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New Book Empowers Teams to Create Effective Individualized Education Plans

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind., Nov. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Solution Tree Press announces the release of a new resource to empower teams to create effective and individualized education plans (IEPs) for K–12 students. In The Collaborative IEP: Working Together for Life-Changing Special Education, authors Kristen M. Bordonaro and Megan Clarke provide practical working knowledge of how collaborative teams can build stronger IEPs that lead to more robust instruction and learning.

As education systems increasingly prioritize personalized learning, the responsibility of IEP teams to ensure each student’s needs are met has never been more critical. The authors, seasoned experts in special education, provide clear, actionable steps to help teams design IEPs that are compliant and foster high-level learning outcomes.

Bordonaro and Clarke begin with the history of IEPs and why collaboration is essential to student success. They then break down the complexities of IEP writing, equipping general and special education teachers with practical knowledge and strategies to enhance student learning outcomes. By fostering a collaborative approach between general and special education teachers, this book paves the way for stronger, student-centered IEPs that respond to the diverse needs of learners.

K–12 teachers can use this book to:

Gain practical working knowledge of IEPs

Understand the critical role of collaboration in developing effective IEPs

Learn how to implement a forward-thinking strategy to immediately improve student support and outcomes

Recognize how to meaningfully engage students’ parents and guardians in the IEP process

Consider chapter-ending reflection questions as opportunities for discussion and action

“Every educator who believes in the potential of their students needs The Collaborative IEP on their bookshelf,” says Jeanne Spiller, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, Kildeer Countryside District 96, Illinois.

The Collaborative IEP is available to order through Solution Tree. 

About the Authors

Kristen Bordonaro, EdD, has served as a school- and district-level administrator for the last 15 years. She’s worked with both private and public school districts as well as special education collaboratives. Dr. Bordonaro’s passion is in uniting school teams to support the needs of all students through an “all means all” model.

Megan Clarke is the superintendent of a special education collaborative serving four school districts in Illinois. In addition to supporting the collaborative, her work focuses on building partnerships with parents, community agencies, and other districts.

About Solution Tree
For over 26 years, Solution Tree has worked to transform education worldwide, empowering educators to raise student achievement. With more than 60,000 educators attending professional development events and more than 12,000 professional development days in schools each year, Solution Tree helps teachers and administrators confront essential challenges. Solution Tree has a catalog of more than 600 titles, along with hundreds of videos and online courses, and is the creator of Global PD Teams and Avanti, online learning platforms that facilitate the work of teachers and educators. Follow @SolutionTree on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more about Solution Tree.

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SOURCE Solution Tree

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Cognition Announces Compass MED 3.0, Bringing Automated Impact Assessment and Connected Testing to Medical Device Development

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Impact assessed. Tests traced. Engineering connected. Giving medical device teams one compliant source of truth.

LEXINGTON, Mass., Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cognition® Corporation, a leader in SaaS-based product development solutions for life sciences, today announced the release of Compass® MED 3.0, the most significant upgrade to its design control and risk management platform for medical device developers. Compass MED 3.0 addresses the areas where the Design and Development File (DDF) most often breaks down.

The release introduces automatic impact assessment with suspect link detection, an enhanced test management module, tag-based project variants, defect lifecycle tracking, and bi-directional connectors to Azure DevOps and Jira. Every change, test, and sync event is captured in an immutable audit trail.

“With Compass MED 3.0, teams no longer have to choose between engineering speed and rigorous design control documentation; they can do both concurrently,” said Ben Higgitt, Compass MED Product Manager at Cognition Corporation. 

Key Enhancements in Compass MED 3.0

Automated Impact Assessment

Compass MED 3.0 accelerates change management in the Design and Development File by automatically triggering an impact assessment when a controlled item changes and flagging every suspect link, along with its wider upstream and downstream context. An approval gate holds unresolved impacts until they are assessed and closed with an electronic signature. Tracked action items take each issue through to closure. Side-by-side diffs, in-context suspect indicators, filters, and notifications show teams exactly what changed and what it affects. Role-based workflows and access control, dashboards, reporting, and an immutable audit trail make every decision defensible.

Enhanced Test and Defect Management

The enhanced test management functionality helps V&V teams work faster through flexible test campaigns. Test plans define which protocols run, which requirements they verify, and who is qualified to execute them, while test campaigns keep the resulting data organized. Teams capture deviations and defects during execution, reuse libraries across projects, and approve execution records with electronic signatures designed to support 21 CFR Part 11 compliance. The system includes built-in traceability reports, live dashboards, and test reports, and legacy test data from prior Compass MED versions carries forward.

“During our evaluation of Compass MED, what impressed me was how well the software supports best practices for risk management, human factors, and design controls. It’s clear that Cognition has really invested in making the software fit the needs of medical device companies,” said Aaron Joseph, Principal Consultant at Sunstone Pilot. 

Tag-Based Project Variants

Compass MED 3.0 lets teams save time and effort managing complex System and Subsystem development programs, especially with geographical or new technology iterations. Instead of starting from scratch or copying an entire project, teams select only the content they need using tags and quickly stand up a new variant. Reused data maintains traceability back to its source, and teams can manually sync one or more changes in either direction as the source and new projects evolve. The result is faster project creation without sacrificing traceability or control. 

Azure DevOps and Jira Connectors

Compass MED 3.0 pushes and pulls data to and from Azure DevOps and Jira on a schedule, on an event, or on demand. Synced data includes requirements, test cases, protocols, results, and defects. Compass MED audits every change and sync event through the integration, so software teams keep their tools and quality teams keep their evidence.

Next Steps with Compass MED 3.0

Compass MED 3.0 extends Cognition Corporation’s commitment to connected, compliant product development, helping cross-functional medical device teams move faster while staying audit-ready. For more information or to request a demo, visit www.cognition.us or contact compassmed@cognition.us.

About Cognition Corporation 

Cognition Corporation provides product development and compliance solutions for the life sciences. With purpose-built software for MedTech, Biopharma, and combination products, Cognition helps teams accelerate development, strengthen traceability, and streamline submissions—all through structured, guided data management. Learn more at www.cognition.us. 

Media Contact: 

Kristen Callahan
Director of Marketing
Cognition Corporation
781.253.3388
426575@email4pr.com 

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SOURCE Cognition Corporation

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Schweizer Treuhand acquires excent AG

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Schweizer Treuhand Holding AG, managed by Winterberg Advisory GmbH, acquires excent AG with offices in Wollerau, Zurich and Zug

STEINHAUSEN, Switzerland, Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Schweizer Treuhand Holding AG has acquired excent AG. excent was founded in 2006 by Maximilian A. Friedery, currently Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Bruno Eugster, Member of the Board of Directors and CEO. With offices in Zug, Zurich and Wollerau, approximately 22 employees serve corporate and private clients in the areas of payroll, accounting, tax, virtual office services and corporate advisory. excent positions itself as a boutique service provider, combining a digital approach with dedicated personal contacts and a deep understanding of its clients’ needs.

Maximilian A. Friedery explains: “We have enjoyed a trusted working relationship with Winterberg for many years. Schweizer Treuhand Holding brings together independent fiduciary firms that combine their strengths while preserving their individual identities. This is an excellent fit for us. It enables us to take the next step in our growth journey and position excent for long-term stability and success.”

Bruno Eugster adds: “For our clients, nothing will change in their day-to-day interactions with us: they will continue to be served by their trusted contacts, and Mäx and I will, of course, remain on board. Going forward, they will also benefit from the expertise and resources of a strong group. This represents genuine added value, particularly in the areas of digitalization, AI and increasingly demanding regulatory requirements. Our employees will benefit as well, with new opportunities for professional development. excent will continue to operate under its established name and at its existing locations.”

Ralph Nowak, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Schweizer Treuhand Holding AG, adds: “We are delighted to warmly welcome our new colleagues to the Holding. Having worked together successfully for so many years, I am convinced that we can jointly inspire both existing and new clients with our passion for fiduciary services. Together, we will build one of the leading companies in this industry, with our clients at the heart of everything we do. Following the acquisition of the Smart Group just a few weeks ago, the acquisition of excent marks another important milestone in the expansion of our group across Central Switzerland and Zurich.”

About Schweizer Treuhand Holding AG

Schweizer Treuhand Holding AG is a Buy, Build & Technologize platform for fiduciary and advisory firms in Switzerland. Headquartered in Steinhausen near Zug, the group pursues an ambitious growth strategy through acquisitions, primarily in the context of succession planning, as well as through partnerships and organic growth. The platform also aims to consistently deploy the latest and most innovative technologies, ranging from digitalization to artificial intelligence, while remaining committed to delivering the highest quality standards for its clients. The group is setting new standards for the industry and offers all employees attractive professional development opportunities. Every member of the management team holds an equity stake in Schweizer Treuhand Holding AG, creating a dynamic community of entrepreneurs.

About Winterberg Advisory GmbH and Winterberg Group AG

Winterberg Group AG is based in Zug and operates as an independent family office for its founders. Winterberg primarily invests in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in German-speaking countries. Investments in start-ups and real estate are also considered selectively. Winterberg Advisory GmbH is a General Partner and fund manager regulated by the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). Winterberg Advisory has launched numerous private equity funds and is invested in Schweizer Treuhand Holding AG through its Winterberg Investment XI fund. The two Managing Partners, Ralph Nowak and Fabian Kröher, oversee Schweizer Treuhand Holding AG through its Board of Directors.

For press inquiries, please contact presse@schweizer-treuhand.ch

Note to editors: Please credit Schweizer Treuhand Holding AG when referencing any quotes or information provided.

Further information about excent AG is available at www.excent.ch 

Further information about Smart Treuhand AG is available at www.smart-trhnd.ch

Further information about Winterberg Advisory GmbH and Winterberg Group AG is available at www.winterberg.group.

 

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Jack Henry Named One of America’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® for 2026

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Financial technology company recognized for culture, employee growth, and retention for fifth consecutive year.

MONETT, Mo., Nov. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Jack Henry® (Nasdaq: JKHY) has once again been named to the 2026 America’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® list, developed by Best Practice Institute. Jack Henry ranked No. 12 out of 100 companies, marking the fifth consecutive year the company has placed in the top 20 on this prestigious list.

“Being recognized again as one of America’s Most Loved Workplaces is a tremendous honor,” said Jack Henry President and CEO Greg Adelson. “This achievement reflects the culture our associates create every day through their dedication, collaboration, and commitment to one another. Their belief in our mission and in each other’s success is what makes Jack Henry a workplace people are proud to be part of.”

Published as a custom feature in The Wall Street Journal, America’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces is based on research into how employees feel about their workplace, including whether they feel respected, believe in the company’s future, and see their own values reflected in how the organization operates.

“What separates these organizations is that accountability does not belong to a select few. People throughout the organization are encouraged to contribute ideas, take ownership, solve problems, and help move the business forward. They create opportunities for people to grow, trust and respect one another, and turn ideas into action,” said Louis Carter, founder and CEO of Best Practice Institute and creator of the Most Loved Workplace® certification and rankings.

To see the complete 2026 America’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces list and company profiles, click here. To view the feature in The Wall Street Journal, click here.

About Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.®
Jack Henryâ (Nasdaq: JKHY) is a well-rounded financial technology company that strengthens connections between financial institutions and the people and businesses they serve. We are an S&P 500 company that prioritizes openness, collaboration, and user centricity – offering banks and credit unions a vibrant ecosystem of internally developed modern capabilities as well as the ability to integrate with leading fintechs. For 50 years, Jack Henry has provided technology solutions to enable clients to innovate faster, strategically differentiate, and successfully compete while serving the evolving needs of their accountholders. We empower approximately 7,200 clients with people-inspired innovation, personal service, and insight-driven solutions that help reduce the barriers to financial health. Additional information is available at jackhenry.com.

About Most Loved Workplace®
Most Loved Workplace® is a global workplace certification and recognition program backed by Best Practice Institute research. Its Love of Workplace Index® measures employees’ emotional connection to their organization and informs its certification and recognition programs. The research behind the SPARK model is explored in Louis Carter’s In Great Company (McGraw-Hill, 2019). Learn more at mostlovedworkplace.com. 

About Best Practice Institute
Best Practice Institute is a leadership development and benchmark research organization and the research body behind Most Loved Workplace®. BPI studies workplace culture and works with organizations on leadership, talent, and organizational performance.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jack-henry-named-one-of-americas-top-100-most-loved-workplaces-for-2026-302932946.html

SOURCE Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.

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