EDLINE ONLINE TOOLS (ONLINE PORTAL FOR TEACHERS, STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND ADMINISTRATORS) RICK JOHNSTON, DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY SERVICES MCMS PRINCIPAL
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EdLine Online Tools (Online Portal for Teachers, Students, Parents, and Administrators) Rick Johnston, Director of Technology Services‐MCMS Principal
EdLine Parent/Student Data Access 2008
A. Purpose: OVERALL GOAL‐‐IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
1. Improved Illinois state test scores through daily performance
2. Improved support for schools at home
3. Identifying needs of individual students
4. Improved attendance
5. Improved school discipline
B. Content Development
For the past three years, District #348 has continually investigated the possibility of giving parents
access to student data through the internet. Our current Student Information System (EADS) was
made to be available through a browser internally at MCMS during the spring of 2008. Concerns over
security were the biggest barriers to moving to a full web version with EADS. Housing data on our
servers and allowing access to that data externally could not be totally secure. Therefore, being able
to transfer that data from inhouse to an external server was the solution. After investigating schools
in both Illinois and Indiana, as well as comparing software companies, EdLine was the choice for
Wabash District #348. EdLine is a software company located in Chicago that provides service to over
1000 schools at this time. Information from the company website reveals this overview:
www.edline.net
For decades, K-12 educators have known that parental involvement is one of the most powerful drivers
of student achievement and school performance. What has changed significantly in the world of K-12
education, however, is that new web-based technologies have made it possible for schools to increase
parental involvement in ways that were simply impossible before – using cost-effective technology
solutions that have broad, sweeping impact across all subject areas, all grade levels, and at all
performance levels – truly transforming the learning community.
At EdLine, our mission is to provide the world’s leading technology solutions that help schools improve
student performance by harnessing the power of parental involvement, supporting teachers, and
engaging the learning community.
Our array of comprehensive and cost-effective K-12 technology solutions include web hosting, content
management, information portals, and tools for classroom management, grade book, notification,
analytics, virtual storage and related technologies—all of which can be deployed individually or
together as part of an integrated and comprehensive Learning Community Management System.,
EdLine's solutions are designed to grow with a school’s needs and technology plans.
In order to improve daily student performance through increased support at home, we must add to
the current communication tools for all our stakeholders. By adding this tool, teachers will be pleased
to have an online gradebook which is assessible to them 24/7 and will allow them to become even
more efficient in their day to day work. They will be required to maintain their grades in this
electronic grade book (the majority already keep an electronic grade book now), post current grades
each week at a minimum, and maintain their lesson plans through the web pages for each section of
classes on their schedule. Since the learning curve from where our staff is right now is relatively small,
they will be able to maintain these sites without learning html coding or web management software
programs. This will be a matter of point and click.
2 Rick Johnston‐Director of Technology ServicesEdLine Parent/Student Data Access 2008
Students will have the ability to log into their own data through this portal in order to help their own
organizational skills. They will have access to posted grades in each class, any notes/handouts/
presentations/study guides that the teacher has provided, and add to their calendar items that pertain
to them. Each student has their own activation code which allows them to create their own log in
account.
Parents will have access to all their children’s data which includes posted grades, attendance,
discipline reports, and the combined calendar. Each set of parents will have an activation code that is
different than the student in order to see the pertinent information about their children. These codes
were passed out at the Middle School during the Open House on September 9th while the high school
will pass these codes out during the two home football games. Both schools will allow parents to pick
these up during regular school hours.
The activation codes will not be mailed to parents. We would not want students to access these codes
and inhibit communication between the school and parents.
This program will be implemented to run in cooperation with current Student Information System
(EADS) in regard to teachers, classes, grades, and attendance. This will be done through export files
created by Brian Smith of EADS. Rick Johnston (Director of Technology Services) and Kevin Smith
(MCMS Building Technology Coordinator), with assistance from Tim Wachs (retired D348 teacher), are
responsible for implementation, coordination, trainings and troubleshooting. Once implemented the
“Live Link” function from EADS will be done twice per day by Jeannie Kennard at MCHS and Jeanna
Hicks at MCMS as part of their normal move to the next day with EADS. Assistant principals in each
building will periodically upload the database of all discipline reports
Parents, staff, students and administrators will work cooperatively for systemic change in
communication and work toward achiving these goals. To improve student achievement is the overall
goal for this program by all stakeholders working together.
C. Budget/Resources
Program Costs
EdLine
Grade Quick Program and EdLine online tools MCHS and MCMS $7874
Site Reporter MCHS and MCMS $1800
Manual Reproduction Costs (Business Department) $60
Total Implementation Cost: $9734
Staff Development ‐
An EdLine trainer was onsite for two days at MCHS during the first two teacher institute days at the
beginning of school on August 13 and 14. Kevin Smith organized the MCHS workshop on the two hour
3 Rick Johnston‐Director of Technology ServicesEdLine Parent/Student Data Access 2008
early dismissal on September 5th with help from Julie Mann. Rick Johnston and Gene Gehret shared
information about EdLine at MCMS during that same staff development session.
D. Staff Development
1. August 13‐14, 2008
All MCMS and MCHS teachers received instruction with the EdLine trainer in the MCHS library lab for 2
½ hours during these two days. The “Power Users” in each school received a two hour session in
addition to the staff trainings on the afternoon of the second day. During this training, the staff is
introduced to the grade book program called “GradeQuick” and the applications for the teacher. The
EdLine portal is introduced and each teacher creates their log in with their personalized activation
code. Manuals are given to team leaders and department heads for use during the first three weeks
of the school year.
2. September 5, 2008
EdLine Trainings:
MCHS MCMS
(45 minutes) MCHS Library Media Center
Kevin Smith/Julie Mann Gene Gehret/Rick Johnston
EdLine/Grade Quick Applications EdLine/Grade Quick Applications
Remaining time: Teachers work with manual and handouts on their own at their work
stations on EdLine
3. MCMS parents received their activation codes at the open house on September 9th and those who
did not attend can pick up their codes during school hours.
4. MCMS students created their log in accounts during study halls the week of September 15th.
During this time, the student took their individual activation code and enter the EdLine portal to
access their personal data.
5. MCHS students will get their activation codes while at school at the discretion of Principal Pat
Cheesman. They will create their log in account on their personal time.
6. MCHS parents will be able to pick up their codes in order to create their accounts at school
functions at the discretion of Principal Cheesman or pick them up at the school’s main office during
school hours.
7. School administrators will have continuous updates and trainings at the district administrative
team meetings each month. Mr. Cheesman, Mrs. Odom (MCHS Assistant Principal) and Mr. Seaton
(MCMS Dean of Students) will get administrative log ins that are classified as “super user—read only”
in order to be able to access all data.
4 Rick Johnston‐Director of Technology ServicesEdLine Parent/Student Data Access 2008
8. Jeannie Kennard and Jeanna Hicks will be given instruction to the Live Link function once Brian
Smith and Kevin Smith coordinate this configuration on our SIS system. EADS personnel have been
very helpful in this process and have been eager in collaborating with our efforts.
9. Superintendent Buss will also get a “super user—read only” account to be able to monitor teacher
progress and efforts toward our goals for this project.
E. Implementation
Time Table for Implementation
July 8, 2008 Central Office signs contract with EdLine
August early EADS personnel create export files to be able to populate Grade Quick files for workshop
(Rick Johnston loads MCMS while Kevin Smith loads MCHS )
Workshops organized by Mr. Johnston for staffs at MCHS and MCMS
13/14 EdLine personnel holds workshops for staff
Staff has their information available for them to work on their own
Kevin Smith (with help from Tim Wachs and additional export files from EADS) works to
further update the Grade Quick files which include the schedule changes and new students.
Because of a gliche in the upload files created by EADS, there were major problems with files
that had to be edited by K. Smith at MCMS.
September 5
EdLine workshops presented by D348 personnel. Teachers share information, techniques and
questions concerning EdLine. They are then given time to work at their workstation. Every
employee is given a manual that was printed by the Business Department at MCHS. This
includes the maintenance of class websites where teachers supply lesson plans and calendar
events.
Live Link is configured during early September to keep data current. Attendance is part of this
upload with daily statistics being posted twice a day—by 9:30 am and after school.
September 8 Press Release to local media outlets concerning release of authorization codes for parents.
September 9 Open House distribution of codes for parents at MCMS
Codes distributed to parents who visit the school during school hours
September 12 Codes distributed at a booth setup at the first high school football game.
Codes distributed to parents who visit the school during school hours
September 22 Board Presentation on EdLine by Director of Tech Services‐ Rick Johnston
*Display what the end user will see to the board. Real data will be used so privacy issues will
5 Rick Johnston‐Director of Technology ServicesEdLine Parent/Student Data Access 2008
be addressed with prior approval by selected teachers who have students in the district. No
grades will be shown in the public meeting. If board members wish to see a grade book, they
may see this during closed session. Prior to this meeting, this program document will be
distributed with the board packet for the week. In this manner board members will be able to
asked informed questions concerning the program.
October Kevin Smith works to complete the upload capabilities of discipline data from the Access
database files kept in each building. Trainings for Mr. Seaton and Mrs. Odom will be done
individually by Kevin Smith.
Kevin Smith will develop reports available for all parents and students that will include the
attendance and discipline data.
November 1st Full Implementation of Grade Quick and EdLine.
F. Evaluation
1. Improved ISAT and PSAE scores through daily performance
a. Compare scores from the previous three years
b. Trending
c. ThinkLink testing program data analysis
2. Improved support for schools at home
a. Parental survey of students in program
b. Student survey of participants
c. Teacher staff surveys
d. Parent contact numbers at open houses and throughout the year
3. Identifying needs of individual students
a. Montoring student individual grades by teachers, parents, and guidance counselors
b. Parental survey of students in program
c. Student survey of participants
d. Teacher staff surveys
4. Improved attendance
a. Compare attendance data from previous five years
5. Improved school discipline
a. Compare discipline report data from previous five years
This will be an ongoing evaluation for the next three years with the same procedures being utilized for
comparable data. Data analysis will be shared in June ‘09 with the administrative team and board of
education. The results will be published on the district web pages, in school newsletters and the local media.
6 Rick Johnston‐Director of Technology ServicesEdLine Parent/Student Data Access 2008
Wabash District #348 School Board of Education
EdLine Implemention Support and Commitment
(Everything we do is based on what is best for kids)
G. Support and Approval (board signoff sheet)
1. Board of Education
a. Neil Earnest (President) _______________________
b. Mike Guisewite _______________________
c. Doug Kieffer _______________________
d. Kevin Raber _______________________
e. Janice Alka _______________________
f. Cassandra Goldman _______________________
g. Terry Beckerman _______________________
2. Superintendent: Tim Buss __________________________
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