The need for the right upgrade: Computerizing schools
Most schools in highly-developed countries are riding the high-tech wave, with their collected student data systems—all grouped and updated with attendance checks, test scores and other relevant school-related information.
In the US, for example, with then-President George Bush signing the education law “No Child Left Behind” in 2002, various states began to plan for schools to get computerized.
In Victoria, Australia, the Minister for Education Services announced plans to “join the wireless revolution.” It meant an upgrading of all information and communication facilities in the public schools for them to start operating through secure wireless networks.
It personified Victoria’s initiative to let schools utilize information in a more flexible, mobile and creative manner—all done in a large-scale, all over the area. Advantages cited were more collaboration between teachers and students in different schools and the development of new information-sharing methods.
Therefore, as one can imagine, gigabytes of student data have been flowing in through the computerized systems. Even a number of schools tracked how much students have achieved, using IT to measure if they produced strongest growth compared to other schools. Some used the information to monitor those with most student drop outs.
In a few cases, some of these high-technology systems handling all the information are going haywire, despite millions of dollars being spent for statewide school computer systems. From Maine to Hawaii, and most especially in North Carolina and Idaho, efforts to computerize schools either took longer than expected or ended up costing taxpayers more.
One education analyst for the Idaho Legislature even remarked to the New York Times that it has already been blown out of proportion. The computerization effort ended up costing the sponsors more money, and they eventually bowed out.
Success stories still. Despite some problems with the infrastructure, most of those who were knowledgeable about the topic know the need for computerized schools. Aside from the efficiency in business processes, information get easily tracked, printed, submitted and released.
The state of Georgia, for example, has approximately 1.3 million students. Each of the students’ grades and test results can be checked, compared and analyzed by school administrators.
According to the Georgia Department Education, the key was in choosing which system to use. The state officials earlier championed unsuccessful systems that cost them at least $85 million. The system they were successfully using now cost $14.5 million in 2003.
The University of Texas’ National Center for Educational Accountability recognizes other states with advanced statewide data systems in a survey, namely: Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
Students are being assigned statewide numbers for easy tracking of individual student data in each school year or school. This data include tests, grades, discipline, finances and teachers, all stored and collected in a state data repository system.
Some advanced states even allow parents to track attendance and achievement via secure websites.
Lessons. When involving multi-million dollar information systems, here are some nuggets of wisdom:
Don’t bite more than you can chew, according to the North Carolina Department of Education.
Do not underestimate challenges that a school or school district could face. The difficulty with student information systems is that each student is different, with different records and data.
Unlike tracking boxes of detergent powder which are of the same size and scent, student data is impossibly complex to collect. Thus, there is a need to look into all sides of the project before government units can run off at the mouth with over promises of what the new information system can do.
Sources:
Dillon, Sam. “States Struggle to Computerize School Records.”Retrieved January 20, 2009 from
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/15/education/15computers.html?_r=1&fta=y
“Schools to go wireless in $6million computer upgrade.” Retrieved January 20, 2009 from http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/domino/Web_Notes/newmedia.nsf/35504bc71d3adebcca256cfc0082c2b8/3229263ffb2f9f91ca256f460077f814!OpenDocument
(Published 26 January 2009, Smart Communications, Inc.)
