Electronic Data has become increasingly vital to schools and districts for effective management, planning, reporting, communication and funding.   As many schools have found, databases and other sources of information can be effective or ineffective tools, can be accurate or inaccurate, can provide a central source of information or be replicated and repeated in many departments and areas.  School productivity can either be helped or hindered depending on the completeness and accessibility of data and as a result, users of data can be either satisfied or frustrated by the reports and communication received.   A school can actually develop a reputation of competence when external users view accurate data or be perceived otherwise if data is inaccurate or contradictory.

An audit by the experts at Educational Collaborators of all databases in the school can provide an independent look at how data is used throughout a school or district, determine where data is located, evaluate how effective and accurate the data is, determine whether the data is accessible to all who need it, identify how the management and use of the data is staffed, and create an overall flow chart of data. EC will then provide commendations and recommendations for improving productivity, communication and the accuracy of school data.

The results of these audits typically yield one of three outcomes; a plan to better leverage current tools, a plan to connect a variety of existing tools, or a plan to add new or replace existing tools.

In the event that a school determines the need for new tools, the quest to find the perfect database solutions will not be an easy journey. In the education market there are a variety of companies that offer a wide range of solutions that vary greatly in terms of their integration, design, module offerings, and price. Regardless of the tool or tools that are chosen, however, migrating to a new database solution for your school involves more than merely selecting a product, installing the software, and doing an initial round of training. Based on our experience in migrating school databases the one key aspect that is often forgotten in the process is that of change management and the preparation for change throughout the process. Change Management is required during the selection of the product, the initial installation and use, and the on-going support and training needed to ensure a successful migration to a new database platform.

EC has the experience and resources needed to guide you confidently throughout the Data Management process.

Learn how our experts can help you improve your school or district!  Contact us now!