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Understanding Software: Integrations, Data Automations, and Extracts for K-12 Leaders

Today, we’re delving into the world of Software as a Service (SaaS) to help you better understand key concepts like integrations, data automations, and extracts. Our goal is to help you make informed decisions when investing in new software for your schools.

SaaS Basics

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a method of delivering software where users access the software over the internet, often in a web browser, instead of installing and maintaining it on individual computers or servers. This can save districts time, money, and resources in IT management.

1. Integrations

What is it? An integration is when two or more different software systems are connected to work together. It allows data to flow between the systems seamlessly. For example, a student information system (SIS) might integrate with a learning management system (LMS) to synchronize student data.
Why is it important? Without integrations, staff might have to manually enter data into multiple systems, which can be time-consuming and error-prone. Integrations ensure that systems share data accurately and in real-time.

Example: Student Information System (SIS) and Learning Management System (LMS)

Your district probably uses a SIS and an LMS.

Without Integration: Teachers input student grades into the LMS for online assignments. Then, they manually enter those same grades into the SIS to record official transcripts. This doubles their work.

With Integration: The moment a student completes an assignment on the LMS, the grade is automatically reflected in both LMS and SIS. No extra work for teachers and less room for error.

2. Data Automations

What is it? Data automation is the process of automatically moving or transforming data without human intervention. This can involve things like auto-generating reports or sending alerts when certain conditions are met.
Why is it important? Automation reduces manual processes, ensuring that tasks are done more quickly and accurately. It can also provide real-time insights and notifications, enhancing decision-making and responsiveness.

Example: Attendance Notifications

Your school uses an attendance system where teachers mark students absent or present for each class.

Without Automation: If a student is marked absent three days in a row, the school office staff must manually scan the system, identify such students, and then notify their parents or guardians.

With Automation: The moment a student is marked absent for the third consecutive day, the system automatically sends an email or text notification to the student’s parents or guardians informing them of the absences.

3. Extracts

What is it? Extracts involve pulling data out of a system to use it elsewhere. This could be for analysis, reporting, or to move it into another system.
Why is it important? Extracts are vital when systems don’t integrate directly. It allows districts to utilize data in flexible ways, even when systems aren’t directly connected.

Example: State Reporting

Every year, your district needs to report specific student data to the state’s Department of Education for compliance and funding purposes.

Without Extracts: District staff manually compile data from different software systems—attendance, grades, discipline records—and then put them together in the required format for state reporting. This process is time-consuming and error-prone.

With Extracts: Your district’s main software allows administrators to generate a report that extracts all required data in the state’s specified format. Once this report is generated, it can be uploaded directly to the state’s reporting portal.

These real-world examples highlight the importance of having interconnected and smart systems within a school district. Integrations, automations, and extracts are not just tech jargon; they have tangible impacts on educators’ daily work, the accuracy of student records, and the overall efficiency of school operations.

The Value of Tenured SaaS Companies

Now that you’re familiar with key SaaS concepts, let’s talk about the importance of stability and transparency.

Tenured companies are those that have been in the market for a longer period. Their longevity often means:

Stability: They’ve weathered market challenges and have proven their reliability.
Transparency: With a longer track record, there’s more history and customer feedback to gauge their performance and trustworthiness.
Continuous Improvement: Their software solutions are mature and regularly updated based on years of feedback.

Comparatively, newer companies, while potentially offering the shiny new thing, might lack the proven stability of a more seasoned vendor.

In conclusion, understanding the world of SaaS is crucial as more educational tools move online. By grasping the concepts of integrations, data automations, and extracts, and by valuing the stability of tenured companies, you can make informed decisions that benefit your district. Remember, with any new implementation, managing the change with care and consideration will ensure a smoother transition for all involved.

The Importance of Accurate Enrollment Projections: Forecasting that Adapts to District Needs

Enrollment projections are a critical aspect of educational planning for any school district.

Accurately forecasting the number of students who will attend school in the coming years is essential for several reasons, including budget planning, resource allocation, and ensuring that the district can adapt to changing student needs.

In this blog post, we will delve into the significance of accurate enrollment projections and discuss the importance of analyzing historical enrollment data from various perspectives for forecasting that adapts to your district’s needs.

The Impact of Enrollment Trends on District Budgets

Enrollment trends have a direct and profound impact on a school district’s budget. The funding a district receives is primarily based on the number of students in attendance, so even small discrepancies in enrollment projections can lead to significant budget fluctuations. Additionally, the composition of the student population can change from year to year, affecting the funding allocated for specific student sub-groups, such as English language learners or special education students.

To address these challenges effectively, school districts must develop enrollment projections that are as accurate as possible.

Let’s explore some key factors that contribute to the importance of accurate enrollment projections:

1. Grade-by-Grade vs. District-Wide

Analyzing historical enrollment data from a grade-by-grade perspective allows districts to identify trends and patterns at a more granular level. This approach helps schools allocate resources more effectively, such as hiring teachers or planning for classroom space. By understanding which grades may experience growth or decline in enrollment, districts can make informed decisions about staffing and program offerings.
However, it’s also crucial to consider the district-wide perspective. While grade-level data is valuable, understanding the overall enrollment trajectory of the district is essential for long-term planning. District-wide projections provide a big-picture view of how enrollment may change over time, allowing administrators to make strategic decisions about facilities, transportation, and other resources.

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2. Local vs. State

Enrollment projections should not be isolated to the district level alone. It’s equally important to consider the broader state perspective. State funding formulas often rely on student counts, and changes in enrollment can impact the amount of funding a district receives. By monitoring statewide enrollment trends, districts can better anticipate potential funding adjustments and plan accordingly.

3. District vs. Charter School Enrollment

In some regions, charter schools share the student population with traditional public schools. As a result, districts must also project enrollment for charter schools operating within their boundaries. Accurate enrollment projections for both district and charter schools are crucial for equitable resource allocation and effective collaboration between educational providers in the community.

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Strategies for Dynamic Forecasting

Now that we understand the importance of enrollment projections, let’s explore some strategies for dynamic forecasting so that you can make the most of your enrollment projections:

Data-Driven Decision-Making: Collect and analyze data regularly to identify trends and emerging needs. Utilize technology and data analytics tools to make informed decisions based on real-time information.
Scenario Planning: Develop multiple scenarios that anticipate different outcomes based on varying factors. This allows administrators to be prepared for a range of possibilities and make adjustments as needed.
Stakeholder Engagement: Involve teachers, parents, and community members in the forecasting process. Their insights and perspectives can provide valuable input and help align district goals with community needs.
Continuous Learning: Encourage a culture of continuous learning and adaptability among district staff. Provide professional development opportunities to keep educators up-to-date with the latest educational practices.
Collaboration and Partnerships: Forge partnerships with local organizations, businesses, and government agencies to enhance resources and support for students. Collaborative efforts can help address various district needs more effectively.

How Software Can Help

Your enrollment projections are only as helpful as they are accurate.

But getting accurate projections is only half the battle, just like enrollment is only one variable in your district’s story. With analytics software, you can ensure you have the most accurate enrollment projections for a solid planning foundation, and then you can use those projections to look at how other choices around staffing, budget, and more will impact the bottom line.

Frontline’s analytics suite offers tools that will help you make the most of your enrollment projections and then communicate to your stakeholders.

Conclusion

Accurate enrollment projections are the cornerstone of effective educational planning and budgeting. School districts must take a multifaceted approach to forecasting, considering factors like grade-level trends, district-wide data, state funding formulas, and the presence of charter schools.

By doing so, districts can adapt to changing student needs, allocate resources effectively, and ensure that every student receives the education they deserve. In a rapidly evolving educational landscape, the ability to forecast accurately is not just a valuable skill; it’s a necessity for the success of our schools and the students they serve.

Roll Call: Best Practices for Ensuring Substitute Coverage

Consistency and continuity are key to ensuring that students receive the best possible learning experience. Yet, teacher absences are an inevitable reality. Whether it’s due to illness, professional development, or personal reasons, teacher absences can impact student learning.

So, it’s critical that school districts have effective strategies in place to ensure that substitute teachers can seamlessly step in when needed. In this blog post, we’ll explore seven best practices for filling absences and ensuring coverage with substitutes!

1. Build a Robust Substitute Teacher Pool

One of the first steps in ensuring substitute coverage is to build a pool of qualified substitute teachers. Schools should actively recruit and maintain a roster of dedicated substitutes who are familiar with the school’s culture, policies, and curriculum.

Proactive Recruitment: Cast a wide net, including retired educators, recent graduates, and individuals with relevant experience.
Screening and Onboarding: Develop a streamlined onboarding process that includes background checks, orientation sessions, and clear explanations of district policies and expectations.

2. Clearly Communicate and Plan

Effective communication is essential in any organization, and schools are no exception. Teachers should provide detailed lesson plans and instructions for substitutes to follow. This can include information on daily routines, classroom rules, and any specific teaching materials or resources required. Clear communication between the absent teacher and the substitute helps maintain consistency in the classroom!

Establish Clear Communication Channels: Foster open lines of communication between HR, school administrators, teachers, and substitutes. Ensure that teachers can easily request substitutes and provide essential information, including lesson plans, classroom routines, and student needs.

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3. Utilize Technology

Leverage technology to streamline the process of notifying substitutes about upcoming assignments. Many schools use online platforms or apps to post job openings and enable substitutes to easily accept or decline assignments. In addition, technology can facilitate communication between teachers and substitutes, allowing for real-time updates and clarifications.

Go Digital with Substitute Management Software: Consider adopting modern substitute management software to streamline the entire substitute management process, making it easier to track, assign, and communicate with substitutes.

Fast Fact!

Did you know? Using a Mobile App positively impacts substitute fill rates!
Dive into the data here

4. Offer Training and Professional Development

Invest in training and professional development opportunities for substitute teachers. Offer workshops or online courses that focus on classroom management, instructional strategies, and school policies. The more prepared substitutes are, the better they can support students in the absence of the regular teacher.

Continual Learning: Develop ongoing training and professional development programs for substitutes. Encourage them to improve their teaching skills, stay updated on district policies, and adapt to different classroom environments.

5. Create a Supportive Environment

Provide substitutes with access to essential resources, such as textbooks, teaching materials, and even information like where to park. Designate a staff member or administrator as a point of contact for substitutes to turn to with questions or concerns.

Resources for Substitutes: Ensure that substitutes have access to necessary resources in order to make them feel welcome and supported within your district.

6. Establish Ongoing Feedback and Evaluation

Encourage regular feedback from both teachers and substitutes. This feedback loop can help identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to the substitute process.

Continuous Improvement: Constructive feedback also helps substitutes grow in their roles and ensures a smoother transition when they step into classrooms.

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7. Have a Long-Term Substitute Plan

For extended teacher absences, develop long-term substitute plans. This may involve selecting a dedicated long-term substitute teacher who can commit to covering the class for an extended period.

Supporting Uninterrupted Learning: Long-term substitutes can collaborate with the absent teacher to maintain consistency and ensure that students continue to progress in their studies.

Filling teacher absences and ensuring coverage with substitutes is critical when it comes to maintaining uninterrupted student learning. By implementing these best practices, schools can minimize disruptions and maintain a consistent and supportive learning environment. Effective communication, preparation, and support for substitute teachers are key components of a successful substitute system, ensuring that students continue to receive a quality education regardless of temporary teacher absences.

Wondering how to get started? Frontline’s Absence and Substitute Management Software can help.

The State of Hiring in Education: A Conversation with AASPA Executive Director Kelly Coash-Johnson

In 2022, Kelly Coash-Johnson joined a webinar with Frontline Education and EdWeek, and shared five “shifts” or practices that the American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA) believes are necessary to address the educator shortage: reducing barriers to careers in education, designing comprehensive human capital management systems, establishing transparent and equitable total rewards systems, strengthening educators’ sense of purpose, belonging, and connection, and delivering exceptional employment experiences.

Kelly joined us on the Field Trip podcast at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year with an updated perspective. What is the state of hiring in education now?

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Take a listen for a look at:

Factors influencing the teacher shortage today
What steps some states are taking to address the teacher shortage, and which of the five shifts mentioned above are more difficult to address
Actions that school districts can take today to be better positioned to hire in the future
What makes Kelly hopeful about education (and hiring in education) as we look to the future

Also check out:

Recruiting the 21st Century Teacher: How to position your district for success in hiring, why it’s critical to diversify your recruiting efforts, and 4 suggestions if you’re new to 21st century recruitment.
On-demand Webinar: Be the Change: Strategies to Make Year-Round Hiring Happen
The Quick-Start Guide to Retention-focused Recruitment

Episode Transcript

RYAN ESTES: Hello everyone, and welcome to the Field Trip podcast from Frontline Education. I’m Ryan Estes, and my guest today is Kelly Coash Johnson. With several decades of experience in educational association work, today she serves as the Executive Director for the American Association of School Personnel Administrators, or AASPA.

Kelly, welcome to Field Trip.

KELLY COASH-JOHNSON: Thank you so much for having me.

RYAN: You spend a lot of time talking to leaders in school districts all across the country, which I know gives you a unique perspective into the state of hiring in schools. And it’s no secret that this continues to be a challenge that schools are facing these days.
From what you’re seeing, what stands out to you right now as we enter the 2023-24 school year? Are there any common themes or challenges that make you take notice?

KELLY: Yeah, absolutely. It’s been a great summer. We’ve been looking at a lot of different data points, and the US Department of Education in July reported through their channels that we are not back to pre-pandemic levels. And the piece to always remember though is that we had a teacher and an educator shortage before the pandemic. So, while I’m glad that we are tracking that data, we have been in this situation of an educator shortage for quite a while.

They are, however, tracking some positive movement, but ultimately, until some key issues surrounding teacher pay and compensation are addressed, we’re going to struggle to see a lot of movement with that. On average, still, teachers earn 24% less than other college graduates, so that’s always something we’re looking at. In 2021-2022, we still had 16 states that had starting salaries below $40,000.

This year in particular, I think, beyond the fact that we’re looking at the teacher shortage, AASPA is monitoring and paying attention to the fact that we’ve got shortages in all areas of K-12. So, bus driver shortages have gotten a lot of press this fall already. And I think we’re going to see more focus as we move along on facilities and food service areas in the coming weeks.

Another theme that we’re watching and has been really interesting to see is that states have been passing a lot of rules and laws this last probably nine months on certification and licensure changes. For example, states like Virginia, they just put in a new alternative pathway to licensure in June, and it’ll be interesting to watch that particular state with their teacher shortage struggles and their recruitment struggles, and if that did indeed help or not. This particular alternative pathway allows teachers to get into the classroom on a provisional license and then work towards their full license on an online program. And it’s supposed to be costing them around $3,000. There’s a love/hate relationship with this type of solution for many states. We love that we might be reducing barriers for individuals to get into education, but we also worry that changing the pathways too quickly is not traditional and it’s nothing like what educators were required to do in the past.

RYAN: Last September you took part in a webinar with Frontline and EdWeek in which you described the importance of deepening how we look at this issue, and at the time, you highlighted five shifts in thinking and practice that you believe are necessary. For example, you talked about not just creating pathways to careers in education, but also working to reduce the barriers to those careers; not simply increasing teacher pay, but really establishing transparent and equitable total reward systems, and I’m curious: now that it’s a year later, how has your thinking crystallized or evolved over the past year?

KELLY: We spent this summer, and probably about the last five or six months, digging into promising practices for each of these five shifts. And what I think we’ve noticed is that a lot of the action around these is occurring in the area of reducing barriers. These include that alternative certification program that I mentioned, as well as this is also where the teacher apprenticeship programs fit in and the overall changes to certification.

What we did is ask both higher ed, departments of ed, and K-12 to submit returns on each of these areas. And I would say most of them came through in that particular area. But while you’re talking about establishing transparent and equitable total reward systems, that one we did not get a lot of submissions, if you will, for promising practices in that area. So, what that kind of tells me is that may be our biggest challenge moving forward. If we look at these shifts, people are struggling with that: how to do it, when to do it. But we’re even just looking for flexible staffing model examples or incentives. And so those are coming in a little bit here and there, but a lot of the transparent offerings and the employee-centered total reward strategies are pretty out there, if you will, for folks to really wrap their brains around.

RYAN: For those of our listeners who are listening to you speak and saying, “Okay, I’m facing this issue right now, this year, whether I’m going into 23-24 and having trouble filling my vacancies,” or saying, “I need to already begin looking to next year to really lay the groundwork for making sure I’m fully staffed at that point, I just need something that I can do now that’s going to move the needle a little bit.” What would you say to that?

KELLY: Right, right. No, that’s a great question. So, number one, ask, right? Because I think that’s the one thing that is always a, “Oh, I didn’t think about that.” You’ve got to ask your current folks now. We are seeing some amazing growth based upon stay interviews and employee interviews overall and asking, “What would it take to get you to be able to stay in this position?” or “What would it take for your colleagues to want to come and work for our district?”

Maybe it’s a flexible staffing model. Maybe it is a matter of, “I can only teach in the mornings because I have an elderly parent that I have to take care of in the afternoons,” or, “I have a childcare situation.” And those are things that I think we might be able to make some headway on. But we have to ask, because we make assumptions but we don’t have the actual conversations to back those up.

I believe that retention is the new recruitment. Before we really look at recruitment strategies, sometimes we need to make sure that our retention strategies are where they’re at. So some of my favorite promising practices from districts are things like novice teacher mentor programs. For example, Putnam County, Florida developed a mentor program that has resulted in a retention rate of 89 to 93% in the past five years. That’s amazing! And if they’ve got that retention rate, that’s going to affect how they recruit, because folks are going to pay attention. They’re like, “Oh, Putnam, they have that really awesome mentor program for their new teachers. I want that.” So, it works in recruitment as well as the retention piece.

I’ve also seen some really good work with the Grow Your Own programs to work for retention as well as recruitment, believe it or not. For example, I think it’s the Michigan Department of Education, is leading a multimedia campaign to improve their retention and their recruitment for new folks by doing a Welcome Back campaign.

When you talk about data, one of the pieces of data that I always encourage my members to try to get their hands on if they can is how many educators exist in the pool right now that have their certifications that are not currently working in a school district? Some states are really good about giving you that information and they’ll be able to tell you, “These are people that have teaching certificates that left education for one reason or another.” And then developing, whether that is a marketing or just an outreach program to say, “Hey, we want to welcome you back to education if you ever want to come back.” I’m a super big optimist, so I know we saw a lot of people during the pandemic and even before that exit the field of education for all of these things that we talk about with the pay and the sense of purpose and belonging. And so being able to readdress those to the folks that left is also a really powerful recruitment tool.

RYAN: When you look five years out, say, what do you think we will be seeing when it comes to hiring in schools? And perhaps a way to stay positive about it is, what makes you hopeful as you look forward?

KELLY: So I, too, am a very positive-thinking person. When I look at our situation, I do not see more gloom and doom. I know it’s hard when the media is throwing stuff at you on a regular basis, but I really do see more positives than I see negatives, and I think we’re going to open our eyes to the value of educators and those who work in school systems more and more.

So, this kind of started with the pandemic. I think a lot of people realized that educating kids is hard, and feeding kids is hard, and keeping kids safe is hard. And we’ve spent a lot of resources in the short term on maybe academic recovery from the pandemic. And now I’m hoping in the next five years, or sooner, that we’ll see a shift towards using some of those resources on our workforce. I don’t necessarily think we’re going to see a huge increase in the number of people that want to go into education yet, in the next five years, but I do think we are going to see some great work with retention of educators and that move back to education from those that left.

It’s hard to be an educator, and I really think that some very important people are figuring that out and hopefully they have the ability to work towards improving that. And when I mean “they,” I mean your state departments of education and your state lawmakers. The two issues that really affect education and human capital leadership in schools are teacher pay and teacher certification, and both of those items are very state-driven items. So, making sure that state lawmakers understand those and also understand where maybe they sit in the grand scheme of things will help move that needle just a little bit every year.

RYAN: Once again, Kelly Coash Johnson is the Executive Director for the American Association of School Personnel Administrators. Kelly, I really appreciate your time. Thank you for speaking with me today.

KELLY: No problem. And, shameless plug, I will give a shameless plug: we are about ready to release our next magazine, which is open to members and non-members. And I had the opportunity to see that firsthand, and there are some amazing articles on recruitment and retention from a variety of different school districts and experts. And so, a plug for AASPA, that magazine’s coming out. So, take a look at it.

Field Trip is a podcast from Frontline Education, the leading provider of school administrative software. That includes Frontline Recruiting & Hiring and Frontline Central, designed to help you quickly recruit, hire, and onboard great talent. For more episodes like this one, be sure to subscribe to Field Trip anywhere you get your podcasts. For Frontline Education, I’m Ryan Estes. Thanks for listening and have a great day.

Front & Center: Liz Scott

Liz Scott is the Director of Human Resources and Community Relations in Burlington Township School District in New Jersey. She’s a self-described boy mom (“I’m the only woman in the house, and I absolutely love it”), whose happy place is Ocean City Maryland, whose faith brought her through breast cancer. She is also a passionate educator. We are thrilled to introduce you to her on this month’s “Front & Center”!

What was your first job in education?

I’ve actually been working here for 34 years, actually a little bit longer than that because my career started out as a substitute teacher.

As far as my background, I’m an alternate route baby. I went to Penn State, I’m a proud Nittany Lion. I graduated with a degree in labor relations and a minor in African American studies, so my dream was to be somewhere in the corporate world, the big corner office with the glass windows and all that stuff. But when I started subbing, I got the call that they needed a sub for the full year to teach music to middle and high school students, and I absolutely fell in love with teaching. I ended up going the alternate route and based on my degree, I was eligible for my elementary cert. I went from teaching middle and high school students to teaching first grade and I absolutely fell in love with it again.

If you could give any advice to yourself at the beginning of your career, what would it be?

I would probably tell myself to not be so hard on myself. I try to be excellent at everything, and a lot of times to a fault. My family would say that I’m a workaholic, but I try to have that balance. I’m one of those moms: I never miss a game. I never miss a track meet. At the same time, I always try to make sure everything is taken care of here at work, and what suffers is me. At 54 years old, I’m still trying to learn how to carve out time for me. So, I would tell myself, “Make sure you carve out that workplace/home balance and make sure you take care of you because you’re all that you have.”

Four years ago, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I’ll never forget, I was sitting here in my office when I got the phone call, and it was like somebody just punched me in my gut. Long story short, I’m four years cancer free, but I understand now why I went through that. And I saw it as an opportunity. Being in HR, people come to my office and they need someone to talk to, they need someone to understand and have that empathy. As the HR director, I think it’s just so important to have that people side of you.

But I would tell my younger self, take time for you, take time to smell the grass. You can do both but take that time to take care of you. Put the mask on yourself first to help everybody else.

What is one skill every HR Director should have?

Having those people skills. I think it’s more important that people understand and know that you truly care before they care about what you know. That’s the type of administrator that I am.

The other thing is, it’s about the smile. You’ve got to be able to smile and make people feel comfortable. I think that is the key to getting people to want to come work in your district. It’s that first interaction. First impressions are everything.

What was your biggest “win” over the last year, and how did you achieve it?

Last year we had 30+ positions we had to fill, and with those 30 we expanded our preschool program. As a result of that, we had to hire 10 pre-K teachers, and it was like, “Ooh, how are we going to do that?” Through nonstop recruitment, trying to think outside of the box, we were able to do that. That has been a huge win for us.

If I could throw a second one in, this past year we’ve expanded our efforts as an equity team, not only to train our staff and have critical conversations with our staff, but to have critical conversations with our community. It truly takes a village to do what we do.

What is the hardest challenge you’re facing in your role right now?

Hiring. When you go to a job fair and there are more recruiters there than students, you stop and scratch your head and say, “Okay, what’s going on?” I have never experienced what we’re experiencing right now. I pride myself and I tell the board, “We’re going to be one hundred percent fully staffed.” I couldn’t say that this year. You just have to do all that you can as a school district to keep people and it’s tough. It’s a very difficult time now, trying to do everything under the sun to recruit people.

We live in a digital age – how are you using software and technology to tackle the challenges faced by HR, specifically recruiting, hiring, and retaining teachers and staff?

When everything got shut down in 2020, I was panicked. “Okay, how do we do this?” It just so happened we had started having conversations with Frontline about further automating our [recruiting and hiring] system. I didn’t even think that it would be, “Oh, by the way, we’re closed. I need this automated within weeks.” And Frontline made it happen.

It worked. I have to say that was probably the best thing we could have ever done. The efficiency of interviews being done online now, I can schedule six interviews back to back to back and just keep things moving.

I interview people, they’re in a closet, they’re in their car, they’re in the park, and it has become natural. It’s okay, you are where you are! Let’s keep it rolling! It definitely has helped us in terms of being able to accommodate people. And the efficiency of getting rid of the paper — I don’t have to send you paper, you don’t have to come in and sign. I press a button, boom. You have everything back within seconds.

What is the best creative idea you have had as an HR Director that has made a difference in your role?

I talked earlier about people seeing you as a person and knowing that’s going to be reciprocated. We have a neighboring district and we thought one day, “Let’s team up and do a job fair together.” I put my PR hat on as well — we had to advertise.

So, we decided we would take a song and make up a quick little dance. We recorded it and put it out there, it was a riot. Affectionately, we were being called the “Dancing Directors.” It was our way of advertising, “Hey, come join the party. We’re two districts and we want to work with you.”

That was probably the funniest thing that I’ve done, and it got attention. “Hey, we saw you on Instagram. You’re the Dancing Directors.” Yeah, that’s us.

What will change most in education over the next 10 years?

With everything that I’m seeing now in terms of the shortages, I think it’s going to have a huge impact on what it looks like in the future. I think we’re seeing it now when we have companies that will give you a virtual teacher for hard-to-find certs, and never in a million years would I have ever thought that this would be the case.

One thing that will never change in society is that we will always have kids who need to be taught. The question is, how are we going to teach them? Are we going to have more virtual teachers teaching from anywhere in the world?

Is it ideal? Absolutely not. I firmly believe that our kids need to be in school with a teacher face to face. But desperate times, desperate measures. I think we are going to have to continue to navigate how we deliver instruction to our students.

What are you most hopeful about for the future of education?

I am hopeful that as a society we regain a love for teaching, that we begin to truly appreciate our educators. None of us go through this life without having a teacher. It’s time for us to look at the true value of our educators and make sure that we take care of them financially and understand that they are a necessity, they are a crucial part of who we are as human beings.

Back in the day, everybody wanted to be a teacher. I’m hoping that love comes back, that people will start to embrace it. It starts with us planting seeds in our littles, in our pre-K kids, our kindergarten kids, all the way through, so that when they graduate, they say, “You know what? I want to be a teacher because Ms. Scott had an impact on me.”

There is hope. We’re in a valley right now, but I know the tide will turn.

Talk Data to Me: Professional Development Format Trends

In this installment of the Talk Data Series, we’ll be analyzing types of activities that teachers are choosing to complete and how they’ve changed over the past few years using data from the Frontline Research & Learning Institute and Frontline Professional Growth.

Before we dive in, let’s revisit one of the very first Talk Data to Me blog posts from the middle of 2020, which was right after the pandemic started.

At the time, COVID was changing the types of activities that teachers were completing. This chart displays the number of completed activities via Google Classroom, Zoom, remote learning, virtual learning and distance learning in 2019. They were all almost zero.

In 2020, there were thousands of activities were being completed on those topics. Teachers were completing more activities than usual as they grappled with transitioning their classroom to a pandemic virtual classroom. It was very clear at the time that the pandemic was completely changing professional development.

Now that we’ve been in a state of normalcy for well over a year, we took a look to see if there were any lasting effects to the types of professional development that teachers were completing.

Professional Development Formats

Action research and independent studies
Coaching and mentoring
Curriculum and lesson development projects
External conferences
Graduate and college courses
Internal meetings and committee work
Other peer observation and visits
PLCs
Data analysis and team learning meetings
Workshop activities and courses

A vast majority of completed activities typically fall into the workshop activity course format bucket about 60% each school year, give or take. That has remained pretty consistent over the years. But there has been some shifts in the proportion of activities each year that fit into three formats.

Shifts in Completed Activities (2019 vs. 2023)

The proportion of completed activities in 2023 that were in the format of action research or independent study has grown 127% compared to 2019.
The proportion of completed activities that were for coaching or mentoring are up 85% in 2023 compared to 2019.
The proportion of completed activities in the form of external conferences has dropped 35%.

The Takeaway

It appears that teachers may be opting for more personal and closer to home professional development rather than larger conferences.

It’s important to understand that this data is from a national data set of over 17 million completed professional development activities from teachers in over 1,000 districts nationwide over the past five years now, just because trends like this show up in a national data set does not mean that they accurately reflect what might be happening in your district.

But understanding shifts like this and professional development in your district is very important to ensure that your faculty and staff’s needs are being met.

Frontline Human Capital Analytics helps school districts do just that by making professional development data available, digestible, filterable, insightful, and most importantly, actionable for more information on human capital analytics.

Ready to maximize the efficacy of your district’s professional development?

Telling Your Student Story to Your School Board

Our students’ experiences are the heart and soul of every educational institution. They embody the successes, challenges, and growth that happen within our school walls every single day. As superintendents and school business officials, it’s our responsibility to convey these stories to our school boards to provide a clear and powerful understanding of our school’s operations and student life.

Here’s how to craft and present these narratives effectively.

1. Understand Your Audience

Remember that school board members are not just officials; they’re also parents, community members, and taxpayers. Frame your stories in ways that resonate with their diverse roles and interests.

2. Gather the Right Data

Raw data is the backbone of any good story:

Academic Performance: Share test scores, graduation rates, and other measurable indicators.
Extra-curricular Success: Highlight achievements in arts, sports, and clubs.
Student and Parent Feedback: Incorporate testimonials, survey results, and personal stories.

Case Study

Millcreek Township School District:
Empowering Community Success with Student Performance Analytics
Analytics have become key to Millcreek leadership as they identify growth areas and provide support for students and staff. Read Now

3. Personalize the Numbers

Numbers alone don’t convey emotion. Use real-life examples to give context:
Instead of just quoting a graduation rate, share a touching story of a student who overcame obstacles to graduate.
Instead of merely stating the number of students involved in after-school programs, describe a particular event or showcase a project that had a profound impact.

4. Use Visuals

A well-designed infographic or slideshow can make your presentation more engaging.
Consider:
Pie charts for budget breakdowns.
Before-and-after photos of facility improvements.
Short video clips showcasing student achievements or interviews.

On-Demand Webinar

Using Data to Drive Early Interventions: Hear how teams at San Dieguito Union High School District use early warning indicators to proactively mobilize resources to support their student community. Watch Now

5. Highlight Solutions, Not Just Challenges

It’s essential to address challenges, but don’t forget to emphasize solutions:
Pie charts for budget breakdowns.
If you’re facing budget shortfalls, present potential strategies to address them.
If there’s been a dip in test scores in certain subjects, outline the new teaching strategies or resources being implemented.

6. Encourage Student Participation

Invite students to the board meeting to share their experiences firsthand. Whether they showcase a project, perform a musical piece, or simply share their story, their voices provide authenticity that can’t be replicated.

7. Keep It Concise

While it’s important to be comprehensive, respect the board’s time. Organize your data and stories in a way that’s clear, concise, and compelling. Use bullet points, visuals, and structured sections to make your presentation easy to follow.

8. Foster Open Dialogue

After your presentation, open the floor for questions. This not only shows transparency but also allows board members to dive deeper into areas of interest.

eBook

Moving the Needle:
Improve Student Performance by Correlating and Analyzing Multiple Indicators
You don’t have to be a data scientist to use the data you have.
Here’s how to make your student data actionable. Download Now

9. Offer Follow-Up

Share a printed report or digital resources where board members can learn more at their own pace. This can be a comprehensive document that includes all the details you might not have had time to cover in the meeting.

10. Celebrate Successes

Lastly, always take a moment to celebrate the successes. Whether it’s academic achievements, improved facilities, or increased community involvement, recognizing these positives can inspire and motivate everyone involved.

Telling your student story isn’t just about presenting facts and figures; it’s about painting a vivid picture of life within your school and showcasing the impact of the board’s decisions on real students. By personalizing the data and actively engaging with your school board, you can create a powerful narrative that resonates and drives informed decision-making.

Learn more about how Frontline can help you use your student data to close learning gaps, advance equity, and improve student outcomes.

S.M.A.R.T. Goal Setting in K-12 Professional Development

“How can I grow as an educator — and help my students grow, too?”

This is the question teachers ask themselves again and again throughout the year — during planning days, after observations, and in quiet moments between lessons. But without a clear roadmap, even the most motivated educators can struggle to turn that desire into progress.

That’s where S.M.A.R.T. goals come in. Whether you’re kicking off a new school year, evaluating mid-year progress, or planning summer PD, intentional goal setting helps educators reflect on their practice, focus their energy, and stay aligned with school and district priorities.

In this post, we’ll explore how to guide teachers through effective goal setting using the S.M.A.R.T. framework, why it matters in K-12 professional development, and how to create a culture of meaningful, measurable growth for teachers and students alike.

What are S.M.A.R.T goals, and why is this goal setting structure important?

S.M.A.R.T stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound; these are the qualities you want to encourage teachers in your districts to prioritize when they are setting goals. For each goal they set, they’ll want to make sure these five qualities are present and specify how they are present.

Here’s how teachers can implement the S.M.A.R.T. strategy into their goals. They should consider each of the elements as essentially a part of the outline of an overall goal. Once a teacher has a response to each section, they will combine them all into a goal. If you have a goal in mind beforehand, it’s a good idea to literally write out why your goal is specific, measurable, etc. to make sure it aligns.

Here are helpful guidance questions and an example:

S: Specific/Strategic:

What is the specific goal you are trying to achieve? Make sure your goal is very clear in the wording of your final goal and think about how it connects to larger goals within your team/school/district.
Ex: I want to improve reading outcomes for my 3rd grade students over last year.

M: Measurable (Plan!)

How will you measure progress and know the goal has been met?
Ex: 30% of students moved up a reading level last year – I’d like to see at least 50% move up this year.

A: Achievable/Actionable

How will you accomplish this goal? What necessary actions will you take?
Ex: In a recent training, I learned some great techniques for learning retention around reading in this age group. I will work on a new skill every month, implementing those techniques. Additionally, we’ll build more reading games into the schedule alongside quiet reading and library time.

R: Relevant

How do these goals apply to your overall responsibilities?
Ex: Reading is a key skill to solidify for this age group, and a huge part of the learning students will be doing in my class. Additionally, the school has an overall goal to focus on reading skills this year, and I will be contributing to that goal by taking responsibility for my third-grade class.

T: Time-Bound

When do you hope to achieve this?
Ex: Every three months, we will re-evaluate the students and measure who is moving up and who may need more support. By checking in on this schedule, we should have a good idea at the end of the year how each student is doing and can evaluate the class as a whole.

Goal:

This year, I will improve reading outcomes in my 3rd grade class by implementing new teaching techniques and checking in on progress on a monthly basis. By the end of the year, the goal is to have at least 50% of students move up a reading level and have all students leave the 3rd grade feeling confident in their reading abilities.

By thinking about all of these smaller aspects of a goal, it ensures teacher goals are achievable and rewarding, and strategically fit into a larger vision for their school, district and career. Teachers get into the habit of creating goals that encourage growth in them and their students and push them toward larger goals.

Remember to share these best practices as your teachers work on their goals

Personal and student focus: Respond to previous performance feedback as well as student data. Consider where additional support, training or data may help make goals achievable.
Keep it simple and organized: Use the S.M.A.R.T goals model to outline your goals, and don’t shy away from stating the obvious.
Go for it! Be ambitious with your goal setting; challenge yourself.
Check in: Establish opportunities to check in on progress.
Get feedback and collaborate when you can: Get feedback from someone who knows the context within which you’re working and can provide insights.
Be clear: Make sure goals are clear about what will indicate success! You’ll want to be able to easily check the boxes as you work through the year, rather than have to wade through ambiguous language or unclear finish lines.

Supporting Teachers in Goal Setting: Best Practices for Leaders

To build a sustainable culture of professional growth, school and district leaders can promote these S.M.A.R.T. goal-setting best practices:

Focus on Both Student and Educator Growth

Encourage teachers to reflect on previous evaluations and classroom data. Identify areas where targeted support or additional PD could make a difference.

Keep It Clear and Organized

Use the S.M.A.R.T. framework to create a simple goal-setting structure. Don’t shy away from stating the obvious — clarity leads to follow-through.

Be Ambitious, But Realistic

Challenge educators to reach higher, while helping them set achievable, actionable steps to get there.

Schedule Regular Progress Check-Ins

Help teachers build in touchpoints throughout the year to monitor their growth and adjust as needed.

Foster Collaboration and Feedback

Create space for teachers to discuss goals with mentors, peers, or PLCs. Feedback from trusted colleagues improves accountability and relevance.

Define What Success Looks Like

Encourage teachers to set clear success indicators so they can confidently track their own progress.

Take It Further with Frontline Professional Development

When paired with the right tools, S.M.A.R.T. goals become more than just statements — they become action plans.

With Frontline Professional Growth, districts can bring goal setting to life by connecting it with:

Personalized learning paths built around educator needs
Blended learning opportunities for flexibility
Collaborative tools for coaching, mentoring, and peer feedback
Tracking and reporting to monitor progress at the individual and district level

Your educators deserve more than one-size-fits-all training. Help them turn goals into growth with a flexible, high-impact solution.

Learn more about Frontline Professional Growth here.

Talk to a Frontliner

Elise Ozarowski

Elise is a writer and member of the award-winning content team at Frontline Education. A former member of Frontline’s events team, she is passionate about making connections, whether that be in person at events, online via social media or directly in her writing.

Best Practices for Sharing Data Across Your District

In today’s data-driven world, K-12 school districts have recognized the importance of sharing data across various departments, from student performance to finances and human resources. Having a systematic approach to disseminate this information can drive more efficient decision-making, enhance transparency, and improve stakeholder engagement, especially with the school board.

There are so many nuances to sharing data – after all, without context or visuals, sharing data can feel overwhelming and confusing. But when it’s done right, it can be a driving force for positive change in your district and elevate your voice as a leader in your school community.

Let’s explore all the nuances of sharing data so that you’ll be ready for your next school board meeting.

The Value of Sharing Data

Enhances Decision Making: Data is more than just numbers on a screen; it’s a reflection of students’ progress, the efficacy of educational strategies, and the health of the district’s finances.

By integrating insights from various departments, the district can paint a holistic picture of its functioning. This, in turn, provides a factual foundation for decisions. By sharing data, different departments can avoid working in isolation and make choices that synergize with the district’s overarching goals.

Promotes Transparency: In an educational environment, trust is paramount.
Parents entrust the future of their children to educational institutions, and community members look to schools as pillars of society. Transparency isn’t just about openness; it’s about fostering that trust. Sharing data publicly or within the organization can allay concerns, answer questions, and provide clarity on the direction the district is taking.

“Transparency isn’t just about openness; it’s about fostering that trust. Sharing data publicly or within the organization can allay concerns, answer questions, and provide clarity on the direction the district is taking. ”

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Improves Collaboration: Every department, be it academic or administrative, plays a pivotal role in a school district’s journey.

When these departments operate in silos, it often leads to redundancy, miscommunication, and missed opportunities. Sharing data fosters a culture of collaboration, ensuring that everyone is on the same page, working towards unified objectives.

Enables Proactive Responses: Waiting for annual reviews or the emergence of overt problems can be detrimental.

With real-time data sharing, districts can remain agile, spotting trends or potential pitfalls long before they become significant issues. This proactive stance ensures that the district is always a step ahead, tweaking strategies and reallocating resources as needed to ensure optimal performance.

In essence, the value of sharing data is about creating an environment of informed decision-making, unwavering trust, seamless collaboration, and proactive management. It’s about ensuring that every stakeholder, from teachers to board members, has the tools and insights they need to contribute effectively to the district’s success.

“In essence, the value of sharing data is about creating an environment of informed decision-making, unwavering trust, seamless collaboration, and proactive management. It’s about ensuring that every stakeholder, from teachers to board members, has the tools and insights they need to contribute effectively to the district’s success.”

7 Best Practices for Sharing Data

The process of sharing data, while invaluable, requires meticulous planning and execution. Data holds significant power, and in the wrong hands or without the right precautions, it can be misconstrued or even misused. To ensure that your district benefits from the vast wealth of information at its disposal, consider the following best practices:

1. Centralized Data Storage:
Imagine a world where every department has its database, each with varying degrees of accessibility and consistency. Such a scenario can lead to confusion, redundancy, and, more importantly, inaccuracies. Adopting a unified platform, such as Frontline Data & Analytics, ensures that everyone has access to the same set of information, thus ensuring uniformity and ease of retrieval.

2. Define Access Permissions:
While it’s essential for departments to share data, it’s equally critical to ensure that sensitive information remains protected. Just as you wouldn’t give every employee the keys to the main office, not everyone should have access to all data. Defining roles and access permissions ensures that information is shared responsibly and securely.

3. Use Visual Tools:
Data, in its raw form, can often be overwhelming. Numbers, percentages,
and metrics can easily blur together without context. Visual tools like graphs, charts, and dashboards help transform this raw data into comprehensible insights. This not only assists in internal deliberations but makes stakeholder meetings and presentations more impactful.

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4. Regularly Update & Audit:
The value of data diminishes if it’s outdated. Regular updates ensure that stakeholders make decisions based on the current scenario. Moreover, periodic audits reinforce the accuracy and authenticity of the data, reinforcing its credibility.

5. Train Personnel:
Just as a treasure map is useless to someone who can’t read it, data requires interpretation. Training your staff to understand, analyze, and use the data at their disposal ensures that the information leads to actionable insights rather than just being a dormant asset.

6. Establish Communication Protocols:
Sharing data isn’t a one-time activity. It’s a continuous process that requires a defined cadence. Establishing when, how, and with whom data is shared (be it through reports, newsletters, or online portals) creates a systematic flow of information across the district.

7. Prioritize Privacy:
In the age of digital breaches and growing concerns about privacy, protecting student and staff data is paramount. Ensuring compliance with laws such as FERPA and implementing stringent security measures not only safeguards information but also the district’s reputation.

Adopting these best practices transforms data from mere numbers on a spreadsheet to a strategic tool that can shape the trajectory of your district, improving outcomes across the board.

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The Power of Data: Enhancing Communications with Your School Board
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The effective use of data can significantly improve communication and decision-making within a school district, especially when it involves interactions with School Board Members.
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Engaging the School Board

For many districts, the school board is a primary stakeholder. Keeping them informed is crucial.
Here’s how to effectively share data with them:

1. Create a Dashboard:
Offer school board members access to a customized dashboard, perhaps leveraging Frontline’s Data & Analytics tools, which can be updated in real-time with pertinent data.

2. Schedule Regular Briefings:
Apart from regular meetings, establish briefings dedicated to dissecting and discussing the data.

3. Welcome Feedback:
Encourage board members to ask questions and provide feedback. This can offer fresh perspectives and enhance the data’s utility.

4. Emphasize the Bigger Picture:
While numbers are vital, don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. Relate data back to the district’s vision, mission, and strategic objectives.

Who has done it well?

Numerous school districts and educational institutions have reaped the benefits of effective data sharing. Let’s delve into a few illustrative examples:

These examples underscore the transformative power of data sharing when implemented thoughtfully and strategically. Not only do they offer a testament to the benefits of data-driven decision-making, but they also serve as models for other districts aiming to harness the full potential of their data.

Implementing a Data-Sharing Methodology: Your 10-Step Guide

Implementing successful data-sharing methods, as exemplified by the aforementioned districts, requires a combination of strategic planning, technological investment, and cultural shifts within the institution. Here’s a step-by-step guide to bring these methods to fruition in your district:

1. Assess Current Data Infrastructure:

Begin with an audit of the current data systems in place. Identify where data resides,
who has access, and the nature of data collected.
Identify gaps or inconsistencies in data collection and storage.

2. Set Clear Objectives:

Understand the primary goals behind sharing data. Is it to improve student outcomes, streamline operations, or foster transparency with stakeholders?
Having a clear objective will guide the entire process.

3. Choose the Right Tools:

Depending on your needs, invest in a centralized data storage and analytics tool like Frontline Data & Analytics or other relevant platforms.
Ensure the platform integrates well with existing software and databases in your district.

4. Establish Data Governance:

Define roles and responsibilities concerning data management. Who will be responsible for data input, analysis, and sharing?
Develop protocols around data access, ensuring sensitive data remains protected.

5. Train & Educate Staff:

Organize training sessions for staff on how to use the new systems and understand data analytics.
Cultivate a data-driven culture by emphasizing the importance of evidence-based decision-making.

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6. Pilot & Refine:

Consider launching the new data-sharing methods in a smaller setting, such as a single school or department, before scaling up.
Gather feedback, identify issues, and refine the process based on real-world challenges and outcomes.

7. Roll Out District-Wide:

Once you’re confident in the pilot’s success, expand the initiative across the district.

Maintain open channels of communication to address any challenges that arise during the broader rollout.

8. Engage Stakeholders:

Regularly share insights with stakeholders, such as parents, community members, and school boards.
Emphasize transparency and encourage feedback to ensure the data is serving its intended purpose.

9. Continuously Monitor & Update:

Data needs and technology will evolve. Continuously assess the system’s efficacy, ensuring it remains relevant and beneficial.
Regularly update data protocols and tools to keep up with best practices and emerging technologies.

10. Celebrate Successes:

Recognize and highlight successes resulting from data-driven initiatives. This will bolster trust in the system and encourage wider adoption among stakeholders.

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Conclusion

Remember, while the steps above provide a foundational guide, every district has its unique intricacies. It’s essential to mold your approach according to the specific needs, hurdles, and resources of your district. Building a successful data-sharing culture is more of a continuous journey than a fixed endpoint. By staying dedicated and adaptable, your district can harness the full potential of data, driving success in education and administration in ways previously unimagined.

Unlocking the Power of Data for Successful Human Capital Management in K-12 Operations

Unlocking the Power of Data for Successful Human Capital Management in K-12 Operations

Effective Human Capital Management (HCM) is a key factor in determining the success of a school district and its mission.

In a recent webinar, Susan Walters, Principal Solutions Consultant, Jen Hahn, Solutions Consultant and Stan Wisler, Strategic Account Advisor from Frontline Education, explored the crucial role data plays in Human Resources and best practices for creating a data-driven culture within a district.

Read on for more!

Creating A Data-Driven Culture

Stan Wisler walked attendees through “data-driven culture” at a high-level, and how it can be used to improve outcomes and build trust in school districts. As a school district administrator or HR professional, you should know your district’s data. When staff, board or community have questions, having this data be readily accessible and properly managed is a must. That way, decisions related to professional development, staffing and recruitment, expenses and rates, retention strategies and a whole multitude of other processes or concerns are informed by real circumstances and root issues, rather than gut feelings.

Now, a “data-drive culture”doesn’t mean that experience, judgement and environmental factors should be abandoned. Data doesn’t have to make a school environment rigid or sterile; data that is relevant, timely, and easy to understand can be complementary to these other sources of information. Data helps keep you current, enhances transparency and helps tell the story of your district.

“The goal is to turn data into information,
and information into insight.”

Carly Fiorina, Former CEO of HP

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Connecting a Data-Driven Culture with the Best Practice of HR

By actively embracing a data-driven practice and culture, your staff can continue to ground your school’s culture in data and make important decisions based on evidence.

Here are three areas where data can make a huge difference when it comes to HR responsibilities and processes. Jen Hahn walked webinar attendees through ways that data helps pose and answer important questions and improve outcomes.

Absences, and low absence rates: What is our substitute fill rate? Is our compensation effective?
Recruiting, and withdrawal of applicants throughout hiring process:
Which recruitment efforts work best?
What is our open position fill rate and how many applicants per open position are there?
Professional Development, and incompletion of professional development:
What is our turnover %?
What is the cost of turnover (financial and educational)? Do our current retention strategies work?

Using Human Capital Analytics Software to Drive a Data-Driven Culture

Susan Walters rounded out the panel by discussing next steps – implementation of data analytics in these previously painted scenarios. Human Capital Analytics and an HCM system can make all the difference when working through these issues, providing consistent reporting and standardized analysis and communication of trends.

Using data to solve low fill rates for absences: You don’t want to assume compensation rate is the root cause. In many cases, there are other issues that can be addressed that don’t require more (or much more) money to be invested. Creative strategies can be implemented to attract substitutes to the positions that aren’t being as readily filled. Professional development resources can be used to encourage a wider pool of subs to fill roles that they might not otherwise.
Using data to explore the connection between district hiring practices and retention:
It’s important to start by examining how candidate and successful applicant pools are built. If you know word-of-mouth is a common way candidates find out about positions, for example, this might change the ways candidates are pursued. How can you give staff and community more tools to help them spread the word?
Using data to perfect professional development strategy: Once applicants have been hired, think carefully about the professional development you offer. PD will help retain these professionals, who all have different needs and desires in their professional learning. Would more video, or on-demand access, be effective?

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The software, in addition to helping you identify and solve issues those explored above…

Consolidates data into one place
Delivers turnkey analysis and trends of district workforce
Reduces “Time-to-Insight”
Creates graphical, easy-to-use reporting
Frees up IT & HR resources, creating and maintaining complex reports
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Use Early Warning Indicators to Begin Interventions Now

Education is not just about imparting knowledge; it’s about ensuring that each student can reach their full potential. To achieve this, schools often rely on data to understand the learning progress of their students. But what if, rather than waiting for the end of the semester or the annual state test, we could identify students at risk of falling behind much earlier? This is where the concept of Early Warning Indicators (EWIs) comes into play.

What are Early Warning Indicators?

EWIs are a set of indicators that provide information about a student’s risk of falling off-track academically or socially. They are proactive measures that use readily available data to highlight students who might be at risk of not meeting critical educational milestones.

Typical indicators might include:

Absenteeism
Low grades in foundational subjects
Behavioral issues
Decreased participation in class

Why Are EWIs Important?

Prompt Interventions: The sooner we identify students who are at risk, the sooner interventions can begin. Early interventions are proven to be more effective than reactive measures, as they address issues before they become deeply entrenched habits or patterns.
Resource Allocation: With the help of EWIs, schools can allocate resources, such as tutoring or counseling, more effectively and efficiently.
Building Support Systems: By identifying at-risk students early on, schools can establish supportive environments and partnerships between teachers, parents, and counselors, fostering a collaborative approach to student success.

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Implementing EWIs in Your School District

Data Collection: Begin by collecting relevant data, ensuring that it’s accurate, timely, and comprehensive. This could be attendance records, grades, or behavioral reports.
Analysis: Use this data to set benchmarks for what is considered “at risk.” For instance, if a student misses a certain number of days within a month, they could be flagged by the EWI system.
Intervention Strategies: Once students are identified, have a clear set of intervention strategies in place. This could be peer tutoring, counseling, parent-teacher meetings, or after-school programs.
Regular Reviews: Continuously monitor the effectiveness of your interventions. Adjust strategies based on their success and changing student needs.
Professional Development: Ensure that your staff is trained to understand and utilize EWIs. This includes not just recognizing the indicators but also understanding how to respond.

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If I have an RTI program, why do I need EWIs?

Both Early Warning Indicators (EWIs) and Response to Intervention (RTI) are pivotal in the educational system as methods to identify and support students at risk. However, they serve different purposes, have different focal areas, and employ varied approaches. Here’s a comparison to help differentiate the two:

Purpose and Definition:

EWIs: Early Warning Indicators are signals, often derived from data, that a student may be at risk of not meeting key educational milestones. These indicators might include poor attendance, behavioral issues, or low course performance, among others. The goal of EWIs is to flag potential concerns early on so that they can be addressed proactively.
RTI: Response to Intervention is a multi-tiered framework designed to identify students who are struggling academically and provide them with targeted instructional interventions. It’s a process that closely monitors student progress and adjusts interventions based on that progress.

Focus:

EWIs: The focus is generally broader. While academic performance is a part of EWIs, they also encompass non-academic factors like behavior and attendance.
RTI: Primarily focused on academic performance and the effectiveness of instructional methods.

Implementation:

EWIs: Schools often use a system or dashboard that collects data on attendance, behavior, and course performance to generate alerts when students show signs of being at risk.
RTI: Schools often use a system or dashboard that collects data on attendance, behavior, and course performance to generate alerts when students show signs of being at risk.

Tier 1: General classroom instruction for all students.
Tier 2: Targeted interventions for students who don’t respond to Tier 1.
Tier 3: Intensive, individualized interventions for students who continue to struggle despite Tier 2 interventions.

Response:

EWIs: Once a student is identified as at-risk through EWIs, schools might use various interventions, from counseling to parental involvement or academic supports, depending on the specific warning indicators.
RTI: The response is directly tied to academic performance. If a student doesn’t show progress in Tier 1, they move to Tier 2, and if still not making sufficient progress, to Tier 3.

Duration and Monitoring:

EWIs: EWIs are continuous in that they consistently monitor specific indicators throughout a student’s academic journey. They can flag issues at any time.
RTI: Monitoring is more structured and is often done at set intervals. The intervention’s effectiveness is gauged, and if a student is not making progress, they might move to a more intensive tier.

While EWIs and RTI might seem similar because both aim at identifying and supporting students at risk, they have distinct differences. EWIs act as alarms, alerting educators about potential issues, whereas RTI is a structured approach to providing layered academic support based on student needs. Both are crucial, and in an ideal setting, they can complement each other to ensure every student gets the best support possible.

Conclusion

Early Warning Indicators are a powerful tool for K-12 school districts. They shift the educational approach from reactive to proactive, ensuring that every student receives the support they need as soon as they need it. By implementing EWIs, we can create a more inclusive, attentive, and successful educational environment for all students. Don’t wait for the end-of-year test results to understand where your students stand. Begin interventions now and ensure a brighter future for every learner in your district.

The 20-Mile Radius: Why Distance Matters to K-12 Hiring and Retention

When trying to fill teaching positions, what can school districts do that goes beyond simply posting jobs in more locations? Dr. Jon Isaacson, Superintendent of Hillsboro R-III School District in Missouri, shares some insightful strategies for hiring and, just as importantly, retaining teachers – and the data he looks at to make some of these decisions.

In this conversation with Frontline Education’s own Collin Osburn, Dr. Isaacson considers:

His view of the current state of hiring in education
Why it’s crucial for districts to focus on the things they can control, not the things they can’t
What a 20-mile radius around his district means for hiring and retention

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify.

Dig a little deeper:

Looking for more? This interview is an excerpt from a longer conversation between Dr. Jon Isaacson and Collin Osburn. You can hear the longer conversation here.
“The Local Teacher Shortage”: A report from the Frontline Research & Learning Institute about the state of hiring in school districts in various areas of the country.
Video: Pottsgrove School District Doesn’t Waste Any Time Hiring & Onboarding

Episode Transcript

Ryan Estes: Welcome to the Field Trip podcast from Frontline Education. My name is Ryan Estes, and today we’ve got something a little different for you. I am joined by two guests. The first is Dr. Jon Isaacson, who is Superintendent at Hillsboro R-III School District in Hillsboro, Missouri. And with him is my colleague, Collin Osburn.

Over the past 13 years, Collin has worked with thousands of school districts, helping them address challenges in areas like human resources, recruiting, hiring, managing teacher absences and substitutes and more. And so, Dr. Isaacson and Collin, thank you for joining me on Field Trip.

Dr. Jon Isaacson: Thank you for having me.

Collin Osburn: Thank you.

Ryan: We are having this conversation at a time when teacher shortage is a phrase that we sometimes see in headlines. Data from the Frontline Research and Learning Institute shows that on average across the country, school districts need to hire a similar or slightly higher number of teachers than they have in years past, but are seeing a pretty significant decrease in the number of applicants. Right now I’m actually going to turn it over to Colin and Dr. Isaacson, because I know that this is something that you are both very familiar with.

Collin: Thanks Ryan. And thank you Dr. Isaacson. I appreciate you taking the time.

Something that I’ve been talking about with a lot of leaders across the state and the country over the past decade, really, is how the teacher shortage has evolved, how the recruitment efforts have evolved. When I first got into the K-12 market, I heard principals tell me that they liked to see the handwriting on the applications. It gave them a good indication of the candidate. And I think that’s evolved quite a bit to where we’re at today. First, I’d just like to start out with asking you a question. How many openings did you have this last year, and how many have you gotten filled?

Dr. Isaacson: I believe we probably had about 10 to 12 openings, and we currently have one. Position that we haven’t filled. We may have this morning, but it was a special education position, and those are probably the most difficult to fill. But overall, I’ve been pretty pleased with how we ended up.

Collin: Tell me a little bit about how you think you differentiate your school district, and why you think you’ve been successful with filling those positions and how you’re pleased based on the quality of those recruitment strategies.

Dr. Isaacson: Sure. At Hillsboro, I do think historically we’ve been somewhat of a destination district. We’re n an area south of St. Louis where we still are rural, but it’s 35 minutes I can be down at Busch Stadium in downtown. So we’ve experienced some teachers who want to move further away from St. Louis. But also from a salary standpoint, we’re attractive to those who are just a little bit south of us.

The other thing that I’ve done is really trying to focus on hiring people that live within a 20 mile radius. And I could get more into that later on, but that has really helped as far as turnover. And so I think that’s actually allowed us to decrease the number of teachers that have left.

Collin: You’re like a lot of other districts in that you’ve got some metropolitan appeal. You’re close but still rural. You’ve got the best of both worlds. I don’t want to diminish any district’s efforts, but when I boil down some of their strategies, it really comes down to ‘post and pray.’ And then the strategic thought is, ‘Let’s post in more spots and pray more that we get more applicants,’ because I think there’s a correlation between the quantity of applicants and the quality of applicants. How do you brand and market your district, the culture, your community, how do you paint that picture so that you can get awareness to people that don’t know about Hillsboro?

Dr. Isaacson: I think that, that’s very challenging, especially in today’s day and age as far as with social media, you have to put pushing stuff out about your culture and celebrating your successes, but ultimately it’s going to come down to sometimes, financial for sure, what we’re able to provide for the families of our teachers. And what I mean by that is, what’s in it for their children? Because often, teachers will bring their children with them to school. So you have to have that quality school that they want to bring their own kids to.

I think another piece that is the biggest, even as far as attracting, is the best way to fill jobs is not to have jobs open. The best way to solve our substitute problem is to not have absences. I can control that. And so we’ve really made an effort to focus on the things that we could control.

Collin: What are some of the retention efforts that you have in place that you’re thinking, ‘Okay we’ve got to really show a plan of growth and tenure here in order to try to retain them’?

Because I think you probably would recognize there’s a pretty significant cost to training employees and turnover, and then ultimately, just the turnover in the classroom, right? If I have somebody that’s only in there for two or three years, you know how that impacts the district.

Dr. Isaacson: Yeah. So, shameless Frontline plug, but I actually use couple of the Frontline products I use Location Analytics for all of our employees. I did some studies over the course of a year or two, and what I found was when we had employees that lived 20 miles or more away, 35% of those employees had nine or more absences versus if they lived within that 20 mile window, the average absences was four.

I correlate that to probably kids and illness and being further away. Or even whether, if it’s icy, ‘I’m just going to take today off. I don’t want to take that day in.’ We focus on student-teacher contact time because, again, I can’t control the kids’ attendance. We really try to focus on educator attendance, so focusing on that as far as when it comes to trying to hire and focus on teachers that live within that radius.

The other thing that I found is in our school district, we don’t lose teachers, really, to neighboring school districts. It’s not about money. A lot of times the teachers that we lose live outside that 20 mile radius. Because what ends up occurring is their kids move to that junior high age, high school age. And it’s tough leaving Hillsboro and having a 45-minute commute to get back home for soccer practice or whatever. So it’s merely family reasons of which they’re leaving. So using those pieces and also keeping track of the districts that they’re going to, and that’s a part of the Frontline information. We are able to see where the teachers are going and where we are attracting them from.

And so I keep a pretty tight eye on that from year in to year out to see, ‘Why are we losing? And how can we stop that?’ And the number one reason people leave is family reasons. So focusing on distance is huge.

Collin: Something else I’ve seen, districts are reaching out to me a lot saying, ‘Hey, we need to make an adjustment to our application. It’s too long.’ And in years past, that used to be a screening criteria to say, ‘Okay, if you really want the job, we really need to know this information in order to consider you.’ And now I’m seeing substantial cuts in the questions that are on the application so that we can just really capture the bare minimum. And the districts seem to take on more of that post-application responsibility to further recruit, but they’ve just got to get the names in the pool. Is that something you guys have experienced too?

Dr. Isaacson: No, but I have heard it probably is a deterrent. I’ve actually heard that, even on subbing, some of our retired teachers are like, ‘That application’s so long, I don’t even want to apply to come back and sub teach.’

I may take what you just said there and do some of that because sometimes it is too long, and I use that to really screen on some culture questions more so than just the canned, if all of us are just giving the, ‘Give me your educational philosophy.’ We can get to that later. I’d much rather talk with you about that, because, two, with ChatGPT, I can figure that out in two seconds anyhow. ‘Write an educational philosophy.’ So how viable is that going forward?

Collin: From a leadership perspective, going through this list, I suspect you and I could probably talk for hours, right? And I tried to consolidate what I think are the most important factors that I hear across the state in the country and to this conversation. Am I leaving anything out that maybe you wanted to talk about that were important that we didn’t discuss?

Dr. Isaacson: The thing is, we’re at a very pivotal time in education. Enrollments are declining. It’s bad from a financial standpoint. At Hillsboro, in 2007 we had 3,700 kids. We’re going to be at 3,200. And it’s not because people are fleeing, it’s because people are waiting longer to have kids, and they’re having less kids. The kindergarten class of kids born in 2008 was the change in smaller class sizes from then on. They are now going into eighth grade. We used to have 300 kids a class. Now we have 200. So I’ve been able to go down a couple of teachers at grade level, and that’s fairly consistent, both in Missouri and nationally. That has helped us with the teacher shortage because we actually need less teachers. But the cost of turnover is huge. When we put so many efforts into growing a teacher, sending them to professional development conferences, then to have them just leave the professional 10 years in, that’s not going to be good for education nationally or in the state of Missouri, or at Hillsboro.

Collin: I really appreciate how you use the tools and how you view the the school system, and I really appreciate your adoption and time and thank you very much for this. I’d love to meet up with you in a year and get an update from you and see how it’s going, but I really appreciate the time and perspective.

Dr. Isaacson: Thank you for having me.

Field Trip is a podcast from Frontline Education, the leading provider of school administrative software. For more information about how Frontline solutions can help schools with human capital management, business operations, and student management, visit FrontlineEducation.com/FieldTripPodcast. And of course, don’t forget to subscribe to Field Trip while you’re at it for more stories like this one. Thanks for listening, and have a great day.

Explore by ROLE

frontline resources

MEET FRONTLINE

SaaS Basics

1. Integrations

2. Data Automations

3. Extracts

The Value of Tenured SaaS Companies

The Impact of Enrollment Trends on District Budgets

1. Grade-by-Grade vs. District-Wide

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2. Local vs. State

3. District vs. Charter School Enrollment

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Strategies for Dynamic Forecasting

How Software Can Help

Conclusion

1. Build a Robust Substitute Teacher Pool

2. Clearly Communicate and Plan

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3. Utilize Technology

Fast Fact!

4. Offer Training and Professional Development

5. Create a Supportive Environment

6. Establish Ongoing Feedback and Evaluation

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7. Have a Long-Term Substitute Plan

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Episode Transcript

What was your first job in education?

If you could give any advice to yourself at the beginning of your career, what would it be?

What is one skill every HR Director should have?

What was your biggest “win” over the last year, and how did you achieve it?

What is the hardest challenge you’re facing in your role right now?

We live in a digital age – how are you using software and technology to tackle the challenges faced by HR, specifically recruiting, hiring, and retaining teachers and staff?

What is the best creative idea you have had as an HR Director that has made a difference in your role?

What will change most in education over the next 10 years?

What are you most hopeful about for the future of education?

Professional Development Formats

Shifts in Completed Activities (2019 vs. 2023)

The Takeaway

Here’s how to craft and present these narratives effectively.

1. Understand Your Audience

2. Gather the Right Data

Case Study

3. Personalize the Numbers

4. Use Visuals

On-Demand Webinar

5. Highlight Solutions, Not Just Challenges

6. Encourage Student Participation

7. Keep It Concise

8. Foster Open Dialogue

eBook

9. Offer Follow-Up

10. Celebrate Successes

“How can I grow as an educator — and help my students grow, too?”

What are S.M.A.R.T goals, and why is this goal setting structure important?

S: Specific/Strategic:

M: Measurable (Plan!)

A: Achievable/Actionable

R: Relevant

T: Time-Bound

Supporting Teachers in Goal Setting: Best Practices for Leaders

Focus on Both Student and Educator Growth

Keep It Clear and Organized

Be Ambitious, But Realistic

Schedule Regular Progress Check-Ins

Foster Collaboration and Feedback

Define What Success Looks Like

Take It Further with Frontline Professional Development

The Value of Sharing Data

7 Best Practices for Sharing Data

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Engaging the School Board

Who has done it well?

Implementing a Data-Sharing Methodology: Your 10-Step Guide

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Want to keep learning about data in education?

“The goal is to turn data into information,
and information into insight.”