Learning Management Systems

Indianapolis District Opts for New LMS to Support New Staffing Initiative

• By Michael Hart
• 06/08/16

Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) has selected a new learning management system in an attempt to improve efiiciency and support a new staffing model.

IPS representatives said they decided on the Schoology LMS because it seemed like the best system to streamline its workflow problems and create new efficiencies. One feature of the LMS is that it is similar in appearance to Facebook, making students and parents more comfortable with it. At the same time, it limits access to only to those portions of the LMS that certain constituents need to have access to.

The platform also will offer IPS course management, asset management, analytics and standards-based integration tools it doesn't currently have. There are also mobile apps that teachers can use to manage their classes, students can use to stay connected and parents can use to stay up to date on their children's academic progress.

Finally, a new LMS will help IPS as it becomes a pilot district for Indiana's Innovation Network Schools, a strategic staffing model that allows teachers to take on additional accountability and responsibilities — among them, the opportunity for personalized learning — that could translate into salary increases for them.

"While researching various LMS platforms, we knew that we needed to find a technologically sophisticated partner that could meet the demands of all IPS stakeholders for a collaborative learning interface," said IPS Information Technology Officer Laura Larimer. "In Schoology, we have a partner that can address our needs today, as well as our evolving demands."