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September 15, 2002
A Guide to Student Information Systems
By Ben Trefny
The push for increased accountability has made software packages that manage students' vital stats more relevant than ever before. Here are some of the latest offerings.
With the No Child Left Behind Act coming into full swing this fall, school districts are scrambling to collect and disseminate data on student test results, achievement levels, graduation rates, and other information the government requires in exchange for federal funding. In order to comply, many districts are turning to their student information systems for help.
Student information systems-software that let schools enter, store, and track data such as student demographics, attendance, and grades-have been around for years, but they've evolved several iterations beyond the days of the district mainframe. Many of today's SIS programs feature a centralized architecture, meaning data does not have to be housed on separate servers in each school, but instead can be accessed by users on a single database via a Web browser. Other changes include more open platform technology, so third-party software can be used; Macintosh and PC compatibility; features that allow parents to view their children's information online; and educator access to data via handheld devices for on-the-fly attendance taking and assessment. While we're not covering data mining and analysis software here, keep in mind that many companies have folded some of these capabilities into their SIS offerings, a trend that's likely to continue. (To read more on data mining tools, see our June 2002 article, "The Administrator's Guide to Data-Driven Decision Making").
As for the overall SIS market, the consensus among experts we talked to is that the biggest players are Apple, Chancery, and NCS Learn. However, there are numerous other companies worth looking into, of which we've provided some examples here. Prices for all of these systems vary greatly depending on the size and needs of a district. For example, a small district might expect to pay $60,000 or more for the initial software license, training, and data conversion, whereas a large district could pay up to $500,000. Read on for individual company offerings.
Acrux's JSchool is a browser-based student administration system that runs on Macs and PCs, and offers a singular database design that allows real-time access to data without the need for separate databases and servers. The package lets users manage attendance, grades, discipline, special education, lesson planning, test tracking, state reporting, and more. School personnel can add data fields as needed and customize the user interface. JSchool also features an open platform design for easy importing and exporting to and from other systems. Acrux Integrated Solutions, (815) 877-4000
AAL offers Web-based student information system eSIS, which allows real-time access to student information from one centralized location. The system handles student registration, attendance, grades, reporting, and more. Also available from AAL are Parent Assistant, so parents can track their children's data, and Mobile Assistant, for accessing student information via a handheld device. The Administrative Assistants Ltd., (800) 668-8486
Apple's PowerSchool is a Web-based student information system with a centralized database, so no servers are required at school sites. Additions to the latest version of the product include an integrated master schedule builder, Mac OS X compatibility, and an updated PowerGrade grade book that allows educators to drop student photos into online seating charts. Training courses are available at PowerSchool Training Facilities, online, or at school or district offices. Apple Computer, (877) 873-1550
Century Consultants' Star_Base School Suite provides a hub for education information collection and integration. Administrators and teachers can access student records, schedules, and other key information by logging on to one district-wide system. Modules include: Star Student, an information system to track students' stats; Star Finance, for personnel and payroll matters; Star Mobile, for synching student data with mobile devices; and Star Learning, a standards-based instructional management system. Century Consultants, (800) 852-2566
Chancery's Student Management Solution, a centralized, Web-based system enhanced by Microsoft .NET technology, enables educators to collect, manage, analyze, and communicate student information through desktop computers or mobile devices. Prime features include: 2,500 data elements to meet specific tracking and analysis needs; reporting tools, including 100 predefined reports; consolidation of student records at the district level; and the ability to easily integrate with other student systems using SIF, ASCII, and ODBC standards. Chancery Software, (800) 999-9931
C-Innovations offers Zangle Desktop, a client-server student information system that handles such management tasks as enrollment, scheduling, attendance, grades, transcripts, and behavior. Web-based options include: TeacherConnection, for recording classroom information; ParentConnection, which allows parents access to their children's data; and StudentConnection, for student access to their own records. C-Innovations, (800) 230-2533
Education Solutions Development's Discovery uses a single, consolidated database to manage all aspects of student information, including enrollment, attendance, and grades. It can also produce photo identification cards, store student work in portfolios, and analyze student course requests. Designed for integration, Discovery works with common desktop applications and can be customized with user-defined data fields. ESD, (800) 934-7896
Hunter Systems' School Minder, designed for private schools, features modules that perform administrative tasks from grading to billing. Other integrated components include accounting and payroll, scheduling, and fund raising. User-definable fields enable administrators and teachers to customize School Minder's database to maintain student information. In addition, School Minder works with GradeQuick, which teachers can use to automatically update student records. Hunter Systems, (800) 326-0527
NCS Learn's SASIxp 5.0 includes an instructional management system, assessment database, and other software-based solutions to facilitate communication. Typically, districts begin with the SIS and then add on modules as needed. Module options include a teacher grade book and ParentCONNECTxp, which enables parents to securely view grades, attendance, homework, and other information. NCS Learn, (888) 627-5327
SchoolNet's Web-based software has three main components. Account integrates disparate databases into a single source of information to track and relate, among other things, trends in attendance and test scores. Align takes that information and organizes it into an instructional management system. The information is then disseminated in Outreach, which provides information on the district, the school, and the student for appropriate parties. SchoolNet, (866) 328-2374
Skyward's PaC Student management system provides real-time access to student information housed in a centralized database. The program is compatible with commonly used query and report writer modules, substitute tracking, and teacher electronic grading modules. Information categories include scheduling, attendance, grading, discipline, and special education. Skyward data can now be accessed via Windows CE devices. Skyward, (800) 236-7274
Sungard Pentamation Solutions' Web-based OPEN SERIES Student System handles registration, scheduling, attendance, report cards, and other functions. One new feature is platform portability, as data can now be accessed using Palm devices. The Parent Access function provides online access to information about a student's progress, and the eduVoice "Web portal" lets members of the community view school-related information. Sungard Pentamation Solutions, (610) 691-3616
Ben Trefny works as a freelance writer and radio journalist in San Francisco.
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