October 2005 — Industry Perspective
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The Evolution of Student Information Systems
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 introduced a further push for anytime, anywhere access to data. The act prompted an explosion of different users who needed student data: federal and state workers, counselors, administrators, teachers, nurses, and probation officers. Also, some districts have made arrangements for home schooling parents to input data that those districts use in their efforts to gain state funding. Even data about teachers (e.g., their certifications) are now made available to appropriate users.
This increase in the variety of users has led to a shift in the industry; namely, offering compatible solutions that unify instruction and administrative functions. A few companies are still using this approach, but with the explosion of different user types, we see the trend moving more toward a best-of-breed approach.With the student information system as the hub, districts want the freedom to choose what they consider to be the best-suited food service management system, transportation system, etc.
NCLB has also made the home-to-school connection an essential part of student information systems. Whether the capabilities are built into the system or obtained via a third-party offering, schools are fulfilling the NCLB requirement for parent involvement by making it possible for parents to access information on their child, including attendance, grades, test scores, disciplinary action, as well as general information like homework assignments and the school calendar.
In addition, next-generation student information systems are Web-based and have an internal message center with access to outside e-mail. This means that the systems contain a list of teachers that parents can use to e-mail individuals without having to worry about details such as e-mail address changes. All a parent has to do is click on a button that says “Send a message to the teacher,”which brings up the message center screen, and then type a message that immediately g'es to the targeted teacher. Teachers receive alerts whenever they visit their home page on the system and can respond from the same self-contained environment.
In districts where the majority of parents may not have Internet access, we have seen schools establish creative partnerships with public libraries, malls, or even grocery stores, and set up a portal to the school system at that partner’s physical location. Parents are then able to go to this central site, log in, and access information while the store or library benefits from the increased foot traffic.
Of course, legislative requirements are not the only forces behind the development of student information systems.We believe that in order to properly meet current demands and prepare for future trends, developers of student information systems should include customer outreach in their processes, as well. For example, Pearson School Systems has regular customer advisory board meetings in the form of quarterly conference calls, as well as holds a National Advisory Board meeting and a National User Conference. We also participate in state user groups that have formed independently, and have an e-mail address for suggestions, which we review and prioritize on a monthly basis.
