New FeaturesAdmins can validate student identity at the beginning and end of a section NexPort now has a new assignment type; Student Verification Assignment. This assignment type will allow admins and instructors to require a student to correctly answer a question about their profile. EnhancementsAdd CreateSubscription API Method & Recalculate Training Plan Enrollment Subscriptions can now be directly created using the web api. Bug FixesThe impersonate courseware assignment option should obey the permissions of the enrollment group The impersonate student option for courseware assignments was using the group/org the section belonged to to calculate permissions. This meant many instructors and administrators were unable to access the feature if the section was shared from elsewhere. It now obeys the permissions of the org the enrollment belongs to. High school completion leads to increased earnings and contribution to local economy, plus higher postsecondary enrollment rates ![]() For graduates like city employee Willie Chaviz, a high school diploma is a direct path to career advancement. Chaviz, age 53, was promoted to General Supervisor of the Public Works Department after earning his diploma. He is pictured here with Chesapeake Public Library Director Amanda Jackson (middle) and Chesapeake City Manager Christopher Price (right). The Library of Virginia has just announced that it will expand its partnership with Career Online High School (COHS) to the Richmond Public Library, Handley Regional Library, and Rockbridge Regional Library. This means that adult residents in Frederick, Clarke, Bath, and Rockbridge counties, as well as the cities of Winchester, Lexington, and Buena Vista, can now earn a high school diploma at no cost them. “The Library of Virginia is dedicated to supporting lifelong learning for all,” said Nan Carmack, Director of Library Development and Networking. “We are excited to offer this opportunity, as well.” A leader in adult high school education, COHS has been delivered in select Virginia libraries since 2016. Recognizing the program’s economic impact and societal value in cities like Chesapeake where it is currently offered, the state library decided to grow the program to additional regions. “This is a wonderful program to support our vision of being an exceptional place to live, learn, and work,” said City Manager Christopher Price at a recent Chesapeake Public Library graduation ceremony. “We work to recruit companies to come here….They want a talented workforce, an educated workforce—and getting that diploma is critical. Congratulations on behalf of a grateful city. We look forward to you deploying your talents in our city for many years to come.” “You’ve talked about the impact this will have on your own life but don’t forget the impact you have on this entire room of people,” added Chesapeake Public Library Director Amanda Jackson. “You are like a pebble in the water making ripples that go on further than you will ever know.” According to the 2020 US Census Bureau report, over 835,000 Virginia adults age 25+ lack a high school diploma, making it difficult for them to advance their education or career. The impact of increasing Virginia’s graduation rate in terms of earnings, contribution, and postsecondary enrollment is illustrated in this Alliance for Excellent Education infographic. In addition to the high school diploma, students earn a workforce certificate in one of 10 career paths. COHS provides a flexible online classroom, extensive support services, and personal academic coaches to help them succeed. Upon graduation, 76% of students intend to matriculate into postsecondary education in community colleges, state universities, and vocational programs. “Libraries offer a safe, supportive environment to foster learning and community. Our online education program for adults is a natural extension of library services that empower adults to learn and grow,” said COHS Superintendent of Schools Dr. Howard Liebman. “COHS students can receive support from library staff as well as from our academic coaches. Together, they help students achieve their goals.” To learn more about the program in Virginia, including how to enroll and available scholarship opportunities, visit va.careeronlinehs.org. About the Library of VirginiaThe Library of Virginia is one of the oldest agencies of Virginia government, founded in 1823 to preserve and provide access to the state’s incomparable printed and manuscript holdings. Its collection, which has grown steadily through the years, is the most comprehensive resource in the world for the study of Virginia history, culture, and government with over 130 million items in the collections. The Library also engages the public through in-person and virtual events, education programs, and online resources that reach nearly 4 million individuals each year throughout the commonwealth and beyond. The Library also supports Virginia public libraries by providing consulting, programs, and learning resources, as well as managing financial support as funded by the General Assembly. Learn more at www.lva.virginia.gov. About Career Online High SchoolCOHS is part of Smart Horizons Career Online Education, the world’s first accredited online school district. COHS was designed to reengage adults and older youth in the education system and prepare them for the workplace or postsecondary education. The program includes a vocational certificate in career pathways such as home care professional, childcare, office management, security professional, commercial driving, retail customer service, food services, hospitality, manufacturing, and general career preparation. COHS is currently available through scholarships in more than 2,000 library locations throughout the U.S. To date, over 13,500 students have graduated from the district. For more information, visit www.shcoe.org. NexPort Solutions Can HelpOur team has decades of experience assisting organizations in delivering their training online. Our Learning Management Platform, NexPort, is trusted by Fortune 500 Companies and educational institutions, managing millions of enrollments. NexPort is a high availability, cloud based service that allows our partners to host one or many campuses. NexPort Analytics allows in-depth analysis of student behavior and progress while NexPort Campus allows partners to manage students, instructors, and curriculum for online delivery. To learn more about what we can do for your organization contact us today.
Certificate Templates have a WYSIWYG editor
Admins can create Html Certificate Templates in Manage Campus Certificates Organization Tool. This new feature will make it easier for certificate editors to edit and maintain certificates directly in NexPort. Certificate editors will no longer need to use a PDF editor to make changes to their certificate templates. Certificate Templates can have multiple pages and they can be laid out in either a portrait or landscape style. Here are a few features of the new certificate editor:
Ability to export test questions in same format as "Question Upload Template" Question bank administrators can now export a question bank to an excel spreadsheet. The sheet is in the same format as the upload spreadsheet. This would allow exporting a question bank elsewhere or editing outside of NexPort then uploading again. Training Plans and Sections should list the catalogs they are in Administrators can now see a listing of all catalogs to which a training plan or section is assigned. Media Library Management should be its own tool in Manage Campus Added Media Library as a Group Tool in Manage Campus. The Media Library is moved out of the Documents tool and is now its own tool. Nathaly Zepeda joined Career Online High School (COHS) in 2021, bringing strengths in language and a passion for helping students achieve their goals and overcome their fears. “Every Academic Coach brings unique talents, backgrounds, and skillsets that they can leverage and share with the team,” she explained. “I can lean on my fellow COHS coaches and Academic Support Instructors when a student of mine has a specific area of need. I admit, I’m not a math whiz. So if one of my students is struggling, I put them in touch with a Math Academic Support Instructor or share other resources to ensure they get the additional help they need.” “It’s all about the students,” Zepeda said. “Returning to a learning environment as an adult—getting back to being a student—can trigger past trauma. My goal is for students to know that I’m here—we’re all here—to help them work through it.” From elementary to college to finding her sweet spot at COHS Now a certified teacher, Zepeda first discovered her passion for helping students succeed working in an elementary after-school setting. “I found that I had a way of getting through to students and that motivated me to keep on this path, of guiding and encouraging others to pursue their goals in spite of obstacles,” she said. She went on to work with college students, and then with at-risk youth at a nonprofit organization. “There I learned that every student is unique—and every student is capable of reaching their goals with a combination of abundant encouragement and endless determination,” she explained. Meeting adult students where they are (hint: they’re online) Personalized academic support is just one of the reasons Zepeda felt compelled to join COHS. “In today’s world, with technology ever advancing, COHS offers a truly viable option for adults who want to earn their high school diploma, but can’t attend a traditional brick-and-mortar school,” she shared. Zepeda values the program’s online accessibility, as well as the flexibility students have to complete coursework on their own time and schedule. “I wholeheartedly believe in our mission,” she said. “I tell my students, as long as you do the work, you’ll get through it. And in the meantime, I’m here to lend an ear when you’re struggling—whether it’s with a specific course, a specific subject, or life in general. We’re in this together.” See the original post here. NexPort Solutions Can HelpOur team has decades of experience assisting organizations in delivering their training online. Our Learning Management Platform, NexPort, is trusted by Fortune 500 Companies and educational institutions, managing millions of enrollments. NexPort is a high availability, cloud based service that allows our partners to host one or many campuses. NexPort Analytics allows in-depth analysis of student behavior and progress while NexPort Campus allows partners to manage students, instructors, and curriculum for online delivery. To learn more about what we can do for your organization contact us today.
![]() Smart Horizons Career Online Education, a NexPort Solutions Partner, has been named a 2021 Cognia™ School of Distinction for excellence in education. Cognia, the global nonprofit school improvement organization, recognized 59 schools and 20 systems across the globe as Schools of Distinction. Smart Horizons Career Online Education is part of Cognia’s inaugural Schools of Distinction program that recognizes pre-K–12 education institutions that exemplify excellence in education and service to learners. Cognia selected Smart Horizons Career Online Education as one of the 59 schools and 20 systems out of more than 1,200 institutions that were eligible for its 2021 Cognia Schools of Distinction. “We are honored to be recognized as a Cognia School System of Distinction,” said Dr. Howard Liebman, Superintendent of Schools for Smart Horizons Career Online Education. “This certainly validates our work and continued success in re-engaging adults into the educational system.” Smart Horizons Career Online Education first earned Cognia Accreditation in 2011 and reaccreditation in 2016 and 2021. Smart Horizons Career Online Education participated in Cognia’s rigorous Accreditation Engagement Review process, which is based on research-based performance standards. The process includes a third-party review by education experts of evidence, interviews, and classroom observations. The evaluation covers Leadership Capacity, Learning Capacity, and Resource Capacity, as well as a demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement. “Smart Horizons Career Online Education is to be commended on their award as a School of Distinction,” said Dr. Mark A. Elgart, President and CEO of Cognia. “Cognia Accreditation is already a mark of distinction recognized around the world. Being named a School or District of Distinction further recognizes the commitment to excellence in education Smart Horizons Career Online Education has for its learners,” he added. For Cognia Global Network member institutions, Cognia offers an opportunity to be further recognized as a school or system of distinction in the year in which an accreditation engagement review is held. Unlike the typical five-year accreditation cycle, this new program recognizes institutions that have hosted a Cognia Accreditation Engagement Review within the recognition year. Learn more about Cognia membership online at Cognia.org. Read the original article here. NexPort Solutions Can HelpOur team has decades of experience assisting organizations in delivering their training online. Our Learning Management Platform, NexPort, is trusted by Fortune 500 Companies and educational institutions, managing millions of enrollments. NexPort is a high availability, cloud based service that allows our partners to host one or many campuses. NexPort Analytics allows in-depth analysis of student behavior and progress while NexPort Campus allows partners to manage students, instructors, and curriculum for online delivery. To learn more about what we can do for your organization contact us today.
The NexPort Campus 6.6.0 release introduces many enhancements and new features. These include enhancements to the media library, better paging and filtering of catalogs, editable notification templates, and improvements to the search capabilities in many areas. Most notable among the new features are the Web Conferencing Assignments which allow instructors and curriculum developers to schedule and launch Zoom meetings directly from an assignment in a section. Web Conferencing Assignments With the release of version 6.6.0 curriculum developers and instructors now have the option of including scheduled web conferences directly in their classrooms. Web Conferencing Assignments can be included one or many times in a section and allow instructors or other chosen panelists to interact with students. They can be used for webinars, workshops, lectures or any other virtual gathering. Attendance is tracked within NexPort and grades can be given manually or automatically. Furthermore recorded web conferences can be made available after the live conference is over. Notification Templates Administrators can now override the notification templates for many notifications NexPort sends out. The custom templates can include most VTL properties. This allows administrators to control outgoing messages such as notices of assignment status. These settings can be found under the Organization -> Customize Tool -> Notification Settings. Media Library Improvements The media library used for including media in the media assignment has received a few improvements. FIrst, we added the improved uploader that allows multiple file uploads and is more reliable. Paging has been added and the thumbnail previews improved. Paging and Search Improvements The Catalog tool is now paged and includes a search feature. Many of the paged lists and admin searches will now remember your last search term and page even when you leave and return. The ticket batch listing is now paginated and, finally, the Courseware Assignment now allows curriculum developers to search for courseware by manifest ID as well as by name. iSCORM Courseware Support The NexPort SCORM player now supports the iSCORM extension to the SCORM 1.2 specification. The IScorm Spec is a Super Set of the ADL SCORM 1.2 Specification. IScorm is designed to provide a few missing features to the SCORM 1.2 API while still supporting most of the original SCORM 1.2 specification. Here are a few goals:
Many Other Improvements NexPort Campus 6.6 introduces many other improvements. These include an upgraded data tier, better support for high availability clustering and many bug fixes. A list of cases is shown below. If you would like to have more detailed information about any of the features, enhancements, or cases please contact us. Clubs will offer high school diploma and job certificate program to the parents of the children they serve, creating a pathway to greater futures. Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County has announced that they will offer Smart Horizons Career Online High School (SHCOHS) to parents of the children enrolled in their various programs. SHCOHS will be provided free of charge in an effort to help parents earn an accredited high school diploma and improve their immediate and long-term employment outlook, while enhancing family stability.
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL, Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County serves over 12,500 youth ages 6 to 18 each year. Youth services and programs focus on everything from education, social recreation, health and physical education, to leadership and citizenship development, cultural enrichment, and personal adjustment with one-on-one counseling. “This program encompasses what Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County is trying to do—serve the family as a whole,” said Chris Gentile, the Co-CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County. “Having the ability to provide these resources for our Club parents not only creates a brighter future for them, but a brighter future for our youth.” Also based in Broward County, SHCOHS offers competency-based, workforce-aligned high school education for adults and older youths. The nationally accredited program blends flexible online delivery with extensive student support services and individual academic coaching. “Smart Horizons Career Online High School shows what Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County is doing for the community,” said Tom Godart, Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County Board Member. “This program can break the cycle and create many opportunities for the families we serve.” It is estimated that approximately 215,000 adults in Broward County lack a high school diploma, with more than 240,000 people living in poverty.1 Data show that high school graduates earn $250,000 more over the course of a lifetime,2 contributing an additional $957,600 to their local economy.3 In addition to a high school diploma, as part of the program parents will earn a workforce training certificate in fast-growing fields like home care services, food services, or commercial driving, or in career pathways such as retail customer service, security, child care, or office management. “We are pleased to be partnering with this local non-profit in an effort to break the cycle of poverty in our community,” said Dr. Howard Liebman, the Superintendent of Schools for the SHCOHS district. “Earning a high school diploma builds a critical pathway to brighter futures, opening doors to employment opportunities or further educational attainment.” About Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County The Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County is a nonprofit 501(C)(3) private agency. Founded in 1965, the mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County (BGCBC) is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. BGCBC’s goal is to provide world-class Club experiences that ensure success is within reach of every child who walks through the doors. They rely on funding raised by the Board of Directors, special events, general donations, corporate sponsors, foundation support, endowments along with various federal and local government grants related to services for at at-risk youth. For more information please contact 954-537-1010 or visit www.bgcbc.org. About Smart Horizons Career Online Education Founded in 2009, Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE) is a private, Cognia-accredited online school district. SHCOE offers online high school diploma programs designed to reengage adults and older youth in the educational system and prepare them for the workplace or postsecondary education. The high school program includes a vocational certificate in career pathways such as Home Care Professional, Child Care, Office Management, Security Professional, Commercial Driving, Retail Customer Service, Food and Hospitality, Hospitality and Leisure, and General Career Preparation. To date, more than 11,000 students have graduated from the SHCOE district. For more information, visit shcoe.org. NexPort Solutions Can Help Our team has decades of experience assisting organizations in delivering their training online. Our Learning Management Platform, NexPort, is trusted by Fortune 500 Companies and educational institutions, managing millions of enrollments. NexPort is a high availability, cloud based service that allows our partners to host one or many campuses. NexPort Analytics allows in-depth analysis of student behavior and progress while NexPort Campus allows partners to manage students, instructors, and curriculum for online delivery. To learn more about what we can do for your organization contact us today. Sources: 1 U.S. Census Bureau, Quick Facts, Broward County, Florida, https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/browardcountyflorida/PST045216. 2 Alliance for Excellent Education, The Graduation Effect: Every Student’s Potential to Influence a Community, a State, and the Nation, November 2017, http://impact.all4ed.org/. 3 2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Population Survey, www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm. We are pleased to announce the release of NexPort Market v0.2.5 with some great new upgrades and features. These features are now available to all of our Partners using NexPort Market. The new NexPort Market v0.2.5 includes features and enhancements can be seen in the following areas: * Customer Creation Process: ability to add or edit a customer registration field during or after the customer creation process. * Updated Training Page Layout: the new layout provides additional information related to the training. * Increased User Information: There is now more information available in NexPort Market when viewing users. NexPort Market allows Partners to brand and customize their own storefront to automate and integrate seamless access to their NexPort content. NexPort is constantly working with our Partners and studying the industry to find those things that are needed and can be improved upon to help our Partners focus on their core competencies and grow in their area of expertise. Many of our ideas and enhancements are a result of our relationship with our Partners. A listing of cases showing more detailed information about these features are listed below. For further information about the new release and capabilities, please contact us. Partner Spotlight: Smart Horizons Career Online Education Earns Reaccreditation by Cognia System7/14/2021
NexPort Solution's Partner, Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE), announced today that it has earned system reaccreditation by Cognia™ Accreditation Commission, a nonprofit organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts, and education service providers. Originally accredited in 2011, SHCOE’s 2021 reaccreditation is for a five-year term. Cognia, formerly AdvancED, recognizes school districts that demonstrate the following: rigorous standards that focus on productive learning environments, equitable resource allocation that meets the needs of learners, and effective leadership. Earning accreditation from the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission means that the SHCOE school district and all its schools are accredited, and that SHCOE is recognized nationally as a school system that meets Cognia Standards of Quality and maintains a commitment to continuous improvement. Dr. Howard Liebman, Superintendent of Schools stated, “Systems accreditation as conferred by the Cognia Global Accreditation Commission demonstrates to our stakeholders our commitment to excellence, our openness to external review and feedback, and our desire to be the best we can be on behalf of the students we serve.” Dr. Mark A. Elgart, President and CEO of Cognia, stated, “Cognia System Accreditation is a rigorous process that focuses the entire school system and its community on the primary goal of preparing lifelong learners in engaging environments where all students can flourish. SHCOE is to be commended for demonstrating that it has met high standards and is making progress on key indicators that impact student learning.” During the reaccreditation review, the Cognia team uncovered a deep sense of the “culture of hope” within SHCOE, noting the following themes: Academic coaching is the cornerstone of SHCOE’s programs and the academic coaching system provides excellent practices for adult learning. Partnerships with public libraries and corporations across the country provide rich connections between the adult students and SHCOE. SHCOE is a highly mission-directed and strategic organization with passionate leadership guiding the way. SHCOE is a data-rich and information-rich educational organization. Cognia is the parent organization of the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI). Parents and interested community members can learn more about the Cognia Accreditation at cognia.org. About Cognia Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, professional learning, and improvement services to institutions and other education providers. The result of the merger of AdvancED and Measured Progress, Cognia was formed to bridge the gap between school evaluation and student assessment. As a global nonprofit working in over 80 countries, our 36,000 institutions serve and support nearly 25 million students and five million educators every day. Cognia serves as trusted partner in advancing learning for all learners. Find out more at cognia.org. About Smart Horizons Career Online Education Founded in 2009, Smart Horizons Career Online Education (SHCOE) is the world’s first private accredited online school district. SHCOE offers online high school diploma programs designed to re-engage adults and older youth in the educational system and prepare them for the workplace or postsecondary education. The high school program includes a vocational certificate in career pathways such as home care professional, child care, office management, certified protection officer, homeland security, commercial driving, retail customer service, food services, hospitality, and general career preparation. For more information, visit shcoe.org. About NexPort SolutionsOur team has decades of experience assisting organizations in delivering their training online. Our Learning Management Platform, NexPort, is trusted by Fortune 500 Companies and educational institutions, managing millions of enrollments. NexPort is a high availability, cloud based service that allows our partners to host one or many online campuses. NexPort Analytics allows in-depth analysis of student behavior and progress while NexPort Campus allows partners to manage students, instructors, and curriculum for online delivery. To learn more about what we can do for your organization contact us today.
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About NexPort SolutionsNexPort Solutions Group is a division of Darwin Global, LLC, a systems and software engineering company that provides innovative, cost-effective training solutions and support for federal, state and local government, as well as the private sector. Archives
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