For whatever reason, the services your school uses may need to change in the future. When these changes occur, the resulting result can be jarring if done hastily or disconcerting if done without proper planning. It is helpful to have a strategy when looking to make a major change to the technology implemented in a school.
We spoke with Travis McGuire, assistant superintendent of learning resources for Community High School District 99 in Illinois, about his efforts to implement a new student information system, the planning and coordination that took place, the pain points that need to be addressed, and the method that led to a successful transition.
McGuire was recently recognized as the Most Innovative Superintendent in tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit with a Innovative Leader Award.
Time is on your side
One of the greatest assets you can have as an educational decision maker is time. Knowing how much time you have to introduce a change to a school or district environment can mean the difference between a successful launch or not. Given the nature of the programs and how time-restrictive they can be (with licenses and contracts that can expire), it can be easy to feel overwhelmed when a decision has to be made.
“You are on a timeline. The best thing for us is that we knew (how much time we had),” McGuire says. “So that wasn't a big problem. I can see where some districts are (could work on a tight schedule). I would suggest that if you could have a full year for data migration and training before full implementation, that would be huge.”
Knowing how to best use your time is important, but what about knowing whether you should make a systems change or stick with what you have?
“The important thing is to know, first and foremost, whether the current system you have meets your needs,” McGuire says. “There are always products that seem better and it is good to investigate them, but not always. You need to understand how long it will take (to implement a new system). And, since time is our greatest commodity, will that return on investment take us to the next level? We know there will be some moments that require a lot of time, some anxiety, and being aware of that (is important). “It’s a balancing act.”
Looking to make a change?
Changing your student information system, for example, is a big decision. The information handled is confidential and you will want to make sure you choose the right option for your students, your school, and your district. However, as McGuire points out, the process doesn't have to be painful. You just have to be thorough.
“It's going to take a lot of work,” McGuire says. “We looked at different suppliers. We had them come and do demonstrations. One of the things we pointed out was to show us exactly what we've been talking about and if there's anything additional you should point out. So we had those where we had our first rounds. Then we had our second round with Infinite Campus. We had them come, we had a lot of personnel, from different levels that came.”
In the first round of demos, McGuire and his team cast a wide net for several service providers to come in to ensure that the conversations they had before meeting in person were maintained in a physical demo. Infinite Campus moved on to the second round and, in a second meeting, was able to answer direct staff questions from educators who would be using the platform. This provided a great help in professional development by helping teachers and other staff understand Infinite Campus before accepting it as a new system.
“It really allowed us to dig into the functionality, the operations, just the overall flow of the system,” he says. “So I suggest getting the right people around the table.”
The best type of relationship you can have with a provider is one where you genuinely listen to your questions and pay attention to your needs. Know what you are looking to achieve before you start interacting with sellers. It is beneficial to know what path you are on before accepting an offer from a supplier. They must also be on the same path. This will benefit you in the long run and ensure that you not only do what is best for your students, but also build a long-lasting relationship with trust as the cornerstone.
