Schools are complex institutions, and more than just the lessons given. Effective school management is a challenge that requires its own fair share of talent, what with managing student records correctly, coming up with convenient schedules, communication, and compliance reporting, to name just a few aspects. School administration software is now a promising (and in many places, well-known) remedy to the common issues faced by educators. In this article, we’ll look at the benefits and indispensable features of school management systems, and discuss whether it’s worth the effort to invest in a custom platform.
Why School Management Software is Important
Digitalization surely hasn’t gone past schools. In 2022, reports such as one by MarketsandMarkets predicted the global education technology market would reach $404 billion by 2025, and it seems to be exactly the case. However, it’s not just about eLearning and digital media or things used in the education process per se. Software tends to make its most triumphant entrances in places that are riddled with inefficiency, and school management is one of the notorious culprits when it comes to staff burnout.
Anyone who’s ever worked for a school (including the K-12 ones) knows it’s not the psychology or methodology that causes the most trouble – it’s the administrative tasks. This is why school software is a big thing now, confirming its importance on a day-to-day basis. Software platforms can help centralize and facilitate tasks like attendance tracking, fee management, and (very importantly) timetable creation. A Frontline Education’s study has found that 65% of school administrators report significant time savings due to technology. In other words, the Harry Potter scene with an argument over who can use the Quidditch field for training is less likely to happen.
There’s also another major factor at play: communication. In the learning process, there are multiple stakeholders, including the students themselves, their parents or caregivers, and the school. Up until recently, decisions have been made based off of one of the groups (usually the school) – and often poor decisions. Digital solves the issue by means of notifications about grades, events, emergencies, and the like. And it’s not just about letting the parents know about an event or their kid’s success, but about operations, as well. According to McKinsey, schools that leverage data-driven decision-making are 30% more likely to achieve their operational goals.
Common Problems That School Administration Software Helps With
The benefits of using school management software stem from the very same problems that schools have traditionally suffered in relation to the routine tasks. The interesting thing is that they are not just defined from the point of view of, say, a teacher or a manager. Instead, the industry has developed by aggregating everyone’s grievances and then presenting solutions that solve them from everyone’s side.
One of such key points is eliminating manual errors in student records and other documentation. A report by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 40% of schools relying on manual processes faced recurring errors in attendance and grading.
Another major benefit is improving communication: instead of scattered emails and phone calls, there is a unified system that can yield all these channels and easily display communication data when necessary.
All this, in turn, means there’s less time that needs to be spent on administrative tasks like attendance tracking (which may account for up to 25% of paid working hours).
Common Features in School Management Software
- Student Information Management. This feature centralizes all student records, including grades, attendance, and enrollment details, in one secure system. It ensures quick access to accurate information, reducing errors and improving administrative efficiency.
- Scheduling and Timetable Management. SAS automates the creation of class schedules, exam timetables, and resource allocation. It eliminates scheduling conflicts and saves significant time for administrators and teachers.
- Communication Tools. Built-in messaging systems, notifications, and portals enable seamless communication between teachers, parents, and students. These tools ensure timely updates and foster engagement.
- Attendance Tracking. Real-time attendance tracking tools simplify the process for teachers and generate accurate records. Many systems also integrate with parent portals to provide updates on student attendance.
- Fee Management. Fee management modules handle tuition collection, invoicing, and financial records. Automated reminders help schools maintain steady cash flow and reduce overdue payments.
- Analytics and Reporting. Advanced analytics provide insights into student performance, resource allocation, and operational efficiency. Dashboards and customizable reports help administrators make data-driven decisions.
- Learning Management System (LMS). Integration Integration with LMS platforms ensures that academic records, assignments, and grades are seamlessly connected, enhancing the learning experience for students and teachers.
- Admissions and Enrollment. Admissions modules streamline the application process by managing forms, tracking submissions, and handling enrollment efficiently.
- Staff Management. Staff management features track schedules, performance, and payroll. These tools improve transparency and simplify human resource management.
- Compliance Management.Compliance tools ensure adherence to data protection regulations like FERPA and GDPR. They include features like audit trails and data encryption to safeguard sensitive information.
A practical case of implementing a large-scale platform with school administration capacities, focused on remote learning: NIT
Choosing Between Custom and Out-of-the-Box Solutions
At the moment, there are numerous out-of-the-box school management systems readily available on the market worldwide. The problem lies within the “worldwide” part – in real life, schools have vastly different management styles that stem from their location, local legislation and regulations, their capacities in terms of both the staff and the facilities, as well as the demographics they serve. Let’s face it, schools are all different no matter what state officials would like us to believe. That, in turn, means every school will need a slightly different software solution to function based on the problems that only the staff, the students, and the parents know.
That being said, the people developing out-of-the box solutions are anything but naive, and these do have their own advantages. First of all, they are highly cost-effective, with prices ranging from 5 to 20 dollars per user per month, depending on the country. They are also easier to implement and maintain. However, they always pose a risk of not being able to accommodate the unique workflows at a particular school (like grading systems or extracurriculars), plus you always depend on the vendors.
At the opposite side are custom solutions, which are designed for a specific school or region in the first place. While they require a higher initial investment, they offer unparalleled flexibility and scalability. The advantages are, quite obviously, a more tailored approach to functionality, better scalability, plus data ownership.
In general, when choosing between an out-of-the-box solution versus a custom one, there are three main factors. One is understanding in what way your school is actually unique (i.e. academic structures, need for advanced analytics, niche collaborations and systems). Secondly, the scalability potential: the more your school is predicted as likely to have to accommodate more students in the next 4 years, the more likely it is to benefit from custom systems. Finally, there’s long-term cost efficiency: the crucial difference between out-of-the-box and custom solutions is that with the former, the costs are distributed evenly throughout the entire period of using the software. In other words, you pay less at the start, but the expenses catch up with you later on, when there’s need for customization or integrations. With custom solutions, a larger proportion of the costs is at the implementation stage, followed by savings in the long term.
Conclusion
In many ways, school administration software is becoming less of a luxury and more of an indispensable necessity. It allows to save hours of work, prevent burnout, reduce errors, and, perhaps, most importantly, foster a collaborative culture between the school, the students, and the parents.
The actual set of functionalities that makes up a perfect school management solution, of course, varies a lot. It takes to work at a school for at least a year to understand what features will actually make a difference, so if you opt for a custom solution, it is always a good idea to start with consulting the team who develops these. In this communication, you get the best practices from the IT side in exchange for communicating your organization’s needs.
Lionwood.software is known for being focused on EdTech, and having created Ukraine’s NIT platform that combines eLearning and school management features to enable remote education. This product, as well as other projects we’ve done in the past and are working on at the moment, are the result of understanding the actual needs of schooling systems in various countries. You can contact our experts at any time to discuss your own project and exchange perspectives, starting a collaboration that will bring your perfect solution to life.
