OnCourse Systems Partners with NJ School District to Unify Platforms
OnCourse Systems for Education, a provider of cloud-based technologies for schools, is partnering with Hopewell Valley Regional School District (HVRSD) to unify platforms and digital products in one place.
HVRSD, one of New Jersey’s high-performing K–12 districts, needed a technology partner that could support its progressive, student-centered initiatives. New 1-to-1 and blended learning initiatives showed initial success; however, one glaring issue remained. Teachers and students were not having the type of seamless experience that the district hoped for. There were too many software products operating at once, according to a news release.
“It was getting challenging,” said Director of Human Resources/Special Projects Tony Suozzo in a statement. “Teachers were getting confused, asking ‘Where do I go for this or that,’ or ‘How do I find out that information,’ or “It would be great if I could find out this information all in one place.’”
District administrators determined that better integration was the key to making digital student-centered learning a reality for every classroom. They went to OnCourse Systems for Education, their provider for online lesson planning, for a student information system that included a fully integrated learning management system and staff evaluation capabilities.
Over an 18-month period, the district transitioned 400 staff members onto the new, all-encompassing platform with the aid of OnCourse project management and support. After implementation, educators, administrators and students reported numerous improvements to their daily experience, the release said.
The OnCourse school management platform improved collaboration and reporting for administrators and also reduced redundant data entry for teachers, the release said.
“The LMS interacts fully with the student information system,” said HVRSD Superintendent Thomas Smith in a statement. “The classrooms … and information about the students are pre-populated within the LMS. For a teacher to push out … and retrieve the information seamlessly makes the 1-to-1 project that much more palatable to our staff and our students.”
HVRSD serves pre-K to 12th graders in Mercer County, NJ. In 2016, Hopewell Valley Central High School was ranked among the nation’s top 5 percent of high schools by US News & World Report.
For more information about OnCourse Systems, visit the company’s website.
About the Author
Richard Chang is associate editor of THE Journal. He can be reached at [email protected].