eSped & eSTAR FAQs (Now Frontline Special Education Management)

Questions about eSped/eSTAR becoming a part of Frontline Education? You’ve come to the right place!

Here are a few of the most frequent questions we hear from school districts who are wondering what the move means for them. Don’t see your question here? Don’t hesitate to contact us!

Why have the product names changed?

Since becoming a part of Frontline Education, eSped’s products have been rebranded as Frontline Special Education Management. The name change helps align eSped’s products with the rest of the K-12 software solutions Frontline Education offers.

How is Frontline Special Education Management different from eSTAR?

eSTAR helps districts overcome the same special population data management and compliance challenges that Frontline Special Education Management does, while adding to the robust state-specific data validation process, further protecting districts against non-compliant and incomplete data. eSped becoming part of Frontline Education – and the change to eSTAR, powered by Frontline Education – brings greater resources and advantages to our customers.

We continue to invest in and prioritize all of our state products.

How does Frontline Special Education Management help to streamline special education management?

Frontline Special Education Management will recapture staff time and help your school district contribute toward improved outcomes for children with special learning needs by:

• Developing high-quality special population documents, including IEPs, progress reports and ARDs
• Improving compliance with federal and state special education regulations
• Reducing the time spent on paperwork and meetings
• Eliminating redundant data entry
• Minimizing hands-on administrative tasks
• Enhancing tracking of timelines and tasks
• Providing secure access to student and staff information for data-driven decision making

Does Frontline Special Education Management integrate with my other software systems?

Yes! Our integration server supports a broad range of import and export operations, including SIS integration and data loading profiles, for optional integrations such as student rosters. The system’s report writer can also export, via a CSV file, based on any report created across any user data or user accessible system data.

Internally, the object-oriented architecture was designed to allow the exchange of any data elements interactively or in batch. Integrations, including real-time, event-based or batch, can easily be added as required by LEAs.

Frontline Special Education Management also provides a state compliance data management and export capability, unique to each state as required. All of these mechanisms are in place to integrate with EOE systems and today we are currently providing these services directly to LEAs.

In Texas we integrate with Test Hound and Texas State Billing Services, and in Massachusetts we integrate with NE Billing.

How does the system help to manage programs for other special student populations (RTI, ELL, Gifted programs, 504)?

Frontline Special Education Management helps teachers and administrators get a better handle on data management and compliance, so they have more time to track student progress, plan individualized interventions and provide critically needed instruction for RTIs and Gifted or ELL students.

Our web-based RTI/MTSS Program Management software guides users through each step of the RTI process, pre-loading biographical and demographic data, revealing exactly which data to enter for each intervention and displaying archived data in graph format to help teachers see problem areas faster and intervene sooner.

A toolbox of integrated collaboration features makes it easier to implement intervention plans for each student, as a team, from school or home, and provides reports at the student, school or district level to enable administrators to measure program impact and make data-driven decisions for resource planning.

Our solution is built to be a secure base of operations for your English Learner and Gifted & Talented programs. Each state has unique data validation methods. This helps ensure that the student data you capture is fully compliant. Integrated translation tools help you get parental consent faster, and it’s easy to find the documents you need, because each signed form is attached to that student’s record.

Also, district, school or student-level reports can be pulled in minutes. All of these tools work together to reduce the time and effort it takes to prepare for EL meetings or determine the efficacy of your Gifted and Talented programs.

How does using an integrated IEP/Medicaid reimbursement tool save my district time and money?

Frontline’s Medicaid Management software pulls IEP data into Medicaid screens and vice versa, optimizing reimbursement. The two applications communicate with each other, meaning less data has to be entered by hand, saving staff and provider time and reducing the risk that inaccurate data will lead to claims being rejected.

Providers have direct access to IEP information to help them plan services, and administrators have a live view into encounter information and claim status. Data errors are flagged before claims are submitted and can be addressed quickly.

You can say goodbye to costs associated with paper forms and increase efficiency in all Medicaid claiming processes. You’ll also save time and valuable resources by giving LEAs direct insight into Medicaid data.

Can you track related services in the system?

Yes. Frontline Special Education Management (formerly eSped) includes screens to log related services. Additionally, Frontline’s Medicaid billing software provides enhanced functionality for coordinating, tracking, and monitoring the delivery of related services, including tools to:

• Accurately forecast resource needs based on IEP mandates and other factors that impact provider time
• Equitably allocate resources to schools and minimize travel time for providers
• Automatically create optimized service calendars and student groups
• Efficiently track student service encounters and monitor and report progress against IEP goals
• Proactively monitor compliance with IEP mandates
• Streamline data collection for SHARS Medicaid reimbursements

What hardware or software do I need to install?

Frontline Special Education Management is a fully web-based solution, which does not require any additional hardware or software.

Plus, our knowledgeable client success team will work with your district’s technology team to support each step of the implementation process.

How much does Frontline Special Education Management cost?

All Frontline Special Education applications are available on a per-pupil annual subscription basis. A Frontline representative can consult with your district to understand your needs, align them with our solutions and provide a proposal customized for your district. You can contact us here for more pricing information.

Can I still access my eSped/eStar account?

Yes! You can visit this page to login.

What are the benefits to using Frontline’s solutions vs. other companies?

At Frontline, we are actively pursuing a vision to bring the K-12 education community a comprehensive, integrated portfolio of solutions. Special education management is a key component of this portfolio, and eSped was a clear leader in this area with a strong set of solutions and industry expertise. Bringing these solutions together will open even more opportunities for K-12 organizations to make connections and gain insights across various operations in the district.

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