Effective school operations depend on resources, insights, and integration.
It’s not enough that a school purchases student and staff laptops, installs an effective WiFi system, launches the latest-and-greatest student information system, or communicates with its families using a messaging system, like Remind. If these systems don’t talk to one another–that is, if these systems operate apart from one another as freestanding silos, the school won’t ever realize their full potential. Only by bringing the schools’ resources and insights together can it achieve full synchronization. At CTS, we call this the “the zen venn.”
Below, we highlight a few examples of how CTS uses synchronization to streamline school operations and, in the process, impact student achievement. We firmly believe that systems integration adds value to school programming, allowing otherwise disparate data sets to “speak” to one another and generate insights. When a school partners with CTS, it doesn’t just get a managed technology provider. Instead, it acquires a strategic thought partner with decades of experience in the educational technology space. Where another provider sees hardware, software, and student data, we see opportunities for integration.
Student information systems work best when they “talk” to other online instructional platforms.
Student information systems like PowerSchool work best when they “talk” to other online platforms within the school. When a school administrator updates a student’s address in PowerSchool, it should automatically update as well in other systems team members regularly use. Having to manually update every system each time a single piece of student information changes is both time-consuming and inevitably leads to discrepancies. When it comes time to mail home report cards, a school office manager shouldn’t have to spend their time deciding whether address “b” or address “c” is correct: automatic synchronization streamlines data management so that there is a single source of student information “truth” at the school’s disposal.
Data synchronization also supports students’ academic achievement. When a teacher uploads an assessment result to the school’s data and assessment platform, the student’s score can generate additional non-academic insights when it’s paired with behavioral or social-emotional data. For example, if a student who is frequently absent scores poorly on a test and a family member demands to know why, a school leader can quickly generate a chart correlating the student’s attendance with their academic performance, drawing a clear line between the time spent and class and the student’s opportunity to master instructional content. This process also allows school leaders to nip negative student behavioral or academic trends in the bud. By synchronizing data across academic, behavioral, and social-emotional learning platforms, school leaders have a highly detailed, real-time, and holistic sense of how students are doing across any number of metrics.
Onsite training offerings ensure your teachers and staff are ready to use your school’s technology resources from day one.
School operations teams often spend their time troubleshooting common issues teachers encounter with online instructional systems. Whether it’s attendance-taking procedures, grade book entries, or data & assessment uploads, effective training opportunities at the start of the school year can save teachers and support staff members hours of valuable time.
When a school partners with CTS, it gains access to a predetermined number of onsite training hours or days each school year that allows teachers to master the ins and outs of the school’s most frequently used technology systems. No more hunting down that one teacher who always fails to submit attendance on time or nagging teachers about test results they have yet to upload: instead, school staff members can spend the bulk of their time meeting the needs of the school’s students and families.
Most importantly, these trainings allow teachers to use the school’s existing systems more effectively. Thorough training on the school’s data and assessment system, for example, can show teachers how to generate powerful custom reports that bring together academic, social-emotional, and behavioral data into visual displays ready for student-family conferences. By giving teachers the tools they need to make the most of the school’s technology resources, CTS trainings give teachers both a greater sense of ownership of their students’ instructional outcomes, as well as generate insights that can positively impact student achievement.
At CTS, we help streamline school operations so schools can accomplish their unique missions.
Our team has partnered with dozens of schools across the United States to streamline school operations and make the most of their technology and financial resources. With the track record and technical know-how to make your school a success, we’re confident we can bring together your school’s resources and insights to generate a holistic view of student progress, streamline school operations, and add tremendous value to school programming. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help your school accomplish its unique mission.
