Software Enables After-School Program Tracking
Numerous after-school programs in Louisville, KY, are using the KidTrax ID-card scanning and reporting system from nFocus Software (www.nfocus.com) to assist educators in determining a program’s effect on school performance. The intent is to establish for the first time a data-supported link between quality after-school activities and their influence on academic success. Partners in the project include the Jefferson County Public Schools and the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs (www.tsamwv.org/boys-girlsclubs.htm), which serves 5,000 students throughout Louisville.
A link from KidTrax makes it possible to identify after-school participants with poor grades, low test scores, multiple suspensions, and excessive school absences. After-school tutoring can then be tailored to fit the needs of these at-risk students. This kind of tracking can also be used to gauge program success. For example, KidTrax data has shown that regular participants in the Salvation Army’s after-school activities have on average a 96.6 percent school attendance record, and that the percentage of participants suspended from school dropped from 14 percent to 3 percent over an 18-month period.
KidTrax’s comprehensive youth tracking system combines ID cards, scanning technology, a middleware connection to school district databases, reporting, and various other tools.
This article originally appeared in the 03/01/2006 issue of THE Journal.