactions. Incidental Billing activity can be terminated by selecting Change Status next to the Incidental Expenses on the Customer Profile. Prepay activity cannot be terminated.

 

Additional Information About Inactivating a Record

• Inactivating the student prevents you from adding transactions to their record in error on the billing admin page when sending incidental bills and the mass entry screen when adding transactions for Prepay Accounts. You will still be able to manually add transactions from the Customer Profile page.
• Inactivating the student or customer prevents their information from rolling forward to the new school year if you utilize electronic reenrollment.
• Inactivating the customer or student does not stop payments from processing. You must change the agreement status to stop future payments.

To learn more about withdrawing students, visit this HubHelp article.

While many people associate April with spring break, Easter, or even tax time, did you know that it’s also National Volunteer Month? This month not only recognizes the importance of volunteering, but also celebrates the contributions made by those who volunteer all year long.

The importance of volunteering is well-known to everyone at FACTS, as giving back is built into the fabric of our organization. One of our core values is to “Give Back to the Communities in Which We Live and Work.” We honor this commitment in many ways, including scholarships, matching gifts programs, charity partnerships, and more. In 2020, we even started the Living Our Core Values Recognition program, with a special award for associates who exemplify the core value of giving back, not only to their local community, but also to their fellow FACTS associates. 2021’s winner, Compliance Analyst Jack Vogel, volunteers extensively with Bikers Against Child Abuse, in addition to other organizations, even shifting into a new role to help prioritize his community work.

Our associates are encouraged to volunteer not only because it’s a part of our Core Values, but because it benefits them as well! Research shows that people who volunteer are more satisfied with their lives and rank their mental health better than those that don’t. Other residents in the state of Nebraska, where FACTS’ headquarters are located, must have realized this too, as recent data from Americorps shows that state-wide, 53.8 million hours of service were performed, making it 6^th in the nation for volunteer hours.

At FACTS, we even have a committee dedicated to organizing charitable and volunteer activities, our Social & Giving Back Committee. In March, the committee focused on helping charities in Ukraine, donating to UNICEF, World Central Kitchen, and Sunflower of Peace, as well as sending encouraging cards to refugees through Letters of Hope. A future volunteer event is planned for June in partnership with United Way. Furthermore, our associates are volunteering in more ways every day. In honor of National Volunteer Month, here are just some of the incredible ways that FACTS have given back to their local communities:

• United Way Day of Caring: Last fall, associates participated in United Way’s Day of Caring by volunteering at locations throughout Lincoln, including the Food Bank of Lincoln, YWCA Lincoln, and TeamMates of Lincoln. Volunteer activities included passing out meals, providing childcare for special needs children, and putting together community service program kits. This is only part of our ongoing partnership with the organization; in 2019, we raised over $1 million for local United Way organizations.
• Virtual Food Drives: Even during the pandemic, our team found ways to give back. Associates donated a total of 1,300 meals to those in need during the holiday season.
• CASA: We were proud to spotlight Product Owner Laura Faurot when she became a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) late last year. CASAs volunteer their time as advocates for abused and neglected children in the child welfare system, helping to ease the strain on social workers and prevent anything from falling through the cracks. Laura completed many hours of training to receive this designation and shared her story in our weekly newsletter, hopefully inspiring others to pursue this incredible volunteer opportunity.
• City Impact: In December, members of our team participated in City Impact’s Gifts of Love event, which helps those needing assistance shop for discounted Christmas gifts that have been donated by local organizations (including Nelnet). Associates helped shoppers select gifts, stay on budget, and check out, as well as assisting with inventory.
• Gianna’s Women’s Home: Early this year, team members wrapped up an ongoing service project with St. Gianna’s Women’s Home by donating cash for items the center may need – including clothes, books, toys, and other essentials.
• Little Free Libraries: In 2021, one of our team’s ongoing service projects was to collect books and distribute them throughout their local community as part of Little Free Libraries, the public bookcases that encourage locals to add and borrow books as they please. Associates began collecting books in the summer, with the Texas team wrapping up the project in December. Overall, the team contributed over 1,000 books to local Little Free Libraries.
• Heartland Hope Mission: Associates in our Lincoln and Omaha offices collected and delivered canned goods, clothing, and household items to Heartland Hope Mission, an organization that provides working families struggling to make ends meet with essentials.
• Oak Grove Elementary School: After her daughter accepted a teaching position at this small Title 1 school in Texas and shared her students’ dire need for clothing, Phelecia Leitch, FACTS Regional Vice President – Sales K-12, worked with her church to donate and deliver over 1,500 items of clothing to Oak Grove Elementary School. We highlighted Phelicia’s story in our weekly newsletter, encouraging associates to take action when they see ways they can help.

Thanks to all the FACTS associates that are making their communities better places to live and work every day! We can’t wait to continue creating volunteer opportunities and helping our associates engage with causes they’re passionate about throughout 2022 and beyond. To learn more about how you can make a difference through volunteering in your community, visit www.volunteermatch.org to find upcoming opportunities near you.

 

Elevate 2022 will be here before you know it – and it’s time to start planning your experience! With over 100 sessions to choose from, however, we know it can be challenging to decide where exactly to spend your day. That’s why we’ve been compiling our top picks throughout our Elevate Session Preview series, with previous installments on the best sessions for business managers and enrollment managers.

Today we’re sharing our top sessions for K-12 Advancement & Marketing Professionals! Whether you make all these presentations or just a handful, we know you’ll leave with tons of new information to share with your school. We can’t wait to see you there!

Growing Support Through Recurring Gifts – by Randy Hawthorne, FACTS Giving Product Manager at FACTS

Building a predictable revenue stream is important to your organization. This frees you to focus on other fundraising efforts, knowing you don’t have to chase pledges and worry about relying on “the usual” months to reach your fundraising goals. In this session, you’ll learn how to build compelling campaigns for your recurring gift program to strengthen relationships and ultimately increase lifetime value of your donors.

There’s Only Me! Running an Advancement Office of One – by Lee-Ann Pepicelli-Murray, K-12 Technical Sales Engineer at FACTS

So, you’re a department of one and are juggling advancement, communications, social media, parent & alumni relations, your website, and more. Since you don’t have more hours in the day than anyone else, join us for some pro-tips on how to make all this work possible. We will talk about best practices, automation, and some tips to reach your goals and still have a little time for family and sleep!

Building Social Capital to Grow Your Network – by Randy Hawthorne, FACTS Giving Product Manager at FACTS

Having a rivaled human network, Randy will share with you some pro-tips to cultivate yours, even if you claim to be an introvert. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll gain clarity on how you present yourself, set goals for why you would want to grow your network, and learn network-expanding tools.

Tell the Story, Launch a School – by Dan Rogers, Partner at Mission by Design

Catholic schools are failing because they don’t convey value – they assume an audience, and ultimately, success. We’ll share the process we used to launch a new school from the ground up – raising $20M with a video a dream – and how you can too.

Getting Started on Capital Campaigns – by Lee-Ann Pepicelli-Murray, K-12 Technical Sales Engineer at FACTS

Are you thinking you are ready to take the next big step and start a Capital Campaign? Make sure you are set up for success – learn more about what you need to have in place before you even start thinking about kicking off a project, and what the first few steps will be. We will talk through preparation, best practices, and the four phases of a successful capital campaign.

The Marketing Jumpstart – by Kurt Lewis, Consultant at Education Marketing Solutions

This action-packed hour of techniques, tips, and tricks will kick your marketing efforts into high gear! Kurt Lewis provides practical advice on topics including value propositions, parent ambassadors, websites, and financial aid.

Effective Marketing Strategies to Reach Prospective Parents – by Dr. Rick Newberry, President at Enrollment Catalyst

Is your school the best kept secret in your community? Are you effectively reaching prospective parents for your admissions pipeline? During this workshop, we will discuss effective marketing strategies that you can implement to reach prospective parents. From word-of-mouth to online marketing strategies, you will learn the most effective strategies to generate interest in your school.

Next Level Web Strategies – by Kurt Lewis, Consultant at Education Marketing Solutions

Your online presence gives a prospective parent their first – and sometimes only – impression of your school. Kurt Lewis shares tried and tested best practices for school websites, high-impact social media posts, and paid online advertising.

Make sure you don’t miss these – and dozens of other exciting sessions – by registering for Elevate 2022 here and joining us this July 11-14 in Dallas!

For more information on sessions and speakers, view the Elevate 2022 Agenda.

Why should I send my child to your school?

When a prospective parent arrives at your website, they want that question answered and they want it answered quickly. They don’t want to scroll. They don’t want to read your About section. They want to take a quick look at your homepage and say, “Hmm, this school looks really good. I think I want to know more about them.”

How can we grab a parent’s attention and answer that key question quickly? The design and layout of your website are part of the answer, but the savvy school shopper is looking for your Diamond.

A Diamond is a simple phrase that captures the essence of your school. Most commonly, a Diamond is a tagline, motto, or set of core values.

It is often said that a school’s website is a book that tells their story. That is certainly not a bad approach. A website desperately needs a through-line. It should feel like an interconnected story rather than disjointed pages.

Instead of a book, though, I recommend thinking of your website as a thesis paper. The title of that paper is, “St. Anonymous School is the Right Choice for Your Student.” Then, just under that, your Diamond is your thesis statement. It is the core reason parents should select your school above all others. Every page of your website should serve as evidence supporting your thesis.

The reason I call it a Diamond is that it should be shiny, beautiful, and eye-catching. You have mined the raw elements of your school’s brand – your mission, vision, values, etc. – and condensed them into this perfect gem. Let’s look at some examples.

Diamond Type 1: Tagline

Example: “Success Starts Here”

Taglines are the most common type of Diamond you will find on school websites. A tagline is slick and punchy, but it can appear to be too general if is not explored throughout the site. In order to truly be a Diamond, a tagline like “Success Starts Here” demands examples both of how the school prepares students to succeed and of the successes achieved by alumni. Taglines that are too specific or wordy are also not ideal. Avoid taglines like, “Teaching Responsibly, Learning Faithfully, Loving Fully, and Leading Bravely Since 1958.” Instead, you might consider something like our next example.

Diamond Type 2: Core Values

Example: “Learning. Loving. Leading.”

A classic advertising strategy is to use a set of core values (typically three) as a Diamond. I think it is a terrific way to go, and I particularly love when they are alliterative as in the example above. It is simple to take these values and sprinkle them throughout your site. Use them as headings on your About page. Define how you both teach and demonstrate these values. Whenever one of these values shows up on a page of your website, call it out by bolding or using a different font color.

Diamond Type 3: Motto

Example: “Verso l’alto!” (“Reach for the Heights!”)

Your school motto – whether in Italian, Latin, English, or another language – can make for an excellent Diamond, but only if it is easy to understand and is not dated. I have come across schools with Latin mottos which were not translated anywhere on the site. I have seen other mottos which were clearly meaningful to students at the time they were written, but have lost their relevance over the years. “Verso l’alto” is the motto for a school named after Pier Giorgio Frassati, who was both a mountain climber and a passionate evangelist. That motto ties perfectly both to the school’s namesake and to their mission of encouraging students to strive for excellence, making it an excellent Diamond.

 

 For additional school marketing strategies, visit KurtTheMarketer.com.

While FACTS’ suite of connected products and programs can do many great things for schools, one of the best is help them manage their families’ financial situations. From helping determine available aid to covering fees for families in need, FACTS makes it easy for both schools and families to stay on track. Here are a few of the many financial management features available through FACTS:

Financial Summaries

The grant and aid awarding season presents challenges that can pull at the purse strings and tug at the heart strings. The Financial Summary report allows your school to make difficult grant and aid decisions by offering a wide range of information to inform the process. Information provided includes:

• Concise breakdowns of income and assets vs. expenses of applicants
• The ability of an applicant to meet the financial obligation presented through tuition charges
• Ranking of the family within all who are applying to your institution
• The applicant’s standing with regards to Title I (Free and Reduced Lunch) and what percentage of the Federal Poverty Guideline

By utilizing these tools, your institution will be able to make sound and equitable choices with regards to providing financial assistance to the families who need it the most.

Paying FACTS Fees for Customer

Did you know that FACTS fees can be paid for the consumer by the institution? This means that if a school believes a family shouldn’t have to pay the FACTS fee for financial hardship or any other reason, it’s easy to cover the fee themselves. A school user can simply adjust the fee in the consumer account and FACTS will collect funds directly from the school. This can be a helpful solution for covering fees owed to FACTS so that students can be rolled forward in the roster while payment fees are reassigned in Continuous Enrollment.

To learn more about this process, as well as access a step-by-step guide to paying these fees, please visit this HubHelp article. Make sure you are logged into FACTS before viewing.

Removing Awards

Anyone that’s ever written a paper knows that editing is sometimes the hardest part of the process. Luckily, if your institution is using both FACTS Grant & Aid and FACTS Tuition Management, editing or removing financial aid is a straightforward process.

Whether there was an error in the award amount or a family chooses not to accept the financial award, here are the steps to complete the return. If a correction has already been made on the payment plan for the returned award(s), you may start with step 6.

1. Once logged in, hover over Payment Activity and select Agreements.
2. Click Post Grant & Aid Awards from the links on the left side of the screen.
3. Click on #Transactions Created within the Convert Awards to Transactions step.
4. Select the transaction(s) you wish to delete.
5. Click Delete Selected to remove the converted transactions.
6. Click on #Awards to Convert within the Convert Awards to Transactions step to remove the award.
7. Select the award(s) you wish to remove.
8. Click Remove Awards.
9. To confirm the removal of the award(s), click Remove Awards again.
10. Once Remove Awards is selected, the full award amount is pushed back to Grant Management.

Visit HubHelp for more information on this process, as well as many more helpful articles!

In celebration of Women’s History Month, FACTS has been reflecting on the courage of past generations of women who fought for the opportunities women have access to today. It’s also been a great chance to celebrate the influential women in our lives right now. Fortunately for our team at FACTS, we don’t need to look far to find examples of women making a difference – our team is filled with incredible women in leadership positions.

As a company focused on education and payment technology solutions, we’re especially grateful to have these women on board, as data shows that women are only at the c-suite level at 6 percent of financial technology companies. Women are woefully underrepresented across the finance and technology industries in general, holding only 24 percent and 28 percent of leadership roles respectively. When factoring in additional challenges women face in the workplace, like battling stereotypes and increased rates of burnout and microaggressions, it’s clear that the path to leadership is anything but easy.

Despite these challenges, it’s important to keep pushing forward, as data shows that when women hold leadership roles, everyone wins – especially in technology. Tech companies where 30 percent of leaders are women have a 15 percent increase in profitability compared to those with no female leaders. Fortunately, one of the best ways to increase the number of women in leadership is well within our reach – representation, with women across all age ranges stating that strong role models are crucial to their own success in the workplace. In this spirit of representation, we spoke to some of the incredible women in leadership roles here at FACTS to learn some of their keys to success and what advice they have for the next generation of leaders.

Don’t Get Too Caught Up in Your Plan

DeeAnn Wenger, President, Nelnet Business Services: I didn’t necessarily aspire to be a leader. In fact, when I was approached about leading my first team, I turned it down. I only wanted to be accountable for my work, not that of other people. I was highly encouraged to accept the position; however, and it ended up changing my goals and my career.

Becky Pollock, President, Nelnet Payment Services: I didn’t envision my career as it is today. When I pursued a career in accounting, I had a goal to be a CFO, which I accomplished before the age of 40. Early in my career, I realized I loved the concept of revenue creation, but desired a closer connection to the end customer. So, I asked for an opportunity to lead a business.

Jackie Strohbehn, President, Nelnet Campus Commerce: Since a very young age, I aspired to be in leadership roles, but I would call my path to leadership unconventional and heavily shaped by mentors, leaders, friends, and family. The journey and experience of getting to where I am have been more valuable than the success itself.

Jodi Spethman, Chief Marketing Officer, Nelnet Business Services: My path to my current position has not been linear and certainly not a path I had planned for myself. It’s been more like a game of Frogger! I’ve served in various roles across different business lines within the company and feel strongly about continuing education and learning with each new opportunity. I hope I never stop learning.

Danielle Egr, Chief Technology Officer, Nelnet Business Services: I didn’t envision my career as it is today, as IT was not a path I thought I’d take. I received great advice to not focus on title when considering a new position, but instead the personal growth and contribution the position could bring. I’m a planner, so taking away the expectation that my career progress along a prescribed path of job titles was very freeing for me. It allowed me to take side-steps to broaden my experience in ways I’d never be able to do otherwise.

Never Be Afraid to Ask Questions

Egr: When I started in IT, there were very few women in formal leadership positions. I was often the only woman in a room of leaders and was even more intimidated because I was not in IT from the start of my career, and everyone seemed to know way more than me. Then I had my “Aha!” moment. One of my colleagues made a comment that I knew was not accurate, but he said it as if it were fact. Most of the people in the room were nodding in agreement until I respectfully challenged him and then everyone was nodding with me. That’s when I realized we’re all doing the best we can and none of us have all the answers. If I don’t understand, I ask questions. It’s not a weakness; it’s how we all learn. It would be worse if I didn’t ask the question and make bad assumptions.

Pollock: I recommend to individuals that I mentor to not be afraid to always ask why. Knowledge and expertise help to build confidence in yourself and allow you to hold your own in conversations and brainstorming in business discussions.

Strohbehn: It’s so important to never be afraid to ask questions. I believe that every problem presents multiple opportunities to come up with a creative solution and engaging thoughts and opinions from your peers makes problem-solving even better.

Turn Challenges into Motivation

Strohbehn: Watching the challenges my mother faced as a woman in a male-dominated industry inspired me not only to be a leader, but to press on, take even more risks, and never question that it was my choice to try, even if someone told me no. Many years before joining Nelnet Campus Commerce, someone told me to my face that I would not succeed in my role because I was young and a woman. This fueled my desire to prove him wrong. Moments like these continue to inspire me. Even if I fail, I will know I tried and that I did so with strong conviction and by staying true to myself.

Spethman: I have certainly encountered my share of moments in my career where there have been inappropriate comments made by male colleagues or leaders about my looks or others’ when the focus should have been on our abilities. While these comments can be temporarily demoralizing, I have never found that they held me back. Instead, they’ve given me even more drive and determination to succeed.

Egr: I’ve encountered a few leaders throughout my career who I felt trusted my male peers over me since there weren’t many women in IT at the time. However, I was always able to prove myself in those situations, so it never significantly affected my success.

Create Your Own Opportunities

Pollock: From an early age, I was encouraged to go beyond what was asked of me; so instead of waiting until I was given a new role to demonstrate new skills, I would volunteer for projects and take on tasks that were outside my current responsibilities. I also look for problems businesses or consumers are having and brainstorm ways to solve them. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas.

Spethman: My stepdad always encouraged me to be independent and stand on my own, and I’ve brought those traits into my career. I’ve always approached my roles with curiosity and raised my hand to take on projects or additional responsibilities. I believe your opportunities are driven by you and not necessarily by your circumstances.

Focus on What’s Within Your Control

Strohbehn: One of my favorite pieces of advice I’ve been given is to choose your attitude. We cannot control much in this world, but we can control how we respond and how we act toward others. The women I look up to, like my mother and peer female leaders, all work incredibly hard with smiles on their faces. They are also extremely supportive of each other, which creates an exceptional environment to thrive in.

Wenger: My best advice is to know when to stand up for yourself and know when to let something go. You shouldn’t fight every battle. Leaders have to work through some challenging situations and showing a little grace and treating everyone with respect goes a long way in building relationships.

Egr: Be coachable. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Take action on constructive feedback.

Grow Through Community

Pollock: Participate in your community by joining committees, boards, or non-profit organizations. This will not only help you build relationships and gain confidence working with people you don’t know but will also allow you to gain leadership skills outside your organization. Putting in this work and time helped me to grow as a leader and see challenges and opportunities I wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Strohbehn: When you find people throughout your career who inspire you or are great at what they do, keep those people in your life. Stay connected to them, ask them for their opinion, and thank them for their time. More often than not, people will want to help you and may even learn something from you as well.

Be a Team Player

Spethman: One of my favorite parts of my position is helping my team accomplish their individual and professional development goals. Seeing them become more confident in their craft and helping them achieve success gives me a great sense of satisfaction. Knowing that I am representing my team and not just myself is also a huge confidence booster for me as a leader. Pushing for what I believe will help my team gives me drive and courage.

Egr: My career goals have always been based on purpose, continued learning, and working with others. When I consider new positions, it’s not about title or leadership credentials. It’s about personal growth and the contribution I can make to the team and organization’s success.

Wenger: I have a passion for business strategy and creating ways for sustainable growth, but more importantly, I want to be a great boss – somebody that makes a difference in the careers of those I work with. I care deeply about the people on my team and want them to be happy and successful. If I can help them achieve their dreams, that gives me tremendous satisfaction.

Pollock: I was raised by parents who emphasized characteristics of servant leadership. Valuing and caring for people, helping others succeed, and pursuing success as a team is what defines a good day for me.

Bring Your Authentic Self to Work Every Day

Wenger: One of my best pieces of advice to the next generation of women in leadership is to bring your authentic self to work every day.

Strohbehn: Stay true to your authentic self. I have found at times in my career, especially in a male dominated sector, I felt I needed to change my appearance, only say certain words, quiet my opinion, or stay silent when I should speak up. This never feels good in the long run and ultimately shortchanges both you and your organization. Trust your gut; it is so often right. Women tend to ignore it…don’t! Your opinion is worthy of being heard. Diversity of thought is what spawns innovation.

Egr: I now focus more on learning and being authentic to myself and less about what others think of me. To be authentic you need to know yourself and be true to what drives and excites you. Find positions or projects that align with those characteristics. Be curious so you’re always learning and growing.

With role models like these to guide the way, we can’t wait to usher in future generations of women in leadership at FACTS!

As the weather starts to heat up and the end of the school year gets closer and closer, summer is on everyone’s mind. Whether you plan to spend your summer catching up on sleep or jet-setting from vacation to vacation, if you’re a business manager at a K-12 school, there’s one summer experience you won’t want to miss – Elevate 2022!

Our annual conference is back in person this year in Dallas, Texas from July 11^th to 14th and will feature over 100 speaking sessions, networking opportunities, and more. While every Elevate session is full of useful information that can benefit all attendees, we’ve grouped sessions into Thought Leadership categories in an effort to highlight sessions that will be most beneficial to certain people.

If you work in a school business office, you’re probably involved in a little bit of everything that goes on at your school. Don’t worry about running from session to session, however – we’ve got you covered with this helpful cheat sheet of our top picks. We can’t wait to see you there!

Resiliency Through Sustainability: Combining Purchasing Power for a More Sustainable Community – by Victor Engel, Nelnet Renewable Energy

It’s time to think beyond rooftop solar. Most K-12 schools simply do not have enough rooftop space for a significantly sized solar array. By combining the purchasing power of multiple institutions, coalitions of K-12 schools can invest in large-scale solar projects that cover their entire collective electrical load – bringing energy resiliency, cost savings in the millions of dollars, and a cleaner local environment to your community. Energy and financial resiliency will only become more important in the years to come with a volatile energy market and increasingly destructive natural weather events. This session will illuminate how to secure your future with clean energy, powering the next generation.

Catholic Schools in Times of Change – by Mark Majeski, Associate Superintendent of Schools, Diocese of St. Petersburg

Small Catholic schools must sustain programs and services much like their public-school partners. What sources and tools can you use to lessen the impact of these expectations?

Partnering for Success – by Ernie Garcia, Director of Finance & Al Mendoza, Systems Manager, Diocese of Orange

After much success during the last few years, we’ve launched a diocesan-wide initiative to leverage FACTS and its applications to enhance day-to-day processes that impact internal organizational operations and enhance the customer (families) experience. Our results have directly impacted increased revenues and decreased costs, adding incredible value to the mission of our Catholic Schools.

A Better Back Office for Private Schools – by Jonathan Boulos, CEO, St. Joseph Financial Services

How can you protect your school or schools in your diocese from being susceptible to labor shortages and frequent absences? Our model combines learning and processing advantages to get the most out of FACTS.

Financial Aid Awarding Strategies – by Alisa Evans, Managing Partner at Mission Enrollment Strategy Solutions

How do you balance the need calculation, funding available, and the intricacies of families changing financial situations?  What is that “right” amount for a family – not too much, not too little?  Alisa Evans, Managing Partner at Mission Enrollment Strategy Solutions, LLC will give insight on how she makes these tough decisions and leverages financial aid to enhance enrollment, retention, and financial stability for both parents and the schools she works with.

Visit the Elevate 2022 Agenda for up-to-date information on speakers, session times, and more.

Still haven’t registered yet? Reserve your spot here to join us July 11-14 in Dallas!

From our keynote speaker, Angela Maiers, to our intensive pre-conference workshops perfect for FACTS beginners, there’s a perfect session for everyone this July 11-14 at Elevate 2022. This year’s conference in Dallas will feature over 100 sessions, covering topics like finance, communications and marketing, database management, and more.  

With so many sessions to choose from, however, it can almost seem overwhelming to decide which ones to attend – especially if you’re in charge of enrollment management at your school and have your eye on nearly all the sessions. That’s why we’ve pulled together this handy list of our top five professional development sessions for enrollment managers. Use this as a guide to start planning how you’ll make the most out of your Elevate 2022 experience, but feel free to explore all the sessions that interest you. With so much to offer, you’re guaranteed to never get bored! 

Effective Retention Strategies to Keep Your Families Enrolled – By Dr. Rick Newberry, CEO of Enrollment Catalyst 

Are you concerned about retention for the new school year? Do you have a retention plan in place to keep your families enrolled? During this workshop, we will discuss effective strategies you can implement to keep your families enrolled, highlighting ways that you can inspire your school community to focus on their role in the retention effort. 

The Marketing Jumpstart – By Kurt Lewis, Consultant at Education Marketing Solutions 

This action-packed hour of techniques, tips, and tricks will kick your marketing efforts into high gear! Kurt Lewis will provide practical advice on topics including value propositions, parent ambassadors, websites, and financial aid. 

Supercharge your Enrollment! 7 Quick and Easy Steps to a Full & Engaged Funnel – By Jesse Roberts, CEO of Unbound 360

In this interactive session, Jesse Roberts will provide tips, tricks, and strategies to get the most out of your admission efforts, whether you are an office of one or twenty-one staff members. 

Using FACTS for Continuous Enrollment – By Tracy Smith, Enrollment Specialist at FACTS 

Is Continuous Enrollment right for your school? Learn more about the anatomy of Continuous Enrollment and the various options you have in FACTS to support this enrollment practice. Hear about all the ins and outs and decide which option is best for your school. 

What’s New in FACTS Application & Enrollment? – By Courtney Haindel, FACTS Product Marketing Manager 

Would you believe us if we said almost everything? Application and Enrollment has changed a lot. This session is designed to help you understand all the new features released in the past two years – from reporting and easier bulk communication to checklist upgrades, tasks, events, and so much more! 

For up-to-date information on session times, speakers, and more, view our full Elevate 2022 agenda. 

Still haven’t registered yet? Reserve your spot here.  

Over the years, advancements in technology have increased our reliance on it. Almost every aspect of our life is integrated with technology, from how we shop and do our banking to how we communicate with family and friends. One of the parts of our lives most significantly impacted by technology is education. Gone are the days when exposure to technology in schools was limited to computer classes where students learned how to type on one of the school’s few computers and devices were prohibited on campus.

Today, technology is everywhere in schools – and at every level of education, from elementary school through university. With various education systems, apps, software, and devices created to make learning more easily accessible, more schools are utilizing these educational methods. In fact, many schools are extremely reliant on these new technologies, with modern amenities quickly becoming the norm for classrooms and administrative offices. While there may be growing pains setting up new edtech, schools soon find themselves reaping the rewards of modernization.

As schools throughout the world begin realizing how important it is to embrace technology and integrate it with their traditional setups, finding the right educational software for the job is key. Let’s take a closer look at what these products are and how they can solve day-to-day challenges in schools.

What EdTech is Essential?

Some traditionalists are still skeptical about the way technology works with education. The global pandemic has proven, however, both how important it is for schools to have technology solutions in place and how well these methods can work. As classes were forced to move online, we’ve seen firsthand how embracing technology allows schools to ensure that learning does not stop for unexpected situations. Here are a few examples.

Student Information Systems. An SIS keeps your school apprised of all student, teacher and family information in one system – such as grades, attendance, lesson plans, student medical information, transcripts, lunch orders, and much more. It reduces the number of places schools have to keep track of data, and provides reporting on almost every aspect of your institution. Teachers also love how much time they’re able to save. With educational software, they can store all their lesson plans and learning materials in one convenient location, freeing up room on their desks and in their filing cabinets. They can also record and review grades digitally, eliminating the chances of human error when manually recording grades.

Learning Management Systems. A variety of learning management tools have popped up over the years that help students prepare for university, make teachers lives easier, and provide data to help schools strategize. The best ones integrate seamlessly with your student information system. If a student misses a day of school, they can quickly get access to their homework – all they need to do is log into the school account to access all their study materials, with no need for requesting makeup assignments or contacting their teacher to see what they’ve missed. Another bonus? The system is standardized, so students never need to worry about unfair grading.

Admissions Tools. Prospective families are searching for your school online. And if there isn’t an online way for them to inquire, apply, and enroll for your school, they may move on to a more modern (sophisticated?) institution. FACTS Application & Enrollment allows your school see the full picture of your admissions funnel, so you can forecast enrollment trends at your school and accurately budget for upcoming school years.

Mobile Apps for Learning and Communication. There are countless educational systems and apps designed to examine and nurture the student from wherever they are located. They also allow schools to instantly communicate with families through push notifications. Imagine having all of the online tools your school uses in one school-branded place, plus the ability to message your families with important announcements. That’s what FACTS Family App provides.

These forms of technological education – such as student information and learning management systems – create efficiencies, as schools, students, and families can find everything under one roof. So, how does this software work?

Educational software like FACTS works to align the entire school and make it more inclusive.

The Solution to Common Problems

Unfortunately, many educational institutions still lag in adopting technology despite the many benefits of integrating it into their schools. Some of the most common problems that can be addressed with educational technology include:

• Lack of security for important student information
• Increasing stacks of years of paperwork that need to be kept for records
• Communication delays between teachers, administration, and students
• Loss of education due to circumstances like the pandemic or extended unplanned absences
• An unsustainable learning environment that uses large amounts of resources that negatively affect both the environment and the school’s budget
• Wasted time due to tasks such as checking papers and attendance which could be done within seconds digitally
• Increasing complaints from parents who feel as if they are excluded from their child’s academic life

With a modern world that is constantly solving problems with technology, educational software like FACTS can create a much better, efficient learning environment for students, teachers, parents, and administrators. From making it possible for students to learn from home to promoting sustainability and healthy learning environments, the time is now to embrace technology in the classroom.

Keeping security a priority while relieving the compliance burden

Keeping payment compliance top of mind is critical as businesses evolve with modern technologies, changing school policies, and an ever-changing world. Although maintaining this compliance for cloud-based software is incredibly important, it can also feel demanding at times. Regular audits and reports, as well as a highly knowledgeable staff, are all essential to keep payment security prioritized at a school.

So how can schools keep the security of the cardholder and their information as a top priority without burdening themselves with endless work?  Schools have a choice here: install a software application on site and maintain PCI DSS compliance for all payments processed or partner with an SaaS vendor or ASP who maintains the software to meet that PCI DSS compliance for you, reducing compliance scope. Do you know which choice you’ve made?

What is PCI DSS compliance? 

Payment processing applications are governed primarily by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), which maintains security policies and procedures based on requirements from major payment brands like VISA.

PCI DSS covers:

• The security of the environments that store, process, or transmit account data
• Requirements for the security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, secure software design, security awareness training, and other critical protective measures

The Payment Application-Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) is derived from the PCI DSS and details payment application requirements to be PCI DSS compliant.

When a school purchases a PA-DSS validated product, they receive not only the software application, but also the responsibilities for:

• The infrastructure support and maintenance that will support the application
• The installation of the application in a PCI DSS compliant manner
• The maintenance, administration, and support of the application within a PCI DSS environment

These responsibilities are a lot of work for a school. IT staff will have to use a vendor implementation guide to install the application on-site in a PCI DSS compliant manner. The PA-DSS software is required to meet the applicable PCI DSS requirements, which include:

• Having a process for securely deleting stored cardholder data that exceeds defined retention
• Configuring and patching systems supporting the application to meet configuration standards
• Implementing file integrity management, anti-virus, and audit logging on the systems that support the application

Phew!

Compliance requirements vary depending on the number of transactions processed annually by your school. A smaller school with fewer transactions per year may be able to complete a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) to assess security for cardholder data, but a larger school that processes a high volume of payment transactions may be required to work with a PCI Qualified Security Assessor to complete a more in-depth assessment.

How to relieve the compliance burden at your school

Looking for an alternative? One way to reduce this compliance scope is to choose a vendor-hosted solution or SaaS software solution for your school. With these solutions, the application software provider is responsible for ensuring the hosted environment is secure, greatly reducing the burden on the school.

When a school decides to use FACTS’ PCI DSS validated SaaS solutions, they can feel confident knowing that we adhere to industry-leading PCI standards to manage our network, secure our cloud-based applications, and set strong policies across our organization. We even have our own cyber security group, which works closely with the corporate cybersecurity group of our parent company Nelnet, Inc. Together, we have an array of experts in compliance and security.

FACTS is assessed as a Level 1 PCI DSS Service Provider, which means that we are responsible to ensure that:

• A PCI DSS assessment is completed annually by an external PCI Qualified Security Assessor (PCI QSA)
• A vulnerability management process is in place that includes regular scans and penetration testing as well as timely patching based on risk
• The application is developed, installed, configured, and maintained to meet or exceed PCI DSS requirements
• Security appliances are in place and monitored, and engineering staff are alerted of any anomalies
• Incident response, disaster recovery, and business continuity plans are in place, tested, and validated

We ensure that PCI compliance is part of our standard process in a number of ways, including:

• Monitoring security controls
• Reviewing hardware and software technologies to ensure they are supported by the vendor and meet security standards
• Evaluating changes to the environment or the organizational structure
• Performing periodic reviews and communications to confirm all PCI DSS requirements continue to be in place and personnel are following secure processes
• Verifying that appropriate evidence is maintained to assist in the PCI DSS compliance assessment

Trust between school and vendor

While protecting cardholder data is key, schools must consider the full scope of their compliance responsibilities. To best serve school constituents, including students, alumni, donors, and other stakeholders, schools must be able to provide flexible payment options that are both mobile-friendly and fully secure.

Schools can rest assured that FACTS has taken the appropriate steps to secure the data they’ve entrusted to us, and in doing so, are committed to relieving their institutional compliance burden.

The shift to remote learning and hybrid work was already becoming common before the COVID-19 pandemic completely changed how schools operate. When students are learning from home or school staff is working out of the office, technology is crucial to maintaining day-to-day routines. Unfortunately, just as schools have learned to adapt and use technology to handle this new normal, so have cybercriminals.

TechTarget partners with SearchSecurity to educate people on security industry knowledge. Their purpose is to explore topics and best practices on issues like data security and strategies, threat detection, network security, and web security tools. TechTarget recently published an article about the increasing amount of cybersecurity threats and attacks schools are experiencing. Here are some of the key takeaways:

Cybersecurity Threats Behind the Increase

The article states that there are three main types of cybersecurity threats:

1. Ransomware
2. Zoombombing
3. Phishing

Being aware of these common cybersecurity threats allows your school to prioritize technical and non-technical defenses, like security awareness training for students, teachers, school administrators, staff, and parents. Let’s take a closer look at these common threats.

Ransomware

Ransomware attacks are becoming more common because there is an increase of software availability. These attacks occur when cyber criminals take control of a school’s software until a ransom is paid. During this time, the criminals can take any information, including student and parent financial data. The longer the ransom takes to be resolved, the more information the cybercriminal obtains.

The article cites an example of a citywide ransom attack that forced Hartford Public Schools to postpone their first day of classes when a software system responsible for delivering real-time information on bus routes was impacted. The Hartford mayor said that over 200 of their 300 computer servers were affected. This is only one of the many ransomware attacks targeting schools throughout the country.

Zoombombing

Zoombombing is when an unwanted internet troll or hacker gets into a private video conference call. This type of attack causes disruption and damage. Luckily, according to Check Point security engineer Maya Levine, schools can take steps to avoid this.

“Zoombombing is one type of attack we’ll likely see but it can be avoided pretty easily if teachers take advantage of and utilize the security features offered by the platform,” she says. She warns schools, however, that other cybersecurity threats can pose serious problems to entire districts. “Denial of service attacks will be incredibly disruptive to schools, like the one recently in the Rialto district,” she explains.

Phishing

Phishing, as defined by the Federal Trade Commission, is when scammers use text messages or emails to trick an individual into giving out their personal information. For example, a hacker could send out an email to school employees that looks like the actual emails they receive from their school. An employee may quickly open and respond to the phishing email without knowing how much harm they are doing. Phishing affects countless people throughout the country on a daily basis, with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reporting that people lost $57 million to phishing schemes in one year.

Security Recommendations

The TechTarget article suggests a few basis steps for schools to reduce the threat of cyberattacks. These include:

• Security training for school administrators and staff to prevent phishing attacks
• Implementing better access control for remote learning tools and platforms
• Giving parents the ability to freeze their children’s credit to prevent identity theft
• Educating students about online safety, including not clicking on free item offers, accessing online games safely, and not filling out forms with their personal information and/or school credentials

The entire school community can serve as the first line of defense for school data and should be trained accordingly to recognize, avoid, and report any situation that can affect the safety of the school’s information. Security training should be provided periodically throughout the year to continually reinforce cybersecurity awareness. Schools can take additional steps to help support training and awareness by putting posters throughout the school, creating printed handbooks for quick reference, or creating online learning lessons via an LMS.

For information about various types of cybersecurity threats, download our Glossary of School Cybersecurity Terms.

While many of us know the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL) for students, providing teachers with similar tools can be just as beneficial for schools – especially in a world that’s been turned upside down by COVID-19. Educators have always had their hands full but are now tasked with not only navigating the changes and uncertainty of the pandemic, but also supporting their students through this crisis. It’s become clearer that prioritizing the mental health of teachers is a critical component in addressing the needs of students and communities. To put it simply, if we don’t take care of teachers, we can’t take care of students.

One of the easiest ways to see the effects of not prioritizing teachers’ mental health is retention rates. While teacher turnover has been a pervasive problem in school districts throughout the country, with nearly 40% of all teachers leaving the profession within their first five years, rates have increased dramatically since the pandemic began. In fact, 1 in 4 teachers considered leaving their job in 2021. Teachers that leave the field cite many different reasons for their departures, but one of the biggest common themes is overall lack of support. So what can schools do to create a supportive environment for educators and keep them in the classroom?

The Link Between Teacher SEL and Retention

Many experts agree that the answer may be in SEL training and resources that allow administrators to support teachers’ mental health needs, demonstrating how valued and heard they are. A recent study from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and the Collaborative for Social Emotional and Academic Learning (CASEL) of 5,000 teachers found that they are more in need of SEL than ever before, citing anxiety and stress related to the pandemic.

“Meeting the social-emotional needs of students, staff, and communities resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic is every educator’s number one priority,” explains Greg Walcott, author of Significant 72: Unleashing the Power of Relationships in Today’s Schools. “The past two years have not only brought about new levels of stress and anxiety, but have made more apparent the equity, financial, and learning gaps prevalent across the globe. This reality has left educators feeling unprepared to meet the needs of their students and themselves. Quality professional development during this time is crucial not only to student and staff well-being, but staff retention as well.”

Research supports Walcott’s position, with a strong link seen between SEL and teacher retention rates. CASEL reports that teachers with more highly developed emotional skills report greater job satisfaction and less burnout. These teachers also have better relationships with their students and administrators, creating an overall more positive work environment that fosters retention. With 80% of educators from across 15 countries stating that positive emotions and emotional well-being are crucial to success in the classroom, it’s clear that SEL can no longer be just for students if we want to slow down teacher turnover.

Teacher SEL in Action

Schools that know the true value of SEL take steps to ensure that this approach is implemented schoolwide, with a focus on adult learning serving as one of the key indicators that the school is taking a systemic approach to SEL. In these settings, staff have regular opportunities to cultivate their own social, emotional, and cultural competences, just as students are encouraged to do. Educators are also able to collaborate with one another, build trusting relationships, and maintain a strong community.

A schoolwide SEL approach doesn’t just mean creating a supportive environment, however; it’s important to take concrete steps to find ways to support staff SEL efforts. This can include encouraging teachers to create their own personalized SEL professional learning plans, creating a culture of appreciation, or implementing and modeling a growth mindset across the school. It can also include providing dedicated opportunities for teacher self-care and re-energizing, as well as putting in place other retention tools and programs for teachers to participate in.

One of the best – and most underutilized – SEL tools for teacher retention is coaching. Teacher coaching creates a personalized path for educators to develop the skills they need to manage the daily stresses of teaching. It allows teachers to focus on their social-emotional needs, increasing their confidence in both their teaching abilities and their ability to handle stressful situations. By giving teachers the tools they need to focus on their mental health, they’ll feel more confident facing new challenges and ultimately staying in the profession.

Incorporating SEL into other programs like mentoring, professional development, and teacher leadership opportunities can also help to build a stable workforce and minimize teacher turnover. In the same way that teachers are encouraged to gain professional skills, they should be encouraged to develop social-emotional skills – especially new teachers. “The more supported teachers are in their early careers, the more likely they are to stay in the profession,” explains Laurie VanderPloeg, Director of the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs.

With teachers ranking personal resources to support mental and physical health as the second-most helpful contribution in educator well-being, second only to more personal time throughout the day, it’s clear that establishing formal SEL programs is worth the investment. SEL opportunities like coaching programs and mentorships should be easy for teachers to access, demonstrating not only that their hard work is appreciated, but that there are programs in place to help them keep growing within their roles.

Final Thoughts

While students will always be the focus of education, it’s important to ensure that teachers are taken care of too. Just as students need a safe emotional environment to learn, teachers need to know their mental health is a priority to provide the best education to their students. Investing in SEL programs not only creates better learning outcomes, but also fosters an environment that teachers are happy to work in for years to come.

As an organization that works with education-related businesses daily, it’s fitting that a learning mindset is a fundamental part of FACTS. From mentorship programs and coffee chats to podcasts and book clubs, FACTS offers countless opportunities for associates to learn and develop, creating the awesome work environment that makes up one of our core values.

One of the most exciting and robust learning options offered to associates is Nelnet University. This expansive platform offers asynchronous and instructor-led courses, cohorts, micro-degree programs, personalized coaching, and more to associates across all Nelnet’s business lines – including FACTS. Courses cover a wide range of topics, giving associates the opportunity to upskill, reskill, and pursue topics that interest them both personally and professionally.

With 94% of employees stating that they would stay at a company longer if it invested in helping them to learn, educational resources are no longer optional for businesses. “The conversation is no longer about what I can do for my employer; it’s about what they can do for me. How can I grow with them?” explains Nycci Jones, Director of Organizational Development & Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Nelnet and founder of Nelnet University. “We definitely meet that demand with Nelnet University.”

What Is Nelnet University?

The initial idea for Nelnet University was fittingly born in a college classroom. While Jones was studying for her PhD, she was inspired by a lecture by Dr. David Vance, founder of the successful Caterpillar University at Caterpillar Inc., on the ROI of learning. Thinking back on previous conversations with colleagues about associate training being outsourced, Jones began thinking about how beneficial it would be for her own company to offer a way for associates to learn, develop, and grow within the walls of the organization. By 2018, Nelnet University was up and running.

“The programs were built very intentionally so we can meet people where they are at all stages of their careers,” says Jones. “We want people to be able to learn on a daily basis.” And learn they have. Since its inception, associates have completed over 70,000 courses through Nelnet University, choosing from over 800 unique course offerings. In 2021 alone, use of the OnDemand library increased by 124%. In fact, Nelnet University alumni now make up nearly 50% of the total active workforce at Nelnet.

While learning remains the primary focus of Nelnet University, it’s also a powerful retention and engagement tool. “If an employee is in a six-month program, you’re retaining an employee for six months. You’re engaging them for six months. You put them in these programs and let them flourish,” states Jones.

The statistics speak for themselves. 94% of employees that have enrolled in a Nelnet University class are still employed within the organization and 44.3% of enrolled individuals have been promoted. In 2021, Nelnet even took home a BEST award from the Association for Talent Development, awarded to organizations with exceptional employee talent development.

So what exactly makes this award-winning program so successful? Let’s take a closer look at what’s in store once you enroll in Nelnet University.

Class is in Session

Nelnet University is comprised of four distinct schools, each offering different course materials for associates in all stages of their careers. The courses are designed to be built upon, with associates working through each progressively advanced school. Each school offers an executive-sanctioned cohort with a capstone project, which Jones explains speaks to how much the executives back the program and want to foster a culture of learning.

The School of Professional Development

The first school is the School of Professional Development, which is open to all employees and contains a staggering amount of learning materials. Chances are, if you want to learn something, you can learn it through the School of Professional Development. One of the most popular offerings within this school is the OnDemand Library, constantly updated with new courses covering everything from coding to photography. These courses are asynchronous and available outside the portal, meaning associates can access them anytime, anywhere.

This school is also home to FlexEd, which offers over 30 course packets with multiple units that allow associates to dive deeper into topics, the Basic Business Writing program, and the Preparing for Leadership cohort. Open to anyone in the company, this six-month cohort teaches associates the skills necessary for leadership, as well as how to become promotable. Participants also get to broaden their network, learning from people across the company and gaining access to Q and A’s, lunches, and more with head company executives.

One of the most unique learning opportunities within the School of Professional Development is the micro degree program. Through a partnership with edX, associates can take virtual courses from universities throughout the country, including Ivy League schools, to earn a micro bachelor’s or micro master’s degree. Associates not only get the opportunity to put this leadership course on their resumes, but can also put the credentials towards their degree if they continue with a formal program.

The School of Leadership

The second school within Nelnet University is the School of Leadership, intentionally designed to build on the skills gained in the School of Professional Development. As Jones explains, “People typically get promoted because they’re really good at their jobs. So they’re a subject matter expert, but do they have the skill set to actually lead people? We set up this program to address that.”

The school contains two cohorts, Emerging Leaders and Steps to Supervisory Success. Emerging Leaders helps team leaders gain the skills they need to successfully manage a team. Topics run the gamut from how to give constructive feedback to how to communicate in a diverse environment, establishing the skills leaders need to thrive in the workplace. Steps to Supervisory Success is the next step in the journey to leadership, delving into more important subjects for supervisors, like authentic leadership, delegation, and establishing strong team values.

As with all cohorts, enrolled associates will have the ability to learn from not only the course materials, but also the executives sponsoring the program. An added bonus? Both cohorts within the school are accredited at the MBA level, giving associates another opportunity to get a head start on degrees that can further increase their chances of promotions.

The School of Business Acumen

The path to leadership continues in the third school at Nelnet University, the School of Business Acumen. Open to managers on up, this school was designed to help associates in leadership roles broaden their scope as they move into manager roles, shifting focus from their specific department to the overall organization. This is achieved through an eleven-month program called IGNITE, where associates learn to see from an enterprise-wide perspective, employing new strategic thinking as they tackle course topics like change management, negotiation, and more.

The School of IT

The fourth and newest school in Nelnet University is the School of IT. As part of Nelnet University’s mission to meet employees where they’re at in their careers, Jones realized that certain groups might be missing out. “I realized that we were missing a big population of people. There’s a certain set of associates that need continuous education – and that’s IT,” she explains.

Nelnet University then set out to bring this continuous education in-house, partnering with the IT Team to ensure that the learning IT professionals need can be done through the university. The school includes opportunities for redevelopment, reskilling, upskilling, and pre- and post-assessments. Associates are also able to access learning paths and certification preps that help them prepare for the important certifications that are part of working in the IT field.

Extra Credit

Still hungry for knowledge? In addition to four robust schools of learning, Nelnet University also offers coaching, team building, and consulting. A team of certified internal coaches are available to coach individuals and teams on virtually anything, employing 360s, individual development plans, and more to help associates reach specific goals. This is a great way to move from theory into practice, with a designated coach to help associates make a plan and then check in to ensure that they’re staying on target.

The Nelnet University team takes the same approach to Team Building by building custom trainings after consulting with teams on their specific needs. From working on better communication to creating a psychologically safe space for a team at odds, Nelnet University works with teams on an individual basis to create programs designed to help them build successful work environments.

The Future

With Nelnet University celebrating its 5^th anniversary next year, the team continues to look for new ways to create learning for every part of the organization. Jones reveals that the team is about to launch a new campaign called NU 4 You, designed to bring learning opportunities to associates working in contact centers. “These associates are speaking to our core values by providing superior customer service to our customers, but they spend a lot of time on the phone and have to meet certain matrices. We wanted to find a way to get them involved,” states Jones.

NU 4 You solves for this, offering associates the chance to do bi-weekly trainings through the OnDemand catalog, as well as participate in associate resource groups and mentor programs. “It’s so exciting because we’re tapping into an area that is not only the most diverse throughout our organization, but also has the most people,” Jones explains. By bringing a new group of employees into the fold of Nelnet University, the team has found yet another way to meet associates exactly where they are.

From this exciting upcoming program to the expansive course offerings already available, it’s clear that FACTS will continue to invest in the learning mindset that drives the organization. From the newest associate to the most seasoned executive, it’s programs like Nelnet University that make lifelong learning possible.

What do some of the world’s top companies like Google, Goldman Sachs, and Adobe have in common? They all take great steps to foster a learning mindset throughout their organizations. This approach to company culture, also referred to as a growth mindset, is defined by psychologist Carol Dweck as the idea that individuals’ talents are not innate gifts, but skills that can be developed through good strategies, hard work, and input from others. When entire companies adopt this mindset, they put more energy into learning and take advantage of people’s natural instincts to learn throughout our lives – to great company-wide success.

The corporate learning industry is a $360 billion industry and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. With surveys from as far back as 2018 showing that opportunities for employee development is second to only the nature of the work itself in workplace happiness, LinkedIn’s 2021 Workplace Learning Report shows that companies are starting to make changes to reflect this. 59% of companies surveyed stated that employee upskilling and reskilling were a top priority for them over the last year, while 51% reported that creating opportunities for internal mobility was especially important.

From Project Lightbulb at Allstate, where team members are encouraged to spend a half day every week learning new things, to Adobe’s Learning Fund that provides $10,000 to employees for education and certifications, companies have committed to prioritizing learning. A growth mindset reaps far more benefits than just employees picking up new skills; it’s truly a rising tide that lifts all boats.

While it’s impossible to quantify all the ways a learning mindset can benefit your business, here are some of the top perks to adopting this approach:

#1 It helps employee retention rate.

By now, we’ve probably all heard of the Great Resignation, with 4.53 million Americans quitting their jobs in November 2021 alone. Employee retention has become more important than ever, with companies across all industries scrambling for ways to keep their workforce happy. Though there’s no magic formula for preventing employees from quitting, creating an environment where learning is encouraged has proven to improve employee satisfaction. LinkedIn reports that employees that spend time at work learning are 47% less likely to be stressed, 39% more likely to feel productive, and 21% more likely to feel confident – key factors in overall workplace happiness and retention. We’ve seen this firsthand here at FACTS, with an 94% employee retention rate for associates that have enrolled in a course through Nelnet University.

#2 It helps attract top talent.

LinkedIn’s research also shows that the inability to grow and learn is employees’ number one reason for leaving a position, ranking roughly twice as important as the inability to be promoted or get a raise. In other words, once people feel like they’re not growing, they’ll look for new employment. Creating a growth mindset in your organization with clearly defined paths to learning and upskilling makes your company attractive to not only new employees, but to top talent looking to grow long-term in their roles.

#3 It motivates employees to take on new challenges.

When companies create a culture that champions learning and development, employees feel more comfortable tackling new challenges. Employees that spent time learning at work reported feeling 23% more ready to take on additional responsibilities than those that don’t. This allows companies to promote from their own talent pool and expand into new business areas. As employees successfully master new skills – and maybe even share what they’ve learned with others – their confidence increases, further adding to workplace happiness.

#4 It “future proofs” your business.

We’ve seen over the last few years how important it is to be able to pivot your business plan quickly. The COVID-19 pandemic sped up digital adoption rates by several years, with companies embracing new technologies and interacting with customers digitally more than ever. This led to growing pains for many organizations as skill gaps emerged in their workforce. Companies with learning mindsets that were already continuously upskilling their employees, however, were much better equipped to adapt to these changes. In a digital transformation study from MIT and Deloitte, it was found that among high performing companies, 73% of employees updated their skills every 6 months and 44% updated them continuously. It’s clear that investing in learning is no longer optional to stay on top in 2022 and beyond.

Simple Ways to Build a Learning Mindset in Your Company

• Bring learning into channels your employees are already using. Most employees spend a lot of their day in Teams, Slack, and SharePoint. Create a learning channel within these tools where employees can share resources and things they’ve learned in casual, approachable ways.
• Dedicate time for learning. While employees are more than willing to learn, they often don’t have the time do so. Create a policy of dedicated learning time and encourage employees to take advantage of it. It doesn’t have to be long to make a big difference.
• Make it easy. Putting all of your company’s learning resources in one central hub makes it easy for employees to quickly access them. Instead of employees searching YouTube and Google for resources, direct them to trainings compiled internally. While there are advantages to encouraging employees to seek out learning opportunities that interest them, oftentimes it’s easier to learn something that’s readily available.
• Don’t overlook email. Emails still make up a huge part of the average workday, with many employees keeping their inboxes open in the background all day. Company-wide emails are a great way to introduce “microlearning” to your team, with tiny snippets of easily digestible information they can quickly read during the day.

Since its founding in 1978, Mercy Ships has been pursuing one mission – bringing hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor. Utilizing hospital ships filled with volunteer professionals, the global nonprofit organization provides life-changing surgeries to people in impoverished countries.

Since over 50% of the world’s population lives near a coast, this unique sea-based approach to providing state-of-the-art medical care allows Mercy Ships to transcend borders and provide much-needed medical help to many vulnerable populations. The organization provides a range of medical services that the impoverished countries they serve can’t provide – including tumor removal, cataracts, cleft palates, orthopedics for kids, women’s surgeries, and more.

More than 1,200 volunteers from over 60 nations serve with Mercy Ships, including families and teachers who make a two-year commitment to the cause. As such, the ships need to provide full-time education for the children of volunteers. This led to the creation of Mercy Ships Academy. Accredited as an international Christian school with students from ten different countries, this school has partnered with FACTS for over ten years to manage an education system with unique and unconventional needs.

When the organization expanded from one ship (the Africa Mercy), to two ships (with the addition of the Global Mercy), they needed help scaling their education solution to a larger, more complex operation. That’s when FACTS Regional Business Development representative Scott Smith saw an opportunity to waive Mercy Ships’ implementation fees – and help advance Nelnet’s commitment to service.

FACTS National Sales Manager Jim Owens and Director of Inside Sales Bo Abresch agreed with Scott and made the decision to implement the services free of charge. FACTS worked closely with Mercy Ships’ Education Data & Systems team to help the organization successfully transition from a one-ship education system to a more district-based model.

From managing data migration and implementation to providing redesigned student reports and remote access from the organization’s headquarters in Texas, FACTS’ partnership has helped Mercy Ships adapt their educational system to serve a new, larger wave of students and teachers.

In addition, the intuitive design of the FACTS solution makes it easy for teachers to quickly learn and utilize it in a way to better serve students. Meanwhile, for system administrators, the versatility of the FACTS solution and the service-driven focus of FACTS customer support team makes the constant optimization of school processes efficient and hassle-free.

Identify at-risk students earlier and easier

As educators and students around the world can attest to, the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the importance of being able to shift our perspectives. From redefining what it means to be together to what exactly a classroom looks like, we’ve had to adjust to a constantly changing environment. Technology has played a huge role in shifting these perspectives, providing the tools needed to keep up with changes, as well as a way to connect with the outside world as we sheltered in place.

Even with the best technology available, learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic affected schools worldwide, disrupting education for 1.6 billion students at its peak, according to a recent report by the World Bank, UNESCO, and UNICEF. Students experienced critical declines in learning in important subjects like math and literacy, as well as in social-emotional development. Many schools are turning to classroom intervention, tutoring, or after-school services as part of learning recovery, but it can be difficult to determine which students need the most help.

Shifting the Perspective on Data

The key to identifying learning loss in students may be as simple as reframing the data schools receive through their student information system (SIS). When viewed holistically, data received from an SIS like FACTS can help schools predict trends and proactively identify students showing signs of learning loss. While identifying learning loss has traditionally relied on a hunch from a teacher, knowing what signs to look for across different data sets provided by a school’s SIS or learning management system (LMS) offers welcome support for educators stretched thin with the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.

Data That Indicates Potential Learning Loss

So what sort of data are we talking about? While there’s no perfect algorithm to identify learning loss, reading between the lines of available data can help teachers identify students that need help catching up. From attendance to behavior, here are some of the key indicators that leaders and teachers should look for in their SIS and LMS in order to intervene as soon as possible.

Declining Grades or Test Scores

One of the clearest ways to identify learning loss is a decline in a student’s grades or scores. Consulting firm McKinsey found that first through sixth graders were an average of five months behind in math and four months behind in reading after the 2020-2021 school year, which can lead to lower scores on assessments.

With an SIS like FACTS, parents and tutors have access to online reports of assignments, quizzes, and test scores daily, allowing them to get involved in academic progress. Analytics can help identify students that are falling behind in the classroom and what topics they’re struggling with, making it easier for educators to identify trends and adapt lesson plans based on students’ learning levels.

Incomplete or Missing Assignments

Learning loss doesn’t apply only to academic subject matter. Due to the constant changes and upheaval of the previous school year, many students disengaged from school altogether, forgetting the behaviors and mindsets instilled in them through in-person instruction. This lack of commitment and interest can lead to incomplete or missing assignments.

Using an SIS or LMS allows teachers to quickly and easily access gradebook data to identify which students are not completing their assignments. Systems may also allow for teacher comments, providing a record of specific areas in which a student may be experiencing a decline in learning, as well as further information for parents and tutors to work with students at home.

Behavior Events

Looking at student behavior is another way to identify learning loss. When students don’t understand the material being covered, they might act out in order to hide or avoid subjects that are difficult for them. Personal difficulties may also lead a student to display a lack of interest, motivation, or engagement – which has a direct result on their performance, grades, and overall behavior.

Leaders can make use of behavior reports via their school’s SIS to identify behavior concerns that, when viewed in conjunction with low test scores or unfinished work, point to learning decline. These reports also provide invaluable information to parents who may not be aware of how their child is adapting to returning to the classroom or switching to a new style of learning.

Attendance Trends

Poor attendance is often the first and most obvious sign of learning loss. While some students struggle to attend virtual or hybrid classes, others may be struggling to reintegrate into a physical classroom. Growing absenteeism has been reported, likely reflecting quarantine regulations and other challenges unique to education during a pandemic.

Leaders and teachers can identify students with poor attendance easily through data available via their SIS or LMS, as with FACTS’ Excessive Absent/Tardy – Student Report. Reports like these allow educators to see what students are not receiving the instruction needed to keep on track with learning goals and identify learning loss before it becomes a serious problem.

Parent Communication History

If a student’s parents are frequently being contacted by their child’s teachers regarding bad behavior, missing assignments, or poor grades, it’s possible that learning loss may be to blame. Communication logs within an SIS allow schools to keep track of emails sent to parents regarding students’ progress and needs. When a threshold set by a school has been met, it may be an indicator that learning decline is occurring and intervention may be necessary.

Keeping track of these communications is especially helpful if a student has multiple teachers that may not be able to communicate with each other about an individual student’s progress or performance. Logs allow both schools and parents to get a sense of a student’s overall performance and identify academic issues as soon as possible.

Although there’s no one-size-fits-all formula to identify learning loss, shifting our perspectives on what the student data we’re so used to seeing means is a great place to start. With an SIS that keeps different sets of data in one convenient location, it’s easier to notice similarities between reports and identify trends that can point to learning loss in students that teachers may not have initially suspected. While recognizing learning loss is only the first step in learning recovery, the sooner it’s identified, the sooner schools can move forward in preparing students to face the challenges of a changing world.

Learn more about FACTS Student Information and Learning Management System here.

Donor retention is the heartbeat of any thriving non-profit or educational institution. It’s the secret sauce to not just surviving but flourishing in a competitive landscape. But let’s face it, keeping donors engaged and continuously supportive is no walk in the park. It requires a blend of heartfelt communication, strategic engagement, and leveraging the right tools—like FACTS Giving—to keep the momentum going. As you start planning your spring fundraising efforts, here are our top tips on how you can master donor retention and create a lasting impact.

1. Personalize Your Communication

Personalization is key. Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all communication. Donors want to feel special, understood, and genuinely appreciated. Use data to tailor your messages, acknowledging past contributions, specific interests, and how their support has made a difference. FACTS Giving can help segment your donor base, enabling personalized outreach that resonates and reinforces their importance to your cause.

2. Implement a Robust Donor Stewardship Program

Stewardship is all about building and maintaining relationships. A robust program includes regular updates, thank-you notes, and opportunities for donors to see their contributions in action. With FACTS Giving, you can automate many of these processes, ensuring consistent and timely interactions that keep donors in the loop and engaged with your organization’s progress.

3. Offer Flexible Giving Options

Flexibility in giving options is a game-changer. People are more likely to donate if they can do so in a way that suits their preferences and financial situation. FACTS Giving provides a versatile platform that supports one-time gifts, recurring donations, and pledges, making it easy for donors to contribute in a way that’s meaningful and convenient for them.

4. Engage with Donors Beyond the Ask

Engagement shouldn’t always be about asking for money. Create opportunities for donors to get involved in other ways, whether through volunteering, attending events, or participating in community forums. FACTS Giving can track these engagements, helping you understand your donors’ interests and how they prefer to be involved with your organization.

5. Measure and Share Your Impact

Transparency and accountability go a long way in retaining donors. Use FACTS Giving to measure the impact of donations and share these outcomes through compelling stories and reports. Showing donors the tangible results of their generosity fosters a deeper connection and a sense of partnership in your shared mission.

6. Leverage Technology for Seamless Donor Experiences

In today’s digital age, a seamless online giving experience is non-negotiable. FACTS Giving offers a user-friendly, secure platform that makes donating simple and straightforward, plus text-to-give functionality that make donating easier than ever. This ease of use encourages repeat donations and can significantly improve donor retention rates.

7. Cultivate a Culture of Gratitude

A culture of gratitude within your organization can transform your donor retention strategy. Regular, heartfelt expressions of thanks, personalized acknowledgments, and special recognition events make donors feel valued and respected. FACTS Giving’s tools can help you automate thank-you messages and manage donor recognition programs efficiently.

8. Regularly Review and Adjust Your Strategies

The landscape of donor engagement is ever evolving. Regularly reviewing your strategies and leveraging FACTS Giving’s analytics can provide insights into what’s working and what needs tweaking. Be prepared to adjust your approaches based on donor feedback and changing trends to keep your retention strategies fresh and effective.

Donor retention is an ongoing journey of engagement, appreciation, and strategic communication. By implementing these strategies and leveraging the power of FACTS Giving, your organization can foster lasting relationships with donors, ensuring a steady stream of support for your mission. Remember, every donor interaction is an opportunity to reinforce their importance to your cause and to inspire continued generosity.

Looking to elevate your donor management strategy? Dive deeper into how FACTS Giving can transform your fundraising efforts and help you keep your donors engaged for the long haul.