A MAINE DISTRICT IMPROVES ACCURACY OF STUDENT DATA
Saco (ME) School District partnered with InfoSnap to improve accuracy by moving student enrollment and registration online. InfoSnap’s integration with PowerSchool will allow the district to streamline new and annual student registration through real-time, on-demand data transfer. “It’s essential that we have accurate data on the first day of school,” says Kris Stryker, director of information technology. “InfoSnap will eliminate inaccurate information, consolidate our business processes, and provide our district with a method that’s convenient for our families to register students.” Best of all, families with more than one child in the district can “snap” data from one student to another, using SmartForm technology, which is built into the product and collects relevant data based on previously entered information and choices (e.g., grade, activities, medial history, etc.).
EDSBY HELPS DISTRICT STREAMLINE ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING
Edsby (edsby.com), a cloud-based education engagement platform that connects K-12 students, teachers, and parents using smartphones, tablets, and the Web, has been selected by Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPRDSB) in Peterborough, ON, Canada, for district-wide deployment after a rigorous procurement and evaluation process. The 34,000-student district wanted a uniform solution that tied in tightly with the board’s existing IT systems and that supported its approach to assessment and reporting. “Edsby integrated very quickly and effectively into our key district infrastructure, including our student information system and our authentication system,” says Ron Plaizier, CIO at KPRDSB. “This has been key in getting teachers on board quickly; all of their classes and class rosters are automatically managed for them by Edsby, and they log in using their standard district credentials.”
DISTRICTS USE DATA TO IMPROVE SECURITY
Three districts are enhancing on-site security measures with visitor management software produced by raptor technologies (http://www.raptortech.com). The districts—Chula Vista (CA) Elementary School District, Val Verde (CA) Unified School District (USD), and Rowan-Salisbury (NC) School System—decided it was time to step up their existing safety programs. An independent organization conducted a school safety audit at Rowan-Salisbury and recommended that the district invest in a visitor management system to screen for sex offenders, provide customized alerts, and enable reporting to track visitors in the school buildings. “School safety is always top of mind,” says Sharon Gardner, risk manager for Rowan-Salisbury School System. “With Raptor Technologies, we will be able to screen visitors and view who is in our buildings at all times, providing enhanced safety for students, teachers, and staff.” Chris Wynn, chief of security for Val Verde USD, agrees: “Visitor management systems are changing the way schools and districts manage the safety of their faculty and students,” he says. “Raptor Technologies allows us to be proactive in monitoring who is entering our schools in order to identify potential threats and keep our schools safe from unwanted visitors.”
TWO ILLINOIS DISTRICTS IMPROVE OPERATIONS WITH SKYWARD
In order to analyze and understand their financial and human resources data so they could enjoy cost savings and more overall clarity on expenses and revenues, Prairie Grove (IL) Consolidated School District 46 and Lyons (IL) School District 103 chose Skyward's School Business Suite. “Skyward is able to accommodate the different needs of each school district and streamline its many processes into one easy-to-use system,” says Anna Kasprzyk, business manager at Prairie Grove CSD46. Lyons 103, which was having problems with data integrity and procedural miscues, is also enjoying Skyward’s product. “The most important feature is its ability to properly define and regulate processes, especially related to ordering and payroll,” says Bryan Drozd, director of technology at Lyons. “We can address these procedural inconsistencies and better manage access to timely information about our budget at the school and district level.”
TX SCHOOLS IMPROVE SCHOOL SAFETY
McAllen (TX) Independent School District (MISD) is bolstering school safety for its 33 campuses and 30,000 students, teachers, and employees by launching the Haystax School Safety Center (haystax.com). This cloud-based software platform lets school administrators and public safety agencies better anticipate and respond to threats. For less than two dollars per student per year, the Safety Center will integrate MISD’s critical threat and school facility information into a single alerting and monitoring tool that’s available 24/7 on any device.
DC SCHOOLS SELECT A NEW SIS FOR STRONGER DATA ANALYSIS
Seeking a more robust, flexible, and customizable student information system to help capture, report, manage, and analyze data for its 47,000 students, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) chose Follett’s Aspen SIS. The system will also help DCPS support enrollment, scheduling, behavior, and track student attendance.
KY BOOSTS SCORES WITH BLENDED LEARNING
By using Edgenuity MyPath (edgenuity.com), an online and blended learning solution, under-performing students at Jessamine County (KY) Schools have demonstrated significant improvement in reading and mathematics. “We recognized that some of our students needed extra attention in reading and math to get back on track,” says Joe Matthews, assistant principal at East Jessamine High School. “MyPath offers highly personalized instruction to get students where they need to be and, beyond the elevated test scores, we saw that students who were previously struggling were truly excited to learn.”
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SYSTEM GOES MOBILE
Houston County (AL) Schools have chosen to use CrisisManager, a mobile safety platform from SchoolDude (schooldude.com), for emergencies such as bad weather and crisis situations such as bomb threats. The CrisisManager mobile app offers one-tap emergency calling, building schematics, emergency exits, and lockdown locations relevant to the various schools in the district. “We’ve received positive feedback from our school administrators, as CrisisManager offers them an easy-to-use, detailed guide for handling any emergency,” says Kenny Fondren, technology specialist. “CrisisManager complements and works together with our existing safety resources to ensure we have a safe teaching and learning environment at Houston County Schools.”
