Student Information System Software

Software Applications for Student Information System

Managing a school’s student records is a complicated process as students matriculate each year, semester, or in some cases even for a single course or class session. Each student brings a mountain of personal data, course progress information, and registration records that require careful administration.

With student information system software, schools can organize this information in one central repository while also providing a way for students, teachers, and parents to interact with student records and assess progress.

This guide will help you understand what student information system software is, as well as the various factors that should be considered when choosing a student information system software solution.

Here’s what we'll cover:

• What is student information system software?
• Common features of student information system software
• What type of buyer are you?
• Benefits of student information system software
• Market trends

What is student information system software?

Student information system software helps educational organizations record vital student information, schedule courses, and manage student billing. The software also helps teachers assign materials and record grades while simultaneously providing a portal for students and parents to track progress, grades, and disciplinary issues. By serving as a central data repository for student records, student information system software also helps provide educators with statistical analysis and reporting.

Common features of student information system software

While features vary from product to product, student information system software typically offers some or all of the following functionality:

What type of buyer are you?

• K-12 schools: Schools that host kindergarten through 12th grade students often require more than a simple registrar system to facilitate daily processes.These buyers need a student information system that allows teachers and administrators to track student behavior, attendance, grades, and contact information for parents and students. Paper-free student disciplinary tracking allows schools to keep an accurate record of student incidents for future referral.
• Higher education: It's crucial for education institutions such as trade schools and universities to use a software solution that helps track student registration information and facilitate the registration process. Higher education college classes often fill up before the school year even begins, signaling a need for an accurate student registration system. These buyers should look for a student information system that allows both students and administrators to register for courses without hassle.

Benefits of student information systems software

• Improves parental involvement: Student information system software gives parents a way to instantly access information about their child’s progress. Using an online portal and messaging, teachers can more proactively inform parents of their child’s educational progress, keep them updated on attendance issues, and notify them of potential behavior problems.
• Maximizes teaching resources: By giving teachers and administrators a scheduling mechanism, student information system software helps school administration create schedules that provide the right amount of class offerings while maximizing classroom space.
• Organizes class records: Student information system software allows teachers to keep information about all their students in one easily accessible repository and automates tasks such as keeping attendance, assigning homework, and calculating grades so teachers can focus more on education and less on recordkeeping.

As with any implementation of enterprise software, potential issues may arise. Consider the following:

• Teacher learning curve: It’s not uncommon for a single teacher to be employed by multiple learning institutions. As a result, they may either be used to another type of student information system software or have their own style of recordkeeping. Keep in mind the level of support necessary to train and assist teachers in using a new system and whether your institution or software vendor is in a position to provide it.
• Technical support availability: System outages are not only frustrating to student information system administrators, but also to students themselves. When choosing a student information system, be sure to ask your software vendor about their technical support availability to avoid the consequences of system outages such as not being able to pay student bills, access curriculum, or access vital student registration information.

Market trends to understand

When looking to purchase student information system software, be sure to understand the following market trends to ensure that you choose a solution that grows with your business goals:

Integration with learning management systems (LMS): Recent changes in the educational environment have caused a shift from in-person class settings to online learning. As this trend continues, look forward to seeing student information system software being the front end that allows teachers to distribute materials stored in the LMS as they are assigned.

SMS integration: As the average age of mobile phone usage continues to decrease, more and more student information system software tools will allow direct messaging to students' personal devices so that teachers can instantly update students on homework assignments or class schedules.

Note: The application selected in this article is an example to show a feature in context and is not intended as an endorsement or recommendation. It has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.