-->
CX Connect
SpeechTEK
CRM Evolution
Smart Customer Service
Digital Experience Conference
Get SpeechTech eWeekly in your inbox -
Sign up for free
toggle menu
Speech Recognition
Customer Self Service
Virtual Assistants
Analytics
Artificial Intelligence
More Topics
Chatbots
Customer Interaction Technologies
Development Tools and APIs
Intelligent Agents
Internet of Things (IoT)
Mobile Solutions
Natural Language, Machine/Cognitive Learning
Omnichannel Technology
Smart Devices
Speaker Identification and Authentication
Speaker Verification/Biometrics
Speech to Text
Text to Speech
Translation/Globalization/Localization Services
Usability Testing
User Interface Design
Visual IVR
Voice Control
Voice Search
Workforce Optimization Solutions
Industry Solutions
Advertising
Assistive Technology
Automotive/Telematics
Call Centers
Consumer Electronics
Education
Entertainment/Gaming/Toys/Robotics
Financial Services/Insurance
Government/Security
Healthcare/Pharmaceuticals
Manufacturing/Distribution/Warehouse
Retail
Travel/Hospitality
Home
Subscribe
Magazine
Newsletter
Download Current Issue
Previous Issues
RSS Feeds
News
In Depth
Features
Industry Voices
Speech Technology Case Studies and Market Spotlights
Columns
Q&A
White Papers
Industry Research
Webinars
Resources
Speech Technology Magazine's Reference Guide
Speech Industry Awards
Current Issue
Previous Issues
Conferences
CX Connect
SpeechTEK
CRM Evolution
Smart Customer Service
Digital Experience Conference
Past Conferences
About
Contact Us
How To Advertise
Reference Guide
Media Kit
Editorial Calendar
Editorial Submissions
June 1, 2004
Speech Technology News
Parents Tap Speech Technologies to Get More Involved In Child's Education
NEW YORK
, NY
- The New York City Department of Education (NYC DOE) boasts the largest school system in the country, with nearly 1.2 million kids, more than 1,200 schools and 80,000 teachers. The school system is organized into 10 regions across the city, with each region containing two, three or four community school districts as well as the high schools located within their geographic boundaries.
It is widely understood that when parents are involved in their child's education, the children do better at school. As a result, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein have been encouraging more parent participation, and this year the NYC DOE hired parent coordinators who are working on site in
New York schools to address parent concerns and encourage parent involvement.
In addition to human resources, the NYC DOE is exploring ways that technology can make schools more efficient and parent-friendly. It made several commitments to exploring how technology can be used to provide parents with better access to information and get them more engaged in their child's education. One of these methods involves working with Microsoft Corp. and Intervoice Inc. to develop a voice-enabled telephony application for parents to check such things as their child's attendance record, course grades and lunch menu for the day. Much of this information is already available to the parents via the NYC DOE Web site, but the NYC DOE is using speech technologies to enable accessibility to this information for parents who don't have consistent access to a computer.
"The mayor, the chancellor and others are very concerned about parents who do not have access to computers, or who are not computer literate," said Richard Langford, deputy chief information officer for the NYC DOE. "We've all heard about this Digital Divide, and it's particularly evident in urban areas. We have a large number of parents who are not comfortable with a computer. But telephones are accessible and easy to use, and they are quite comfortable with them."
It's not just the Digital Divide that can present a barrier to information. Working parents often find it difficult to juggle their schedules to attend school functions in person. Using Microsoft speech technologies, they have access to information 24x7, Langford says. "Our relationship with Microsoft has really been excellent," Langford said. "And the opportunities for speech technology in the school system are enormous.
Free
for qualified subscribers
Subscribe Now
Current Issue
Past Issues
Please enable JavaScript to view the
comments powered by Disqus.
Site Sponsors
Web Events
Meeting the Rising Demand for Voice-Based Biometric Systems
Coming December 03, 2024
More Web Events
Popular Articles
2024 Speech Industry Award Winner: SoundHound Drives Voice AI’s Expansion
The Top Speech Technologies and Vendors: The 2024 Speech Industry Awards
2024 Speech Industry Award Winner: Capacity Deepens Voice and Contact Center Capabilities with Acquisitions
2024 Speech Industry Award Winner: aiOla Speaks Your Business’ Unique Language