At a Glance:

Northside Independent School District

Location: San Antonio, TX
Enrollment: 106,066
Facilities: 119
Staff: 13,424

Northside Independent School District

The story of how Frontline's special education, RTI, 504 and ELL/LPAC applications helped teachers and specialists deliver services through special programs to over 50,000 students

One of the largest districts in Texas, Northside Independent School District (NISD) has a long history of excellence dating back to 1949. Its strong connection to the community is evident through the easily accessible information for parents, students, and staff on its website and through social media. NISD staff is committed to providing innovative, high-quality, diverse learning experiences for all students in an ever-changing world.

The Challenge

In their roles as district leaders, Northside’s Beth Poss is responsible for managing the special education, RTI, Section 504, and ChildFind applications (formerly known as eStar) provided by Frontline Education, while Marci Barrientos manages the ELL/LPAC program management software. Their goal is to serve NISD by supporting the teachers and specialists who deliver services through special programs to over 50,000 students. With more than 8,500 users of these Frontline applications, making information easily accessible and providing comprehensive training for teachers and staff are top priorities.

“We want to make sure the teachers are able to facilitate meetings and get the data they need to help our students.” — Beth Poss, Special Education Instructional Technologist

The Solution

NISD initially selected Frontline Special Ed & Interventions software simply to store and access special education student records online. They soon discovered an even bigger advantage to using the applications: the ability to quickly gather and analyze student information, and manage compliance digitally. Most important, special education staff now had easy access to all the data they needed to develop effective service plans for students.

Marci’s position was created when the district decided to divide the Bilingual/ESL department and house English Language Accountability in the Testing and Evaluation department. At that point, it made sense to start using ELL/LPAC Program Management along with the other Frontline applications. By adding digital storage of records for English language learners, assigned users could have access to data for students in all of the district’s special programs, giving staff a clear view into the needs of the whole child.

Beth and Marci work closely together to give NISD teachers and staff the best tools possible to help them do their jobs, along with the training to learn how to use those resources.

“Special education, ELL/LPAC, RTI and 504 [applications] all have the same login. It’s one system, not ten different systems. And when changes come down from the state, Frontline is watching out for us to make sure we’re in compliance.” — Beth Poss

The Results

Compliance made simple

Frontline gives Northside the opportunity to customize their applications, from forms to screen views to drop-down options. Federal and state compliance requirements are updated in the software automatically, with plenty of advance notice from Frontline before changes go into effect.

Proactive planning and preparation

Responsible for training thousands of staff members, it’s critical for Beth and Marci to know about regulation changes well in advance.

A full week of training is scheduled before school starts each fall for all teachers new to Northside. Offerings include specialized training for teachers working in behavioral units, collaborative classrooms and self-contained programs. Hands-on practice for special education and ESL teachers on how to use the Frontline system gives educators confidence that they have the tools and information to meet the needs of their students.

Quick communication benefits students

“Teachers go to one central application in Frontline and get everything they need for their students, which was never possible before, on paper.” — Beth Poss

The Bilingual/ESL Department is still in the process of transitioning to a completely paperless model, and because of Frontline software, teachers no longer drive to the district office to drop off or pick up paperwork. Since all student data is available online, communication is much faster and easier.

Teachers and staff have instant access to their students’ history, scores, accommodations and recommendations for service. When students move from campus to campus or across the state, their records are electronically transferred in minutes. Even if parents unintentionally omit special education or ELL/LPAC eligibility on enrollment forms, that information automatically follows the student.

“It makes it more accurate when we give the students accommodations for the state assessments or accommodations that they need for the classroom. Whether they’re special education, or LPAC, or RTI, we’re able to see what they need and give it to them. Every teacher in Northside has access to those files. They click a button and get into [the software] and see what those children need, right then and there. When we have Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) or LPAC meetings that change those accommodations for the classroom, they’re immediately updated and [teachers] have them at their fingertips as soon as that meeting is completed. Our students are getting what they need.” — Beth Poss

Reliable Technical Support for Staff

With Frontline Special Ed & Interventions, customer service has been phenomenal. From facilitating a major project like importing data from Frontline into the district’s student information system, to uploading assessment accommodations released by the state at the last minute, Frontline representatives are always reliable, responsive and happy to answer questions. Northside counts on them to find the best solution for every situation. Thanks to Frontline, NISD teachers and staff have the right tools and more time to provide all students with diverse learning experiences.