• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

My TechDecisions

  • Best of Tech Decisions
  • Topics
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Mobility
    • Unified Communications
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Network Security
    • Physical Security
    • Facility
    • Compliance
  • RFP Resources
  • Resources
  • Podcasts
  • Subscribe
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
Compliance

How Automated Registration Helped My School Gain Efficiency

Utilizing an automated registration system helped Ryan Adkins make Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 more efficient.

July 24, 2017 Ryan Adkins Leave a Comment

Each spring, my colleagues and I are responsible for ensuring that each of our District’s 6,000-plus students is registered for the following school year. In theory, registering a student for school should be as quick and easy as making an Amazon purchase; however, this is not a possibility without the right processes in place.

At Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 in Yorkville, IL, making the transition from a paper-based registration process to a technology-enabled process has significantly increased our District’s operational efficiency and has improved the student registration experience for our families and staff alike.

Making the Switch

Previously, we sent paper-based student registration packets home with each student, had families return them, and we manually inputted the information. This was time-intensive and error-prone so, initially, we took the process online utilizing the functionality of our student information system. While this system reduced our paper load and helped us get information back from families quicker, it was difficult to use and was limited in its registration management functionality. We wanted to streamline the process even further to support our families and staff.

It was important that the new online registration system we chose met certain criteria. We wanted it to be user- and mobile-friendly for parents, hosted and secure, accessible on multiple browsers and devices, compatible with our SIS, and fully customizable.

Customization, in particular, was a big consideration. It was important that we could tailor the registration forms, collect electronic signatures, and have parents easily submit the documentation our District requires, such as medical forms. By customizing the registration process to meet our requirements, we knew that we were collecting all of the information we needed in the format we needed it in. Having the registration process available in multiple languages was a plus, as one of our school buildings has an ELL program.

We ultimately implemented a dedicated online registration management system called SchoolMint, which checked off all of our requirement boxes.

Benefits of Online Registration

From making staffing decisions to determining the placement of students in classrooms, timely student registration data provides districts with the information needed to plan accordingly for the following school year(s). Conducting the student registration process online provides clean, consistent, and real-time data which has saved our staff valuable time. We no longer have to go through the thousands of registration packets and manually clean up and verify information.

Online registration also allows us to easily run reports and monitor student data across all nine of our schools. This helps us see which families have – and have not yet – completed the registration process. For those who haven’t, we can send them automated email reminders or telephone messages right from the registration system.

Making the switch to an online system has made the registration process so much easier and more efficient for parents as well. They no longer have to keep track of multiple print documents because they can complete the entire end-to-end registration process within minutes from their computer or mobile device.

Tips for a Successful Implementation

Just like any other technology implementation, it is important that sufficient preparation takes place before a new system is rolled out to parents and staff. We tested out the online registration system internally first, did trial runs with employees who have students in the system, and conducted bi-weekly conference calls with the SchoolMint team leading up to the roll out.

We also involved a lot of stakeholders – including parents – in the planning and design process to make sure the system was intuitive for all to use. A group of parents were able to demo the system and provide us with valuable feedback on which features were most beneficial to them. We also sent out emails to all parents informing them about the new system, including how it works and how to use it.

All of this planning led to a smooth roll out of our online registration management system, which has yielded positive results across the board for the District, staff, and families.

 

 

Ryan Adkins is the Director of Technology at Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 in Yorkville, IL.

 

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!

Tagged With: Control & Automation, EdTech, K12, Software

Related Content:

  • FTC Ring FTC Accuses Ring of Watching Private Videos, Poor…
  • Engineer manager shows intelligent industrial system with software and digital manufacturing, artificial intelligence technology of modern innovation. MCi Protects Its Customers Worldwide With Quorum Cyber’s…
  • MIcrosoft Entra External ID Microsoft Announces Public Preview of Developer-Centric Platform Entra…
  • Red Hat Summit, AI, Enterprise Linux Red Hat Summit 2023 Releases: AI, Automation, IT…

Free downloadable guide you may like:

  • ChatGPT, generative AI, enterprise, workplaceBlueprint Series: ChatGPT and Generative AI in the Workplace

    This latest release of the TechDecisions Blueprint Series explores the new phenomenon of tools such as ChatGPT and how IT leaders should go about deploying generative AI in their organizations.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get the FREE Tech Decisions eNewsletter

Sign up Today!

Latest Downloads

Download TechDecisions' Blueprint Series report on Security Awareness now!
Blueprint Series: Why Your Security Awareness Program is Probably Falling Short

Learn about the evolution of phishing attacks and best practices for security awareness programs to ensure your organization is properly prepared t...

Workplace Collaboration Tools for Corporate Spaces
Workplace Collaboration Tools for Corporate Spaces

From lobbies and shared spaces to conference rooms and multipurpose facilities, you need high-performing AV technology to effectively share informa...

ChatGPT, generative AI, enterprise, workplace
Blueprint Series: ChatGPT and Generative AI in the Workplace

This latest release of the TechDecisions Blueprint Series explores the new phenomenon of tools such as ChatGPT and how IT leaders should go about d...

View All Downloads

Would you like your latest project featured on TechDecisions as Project of the Week?

Apply Today!
Sharp Microsoft Collaboration HQ Logo

Learn More About the
Windows Collaboration Display

More from Our Sister Publications

Get the latest news about AV integrators and Security installers from our sister publications:

Commercial IntegratorSecurity Sales

AV-iQ

Footer

TechDecisions

  • Home
  • Welcome to TechDecisions
  • Subscribe to the Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Media Solutions & Advertising
  • Comment Guidelines
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Free Technology Guides

FREE Downloadable resources from TechDecisions provide timely insight into the issues that IT, A/V, and Security end-users, managers, and decision makers are facing in commercial, corporate, education, institutional, and other vertical markets

View all Guides
TD Project of the Week

Get your latest project featured on TechDecisions Project of the Week. Submit your work once and it will be eligible for all upcoming weeks.

Enter Today!
Emerald Logo
ABOUTCAREERSAUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERSTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2023 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.