Data Analytics and Reporting | News

Louisiana School District Adopts Geovisual Analytic Tool

• By Kanoe Namahoe
• 12/13/12

Calcasieu Parish Public Schools (CPSB), a school district located in Lake Charles, LA serving more than 32,000 students, recently implemented new analytic software in an attempt to improve its decision-making processes.

CPSB is using GuideK12, geovisual analytics software that links student information to household data, to produce reports showing how decisions may affect schools. With GuideK12, administrators can create various "what-if" scenarios then see results, immediately, on a map. The software is designed to identify patterns and trends in a district.

Since implementing GuideK12, the district has been able to assess needs and make decisions more efficiently, according to Sheryl Abshire, chief technology officer for CPSB. The new reports show student migration patterns, which helps administrators to better forecast budgets and determine personnel needs. The data's also come in handy when the district's had to explain decisions to its school board or community stakeholders.

"With GuideK12 we are able to see data that wasn’t previously available to us. What used to take weeks to put together, now takes only minutes," explained Abshire in a prepared statement. "This information can be shared immediately with the board or community members to increase their understanding for attendance changes. When superintendents can quickly report how and why decisions are made, the integrity of the district increases dramatically.”

Additional information about GuideK12 is available at the company's Web site.