Rhode Island School District Adopts New SIS To Assist with Student Transfers
Providence
Public School District (PPSD) in Rhode Island has
implemented a new student information system (SIS) to help
administrators make data-driven decisions and simplify student records
transfers.
The Rhode Island
Department of Education allows school districts to
choose between three approved student information systems. After
evaluating all three, Providence selected the Skyward Student
Management Suite.
Providence is the largest public school district in the state,
serving
more than 24,000 students in 47 schools. The district has to handle
student transfers between districts on a regular basis, and according
to the company, Skyward simplifies the process of transferring student
records, so PPSD staff don't have to re-key student information such as
demographics, test scores, grade history, or immunization records.
Three other Rhode Island school districts (North
Providence, Pawtucket
and Central Falls)
are also using Skyward Student Management Suite.
"The district-to-district transfer feature was a crucial component
of
the student management suite in order to meet the needs of the school
district," said Kevin McFerrin, executive vice president of business
development at Skyward, in a prepared statement. "Skyward provides the
responsive, one-stop system needed to ensure data accuracy across
districts, and to serve the schools' own needs on a daily basis."
According to information on Skyward's site, the Student Management
Suite offers a wide variety of features, including assessments,
attendance, demographics, curriculum management, fee management,
gradebook, health records, lesson plans, report cards and transcripts,
response to intervention, scheduling, textbook tracking and more.
Districts can use it to automate reports, emails, and other processes
and required state reports are preprogrammed into the system. Districts
can also provide teachers, students, and families with Web-based access
to the system.
Skyward will assist Providence with its transition to the new SIS,
and
the district plans to complete the implementation in time for the
2014-15 school year.
About the Author
Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].