- What data is currently being collected at your school?
The data that is currently being collected are grades, medical records, attendance, NS3 (public school district the students would be enrolled in), finger printing, certifications and degrees, student enrollment, tuition, family relationship information, billing/address information, conduct reports, ACT/SAT/ OGT scores, alumni information, donations, colleges students apply to and attend, scholarships, mandated services, and call now for announcements or important notifications.
- Make a list of the sources of where the data is being stored such as databases, spreadsheets, text files and paper;
The sources of where the data is being stored are Blackbaud (grades, billing information, family relationships), Fortuna (attendance), employee files, student files, Naviance (college information), razors edge (financial), imodules (alumni information), Excel (business offices), Education’s Edge, Razor’s Edge, and Call Now.
- Identify the person or persons or the department that manages particular data
Student Files/Records – Principals office
Medical – Nurse
Gifts/Donations- Development Office
Financial – Business
College Information- College Guidance
Grades- Registrar’s office, teachers
Student Enrollment – Admissions
Alumni Information – Alumni Office
- Are the data sources compatible? Do existing obstacles complicate or prevent correlation analysis of available data?
No, some of the data sources are not compatible. Education’s Edge and Razor’s Edge one program, but not integrated. When the students become Alumni, their information must move to a different database, and the databases are not compatible. Because of the integration problem, there is a huge problem between Alumni/Development and Principals office. This non-compatibility definitely complicates a simple process.
Some of the data sources that are connected would be Education Edge and Net Classroom. These databases hold current student information, and they are compatible. This is very helpful for faculty and staff members to find the information they need about a particular student.
- How frequently is important data collected? Is it useless because of infrequency or overly burdensome because it is collected too frequently?
Everything in the student files is collected once a year during the re-enrollment process. If something is voluntarily given by the parents about a student file, the file is updated immediately. Medical files are also updated yearly or as needed throughout the year. The tuition management system is updated annually or families can be in a pay schedule, which is updated based on the schedule. Grades are updated at least once every two weeks, and quarter grades are posted the Monday after the quarter ends. Mandated services for the state are also updated quarterly.
I believe that the updating process is just right. Employees in the office are not burdened by the upkeep of the files, but they regularly do the process. Therefore the regular process does not seem useless.
- What data do YOU actually have access to? Is it the data you need to effectively advance the learning of your students or otherwise do your work? What additional data would help you make more informed decisions?
The data that I have access to as a teacher is the grade book (Blackbaud), attendance, conduct, medical records, and contact info. If I need to see a student’s file, I may do so in the Principal’s Office. The data I need to effectively help my students is given to me, but it would help to know how they are doing in other classes. We can only see the grades of the students in our classes. It would be helpful to know if a student is struggling in more than one class. This is more of a legal issue rather than an issue at the school level, but I can speak with the student’s counselor if needed though out the school year to check on this information.
- What MIS does your school use? How well is this system being used? Is the system robust enough for the needs of your school?
The MIS that my school uses is Blackbaud which encompasses Razor’s edge(Alumni), Education Edge(Student Information), and Netclassroom(Grades). The system is the best on the market, but not everyone uses the program to its potential. Since we do not track students, we are not able to use that part of the program. The faculty uses the program mostly for grades, which are updated at least once every two weeks. The faculty members could post their notes by using the program, but most use Moodle or their own websites to do so since they are more user-friendly. Finally, the system is robust enough for our school.
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